DEFIANCE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 2003

NEWS RELEASE

The Board of Defiance County Commissioners met at 8:30 a.m. in the Hicksville Village Council Room, Hicksville, Ohio on Thursday, January 2, 2003. The meeting was called to order by Otto Nicely, Chairman. Present were Otto Nicely, Commissioner; Thomas Kime, Commissioner; Richard Cromwell, Commissioner; Becky Wagner, County Administrator; and Joan Brown, Deputy Clerk.

Also present at the Hicksville session was Peter Greer, Hicksville News-Tribune correspondent.

With the holidays, the agenda was very light. Monday’s agenda and the calendar of events were reviewed. Commissioners and staff began the return to Defiance at approximately 9:30 a.m. where the session continued.

In Defiance, Police Chief Norm Walker stopped in to introduce his son, Brian, to the Commissioners. Brian is currently working full time for Congressman Gillmor in Washington D.C., and is pursing a masters degree at George Washington University.

At 10:00 a.m., Becky Wagner, County Operations Manager/Administrator, presented her weekly update. She reported that Poggemeyer Design Group will be putting together aerial photos to be used in presentations about the Auglaize Sewer project. Greg Reinhart of the Wastewater Department will be filing the required sludge reports with the OEPA. Rich Lauffer of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency will be at the EMA building on January 10 to discuss the Department of Justice (DOJ) funding and supplemental funds.

Commissioners met with Greg Reinhart, Director of the Wastewater Department to discuss the Brunersburg Sewer project. A meeting is being scheduled for Commissioners to meet with representatives of Poggemeyer Design Group, engineers for the project, IFM, and the County Sanitation Director and the affected residents of the Brunersburg sewer project. The meeting will be scheduled for the second week in January.

At 11:00 a.m., Commissioners met with Marlene Goodwin, Defiance County Auditor, to review the budget and receive an update on various projects.

Approved for news release: _____________________________

Otto L. Nicely, Commissioner