NEWS RELEASE

DEFIANCE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 2008

The Board of Defiance County Commissioners met in regular session at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 17, 2008 in the Conference Room in the Commissioners Office at 500 Court Street, Suite A, Defiance, Ohio 43512. Chairman Thomas L. Kime called the meeting to order. Also present was Commissioners James E. Harris, Jr. and Otto L. Nicely, Laura Howell, County Administrator, Cara Brown, Clerk, and Julie Voll, Deputy Clerk.

The Commissioners met in General Session and approved and signed various resolutions, contracts and documents, approved several travel requests, reviewed the agenda items and the calendar of events and discussed upcoming meetings.

Laura Howell, Administrator, provided her report to the Commissioners. Laura stated that she and Julie Rittenhouse, Public Safety Director, attended the Black Swamp Safety Council Awards Banquet on Tuesday evening. Defiance County was presented with a special award for outstanding efforts in safety by operating without a lost-time accident from June 22, 2006 to September 21, 2007 and a total of 832,023 hours worked.

Laura informed the Board that the barracks roof replacement at Auglaize Village has been completed. Laura also informed that Board that Edwin Gehring, Defiance County Apiary Inspector, stopped by the Commissioners office and advised that he is beginning his inspections in the County in Hicksville. He will provide a report to the Commissioners in July on his findings.

Randy Vogel, Dog Warden, presented his monthly report for March to the Commissioners. In March, the Dog Warden’s office had 111 complaints of which 39 were in the City of Defiance, 12 in the Village of Hicksville. There were also 273 personal contacts. Twenty-nine (29) dogs were taken to the animal shelter and 1,480 pounds of animals were taken to the landfill.

Kent Appelhauns, Director of EMS Service at Mercy Hospital, Kathy Nelson, Mercy Hospital Administrator, Sheriff Westrick and Herb Retcher, President of the Township Association, met with the Commissioners to discuss the interest that Mercy Hospital may have in helping to provide EMS Services to the north-western part of the County that was being serviced by Williams County. Mr. Appelhauns and Ms. Nelson expressed interest in providing these services, but advised that they would need to gather statistics from the Sheriff’s office or the townships before making any commitment.

Release Approved: ____________________________________________________

Thomas L. Kime, Defiance County Commissioner