DEFIANCE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 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, April 10, 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 was Alison Grimes, Clerk. and Joan Brown, Deputy Clerk.

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

9:30 a.m. Sherry Carnahan, Deputy Clerk, Fiscal, met with the Commissioners to review the status of several projects and to discuss indirect cost billings to various departments.

10:00 a.m. Gaylon Davis, Warren Schlatter and Steve Graf, County Engineer’s office, met with the Board to open bids for the Bend Road Bridge Project. Also present for the bid opening were: Chad Weidenhamer, Fort Defiance Construction; Jeff Weimken, Harper Structures; Mel Williams, Harper Structures; Brian Geffe, Mosser Construction; Mark Baden, Sherwood Mutual Telephone Association and Tom Frantz, Eagle Bridge Company.

Bids were received from the following:

Eagle Bridge Company $2,499,252.82

Sidney, Ohio

Fort Defiance Construction $1,865,829.72

Defiance, Ohio

Harper Structures $2,057,437.70

Archbold, Ohio

Mosser Construction $1,988,536.22

Fremont, Ohio

Engineer’s estimate is $1,870,793.94.

Commissioners accepted the bids as presented for further review.

Gaylon, Warren and Steve remained after the bid opening to review easement information and appraiser choices concerning the Auglaize River Sewer project with the Board and Sherry Carnahan.

10:25 a.m. Jean Ziegler, Clerk of Courts, stopped in briefly to discuss budgeted items in her Court of Appeals fund. Her “Other Expense” line is depleted. Commissioners authorized a transfer of $10,000 to that fund line.

10:30 a.m. Mark Hopper, Public Safety Services Coordinator and John Brownlee and John Brownlee Jr., First Insurance and Investments, met with the Commissioners to review the County’s insurance. They submitted an invoice for the CORSA insurance renewal for 2003 (a 2 – 2.5 % increase over 2002) of $185,144.00. The 2003 average increase for CORSA-affiliated counties is 4%.

Also submitted was the 2003 Participation Agreement. It will be sent to Russ Herman, Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, for his review before the Commissioners approve the document.

Today’s meeting adjourned at 11:21 a.m.

Approved for news release: _____________________________

Thomas L. Kime, Commissioner