DEFIANCE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 2005

The Board of Defiance County Commissioners met in regular session at 8:30 a.m. in the Conference Room of the Board of Defiance County Commissioners, 500 Court Street, Suite A, Defiance, Ohio 43512, on Monday, January 10, 2004. The meeting was called to order by Chairman Richard L. Cromwell. Also present were Commissioners Thomas L. Kime and Otto L. Nicely; Becky Wagner, Administrator; Alison Grimes, Clerk and Joan Brown, Deputy Clerk.

8:30 a.m. Russ Herman, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, met with the Board to review several documents that had been sent to his office for review/approval. These documents were returned to the Commissioners’ office this past Friday and Mr. Herman is up-to-date on County documentation.

9:00 a.m. General Session The yearly Commissioners reorganization meeting was held first. Commissioner Otto Nicely was elected as Chairman of the Board of Commissioners for 2005; Commissioner Thomas L. Kime was elected as Vice-Chair. Alison Grimes was reappointed as Clerk, and Sherry Carnahan, Joan Brown and Deb Bloomfield were reappointed as Deputy Clerks. The 2005 Holiday Schedule resolution was approved, along with the 2005 mileage rate (40.5 cents per mile) and the yearly generic travel resolution.

Commissioners then approved and signed various resolutions, contracts and documents, approved several travel requests, reviewed the agenda items and the calendar of events, discussed upcoming meetings and updated information for the calendar of events.

10:00 a.m. Due to a scheduling error, Chad Peter, Defiance Clinic Administrator, met with the Board at this time regarding parking at his facility. The Board entered EXECUTIVE SESSION regarding Purchase of Property (ORC 121.22 (G) (2) ). EXECUTIVE SESSION ended at 10:25 a.m. and was informational only.

The Clinic will work with the County’s Maintenance Director, Ron Cereghin, regarding hooking up lighting in the back parking lot.

10:30 a.m. Jim Harris, Soil and Water Conservation District, met with the Board for a Public Hearing regarding the placing of Brown Ditch #98-5 on the Ditch Maintenance program. No other interested parties attended the meeting. In 1992 the ditch was cleared of trees and brush and the bottom dipped as a mutual project between landowners, but no other work has been done since then. Mr. Harris noted that his office received letters from five landowners who affirmed that they were in favor of placing Brown Ditch on the Ditch Maintenance program.

After discussion, the Board voted to approve the placing of Brown Ditch on the County Ditch Maintenance program.

Warren Schlatter, County Engineer, also attended the latter portion of this meeting.

Per the request of Mr. Harris, the Board also approved combining Bryan Ditch, Anderson Extension and Anderson Ditch into one ditch for Ditch Maintenance purposes.

11:00 a.m. Warren Schlatter, County Engineer, met with the Board at this time with his departmental update. The Engineer’s office has created a draft comprehensive map of the roadways of the county that designates interstate and state highways, intercounty, county and township roads. The Board reviewed the various drafts – the different villages and the City of Defiance, and offered several suggestions/changes. Mr. Schlatter will also submit these drafts to the appropriate village/city for their input.

The Board also authorized Warren to use necessary “force account” in accordance with Ohio Revised Code 5543.19.

The date of Thursday, January 20, 2005 was set for the Township Trustees and Elected Officials annual meeting. It will begin at 6:00 p.m. and be held at the Public Safety Services facility on Mill Street.

Warren noted that a meeting will be set up with the County and the City Board of Control regarding Elliott Road. He will get with the Clerk to set an evening meeting date that works for everyone.

1:30 p.m. Mark Hopper, Public Safety Services Coordinator, met with the Commissioners regarding possible grant funding. The County’s Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan has been approved by FEMA. (Defiance County is one of 17 counties approved.) A 75/25 % grant is available through FEMA for disaster-related items to be used to protect Defiance County citizens. Mark discussed several options of utilizing the grant funding if received: finding a heated/air-conditioned shelter to use during disasters for displaced residents, or possibly an emergency generator. Mark noted that the Village of Hicksville is interested in obtaining funding for a shelter.

After Mark left, the Board reviewed a list of action items which need to be completed.

There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting adjourned at 2:44 p.m.

Approved for news release: _____________________________

Otto L. Nicely, Commissioner