NEWS RELEASE

DEFIANCE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

MONDAY, MAY 16, 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, May 23, 2005. The meeting was called to order by Chairman Otto L. Nicely. Also present were Commissioner Richard L. Cromwell; Becky Wagner, Administrator; and Joan Brown, Deputy Clerk.

8:30 a.m. General Session Commissioners 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. Warren Schlatter, County Engineer, presented his weekly update to the Board. He

reviewed plans for blacktopping the parking lot at the Hicksville Senior Center. Bidding will be coordinated through Maumee Valley Planning Organization. For more information, interested parties should contact Lisa Karcher at 419-784-3882.

10:30 a.m. Randy Vogel, County Dog Warden, met with the Board to present his April Dog Warden’s report which noted the following: 136 complaints; 9 bites, 39 dogs taken to the shelter; issued 19 warnings; issued 26 citations; 1,860 pounds of animals taken to the landfill.

11:00 a.m. Russ Herman, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, and Mark Hopper, Public Safety Services Coordinator, met with the Board to review the draft of the Guidelines for Use of Vehicles by Defiance County Employees. After discussion, the Board approved the Guidelines.

1:30 p.m. Wayne Olsson, Laura Howell and Susan Bacon, Board of Elections, met with the Board to discuss the new voting machines/regulations. The State requirement is one machine per 175 registered voters. The State will provide funds for 139 machines at the cost of $375,163.52. Twenty-one additional machines have been requested to meet the required 151 plus extra machines for use in the event of breakdowns on Election Day. The Board has agreed to purchase an additional ten machines at an estimated cost of sixty-two thousand dollars.

Approved for news release: _____________________________

Otto L. Nicely, Commissioner