DEFIANCE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

MONDAY, MARCH 17, 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 Monday, March 17, 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.

8:30 a.m. General Session – Commissioners approved and signed various resolutions and documents, approved a travel request, signed paperwork for the third cruiser for the Sheriff’s Department, reviewed the agenda items and the calendar of events, discussed upcoming meetings and updated information for the calendar of events.

10:00 a.m. Warren Schlatter, County Engineer’s office, met briefly with the Commissioners for a weekly update. The Engineer’s office did not have anything to present. The Board just had a question or two regarding the GIS (tax mapping) system and the number of employees who handle the workload.

11:00 a.m. Mike Boff, Soil and Water Conservation District, met with the Board to open bids for the Platter Creek Project #95-4. Also present for the bid opening were: Dave Lersch, Miller Brothers Construction; Scott Nagel, Vernon Nagel, Inc; Rick Rosengarten, Rosengarten Construction; Cory Baden, TimCor, Inc; Tim Baden, TimCor, Inc.; George Bock, TimCor, Inc.; Allen Rosengarten, Rosengarten Construction; Mark Boettger, Geo. Gradel Company; Robert Speegle, Gleason Construction and Troy Parsons, Zenz Farms..

Bids were received from the following:

George Gradel Company $ 795,684.25

Toledo, Ohio

Gleason Construction $ 842,235.00

Holland, Ohio

Miller Brothers Construction $1,254,098.25

Archbold, Ohio

Rosengarten Construction $ 678,827.20

Ottawa, Ohio

TimCor, Inc. $ 809,300.00

Defiance, Ohio

Vernon Nagel, Inc. $ 798,008.54

Napoleon, Ohio

Zenz Farms, Inc. $ 794,000.00

Delta, Ohio

The pre-bid estimate for this project is $865,725.00.

The Commissioners accepted the bids as presented. Mike will review the bids and submit a recommendation to the Board later this week.

1:30 p.m. Bruce Burns, representing the Buckeye Community Hope Foundation, met with the Commissioners requesting their support in obtaining grant funding for the rehabilitation of Defiance Gardens, an apartment complex. Located just off Ayersville Avenue, Defiance Gardens is an existing 36-unit, Section 8 low-income housing project. Through the Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program, administered by the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, Buckeye Community Hope Foundation is planning on purchasing the project, rehabilitating it and keeping it as a Section 8 low-rent project serving the citizens of Defiance County. The Buckeye Community Hope Foundation, Columbus, is a non-profit corporation dedicated to serving housing needs throughout Ohio.

Commissioners reviewed the information Mr. Burns submitted and signed a letter of support for the project. The Board also signed a letter noting that no local funding would be available for the rehabilitation. The project is slated to begin at the end of the summer, once the proper paperwork is completed.

2:00 p.m. Otto Gerdeman and Ken Maag, Poggemeyer Design Group, and Greg Reinhart, County Wastewater Operations, met with the Board for a projects review. Sherry Carnahan, Deputy Clerk, replaced Joan Brown during this meeting.

Express Sewer – reviewed the rates (revenue and expenditures) for the system, gave a brief construction update and discussed the closure plan.

Indian Bridge Lane – the EPA applications have been submitted to the Board for signatures and it is anticipated that the permits should be received by May. Rural Development will then review all documentation before the project is approved.

Auglaize River Sewer Project – nothing new to report at the moment.

Evansport Wastewater Treatment Plant – received a quote for the dechlorination system of $38,920.30 from Custom Ag Systems. A pre-construction meeting will be scheduled as soon as contracts are signed and Lingvai is ready to begin.

They also reviewed the information to be discussed at the meeting this evening with various Brunersburg Sewer users.

Today’s meeting adjourned at 3:25 p.m.

Approved for news release: _____________________________

Thomas L. Kime, Commissioner