DEFIANCE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

MONDAY, MAY 19, 2003

NEWS RELEASE

 

The Board of Defiance County Commissioners met at 8:30 a.m. in the Conference Room of the Board of Commissioners, 500 Court Street, Suite A, Defiance, Ohio  43512 on Monday, May 19, 2003.  The meeting was called to order by Thomas L. Kime, Chairman.  Present were Commissioners Thomas L. Kime, Otto L. Nicely and Richard L. Cromwell.  Also present were Becky Wagner, Administrator; 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 the agenda items and the calendar of events, discussed upcoming meetings and updated information for the calendar of events.    

 

Commissioners signed the April Solid Waste District Report submitted by Landfill Manager Tim Houck.  Tonnage collected and taken to the County Landfill for the month of April, 2003 was:

 

                        In-District                    5,115.26

                        Out-of District               111.04

                        Out-of-State                    31.38         

 

Total fees collected and forwarded to the Solid Waste District was: $9,200.95

 

The Board discussed last Friday’s fire at the Columbus Avenue Johns-Manville plant.  The Commissioners deeply appreciated all the assistance received from area and out-of-county entities during this situation.  The surrounding county’s fire departments, response teams, and various agencies, businesses, industries and individuals responded immediately and assisted Defiance County personnel in effectively extinguishing the fire within hours.  The Commissioners have already been in contact with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and other State agencies requesting assistance for Johns-Manville employees.  Commissioners have been advised that various agencies are standing by to assist JM employees as soon as decisions have been made by JM management. 

 

10:00 a.m.      Gaylon Davis, County Engineer, met with the Board to open bids for the Clinton/Hopkins Street Bridges Project.  Also present for the bid opening was Mike Rath from Fort Defiance Construction, Defiance.  This company, in conjunction with C.J. Mahan, presented the sole bid in the amount of $1,025,343.30.  The Engineer’s estimate for the project is $$934,750.00.

 

Commissioners accepted the bid as presented for further review. 

 

10:30 a.m.      Otto Gerdeman and Ken Maag, Poggemeyer Design Group, met with the Board for a projects update.

 

Express Sewer – still within completion date.  The concrete slab has been poured but waiting for pumps to arrive.  Christi Meadows Pump Station may be started up in mid-June. 

 

Evansport – pumps and blowers will be re-bid June 12th.

 

Indian Bridge Lane – EPA reports are due soon.  Project should be bid in late Fall.

 

Christi Meadows I & I – meter installed April 24th.  It will be removed May 25th.  A report will be submitted to the Board with the water flow results. 

 

Auglaize River Sewer Project – Mannik and Smith hired to complete appraisals. 

 

1:30 p.m.,       Mike Boff, Soil and Water Conservation District, Karen Tubbs, Treasurer and Marlene Goodwin, Auditor, met with the Board to discuss ditch project funding.  Also attending were Sharon Scheuerman and Jill Little, Deputy Auditors.   The group met to review financing venues, terms, amounts and other information regarding the securing of funding for ditch projects.  The Board will review the information with the Assistant Prosecuting Attorney at his next meeting with the Board. 

 

2:00 p.m.        Jerry Hayes, Defiance County Economic Development Director, met with the Board to present a General Motors, Powertrain Division Enterprise Zone Agreement.  Todd Helberg, Crescent-News writer and Mike Chapman, Carl Kane and Pete Felden of GM were also present.

 

GM will purchase new machinery and equipment for an investment of $22,109,000 for the expansion of the iron block line.  The inventory investment equals $1,800,000 for a total investment of $23,909,000.  450 full-time permanent jobs will be retained.  The project is scheduled to begin July, 2003 and completed by December, 2005.     

 

Commissioners approved the Enterprise Zone Agreement as presented, pending review and approval of the Prosecutor.

      

Gaylon Davis, County Engineer, submitted his bid recommendation for the Clinton/Hopkins Street Bridge Project.  He recommended the bid be awarded to the sole bidder, Fort Defiance Construction/C.J. Mahan in the amount of $1,025,343.30.  Commissioners approved the award, pending contract review and approval by the Prosecutor’s office.

 

Today’s meeting adjourned at 2:25 p.m.

 

 

Approved for news release: _____________________________

                                                            Thomas L. Kime, Commissioner