DEFIANCE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2003

NEWS RELEASE

The Board of Defiance County Commissioners met 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 Thursday, March 13, 2003. The meeting was called to order by Thomas Kime, Chairman. Present were Commissioners Thomas L. Kime, Otto L. Nicely and Richard L. Cromwell. Also present were Becky Wagner, Operations Manager; Alison Grimes, Clerk, and Joan Brown, Deputy Clerk. Commissioner Nicely left the meeting at 9:50 a.m. to attend a NORED meeting in Maumee.

8:30 a.m. General Session – Commissioners approved and signed various resolutions and documents, reviewed the agenda items and the calendar of events, discussed upcoming meetings and updated information for the calendar of events.

Commissioner Kime also noted that Otto Nicely will act as representative for the Board at Federal Emergency Management Association meetings and Rich Cromwell will be the Board’s representative for the USDA Local Work Group.

9:30 a.m. Becky Wagner, County Administrator, presented her weekly report for the Commissioners’ review. She received a request from Ron Cereghin, Maintenance Supervisor, for the purchase of 4 new vacuum sweepers. He requested quotes from Brown’s Supply, Kellermeyer and Grainger Supply and the low price was received from Kellermeyer at $349.75. Becky was given the okay to have Ron order three sweepers at this time.

Becky was asked by Barb Rohrs, OSU Extension Office, to remind the Commissioners of the Building Better Brains conference scheduled for March 27, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Northwest State Community College. Attendees can receive CEU’s for daycare providers, Head Start, nurses, and social workers. The conference is being held to support professionals in their work with children from conception through age 5. For more information, please call Barb at the Extension Office.

Commissioners recommended that Becky be their delegate to attend the Help Me Grow collaborative. Meetings will be held about six times per year. The group commits to participation in a comprehensive service delivery system for Defiance County families with children from birth through age 5 with developmental delays and/or disabilities or those at risk.

Deb Bloomfield, Deputy Clerk and Bicentennial Liaison came in to give the Commissioners a brief update on Bicentennial activities in Defiance. The County is arranging entertainment during the bell casting process scheduled for Sunday, June 15. Some of the events include: area choirs, a bicentennial speaker and musical groups.

10:30 a.m. Julie Fowler and Mark Hopper, Public Safety Services, met briefly with the Board to review information regarding the Drug-Free Workplace Program. Julie and Mark reviewed the documentation that needed to be completed and sent in, reviewed the current County policy and noted the proposed changes required by BWC to qualify for the discount. If the County implements this program, a substantial savings in the County’s insurance premium will be realized. An Elected Officials meeting has been scheduled for Monday, March 24 at 11:30 a.m. at Charlie’s Down Under to review information regarding this program.

11:00 p.m. Randy Vogel, County Humane Agent, stopped in briefly to give an update of activities in his department.

Randy is hoping to employ someone in May, June and July to go door-to-door to verify that dog owners have a registration tag for their dog. The job would be a part-time, seasonal position. Randy was given approval to advertise for this position.

Randy also updated the Commissioners on a dog rescue which occurred on Tuesday, February 18. Tom Sanders, the Assistant Humane Officer, plus several deputies from the Sheriff’s Department, assisted in the rescue of a dog which had fallen into the Auglaize River.

Today’s meeting adjourned at 11:30 a.m.

Approved for news release: _____________________________

Thomas L. Kime, Commissioner