NEWS RELEASE

DEFIANCE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 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 Thursday, June 30, 2005. The meeting was called to order by Chairman Otto L. Nicely. Also present were Commissioners Thomas L. Kime and Richard L. Cromwell; Alison Grimes, Clerk, Joan Brown, Deputy Clerk and Lyla Gurwell, Deputy Clerk. Becky Wagner, Administrator, was absent.

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.

9:30 a.m. Heather Huffman, Help Me Grow Project Coordinator, met with the Board for a brief update of activities. Several requests have been received for a “Parenting Mentor” to come into the homes and helping parents improve their parenting skills which, in turn, improves family stability. Improving family stability reduces the number of children needing foster placement, reduces the amount of funding for foster placement and reduces the number of children with developmental delays due to inadequate parent involvement/knowledge/interaction. Heather submitted a job description of the proposed Parenting Mentor for the Board’s review. The position would be part-time, 20 hours per week. Considered a pilot project, funding for this position would be available through Job and Family Services’ TANF dollars. The Board will review this information further and will meet again with Ms. Huffman before making a decision.

10:30 a.m. Lissa Karcher, Maumee Valley Planning, met with the Board for a Second Public Hearing regarding the 2005 Formula Program. Also attending was Kent Miller, Village of Hicksville; Jim Donze, Farmer Township Trustee; Wayne Betts and Tom Dietsch, Milford Township Trustees.

Submitted projects were reviewed:

Farmer Township – Flood and Drainage Facilities – project total - $30,400, requested $30,400

Village of Hicksville – Flood and Drainage Facilities – project total - $103,700, requested $30,000

Milford Township – Street Improvements – project total - $38,900, requested $38,900

Evansport – Water and Sewer Facilities – project total - $14,500, requested $14,500

Total amount of funding available is $74,500.

The Board will review the projects and amounts requested and make their decision next week.

11:00 p.m. At this time Lisa Karcher, Maumee Valley Planning, met with the Board to open bids for the Hicksville Bryan Street Waterline project, a CDBG project. Also attending the bid opening was: Kent Miller, Village of Hicksville Administrator; Ken Maag, Poggemeyer Design Group and Jerry Wilder, Lingvai Excavating.

Bids were received from the following:

Lingvai Excavating $42,233.10

Bryan, Ohio

All Purpose Construction $41,498.50

Delphos, Ohio

G. E. Phillips Excavating $42,031.50

Forrest, Ohio

The project is estimated at $39,000.00.

The Board accepted the bids as presented and will award the bid after review and recommendation from Ken Maag, Poggemeyer Design Group.

At 1:00 p.m., Commissioners met with Dennis Miller, Maumee Valley Planning and Ray and Larry Plummer, R and L Enterprises, Inc., regarding the completion of paperwork for the R & L Industrial Park Project. Dennis reviewed the documents necessary for closing and all parties signed.

Approved for news release: _____________________________

Otto L. Nicely, Commissioner