DEFIANCE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

THURSDAY, JULY 31, 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, July 31, 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 Becky Wagner, Administrator, Alison Grimes, Clerk 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.

9:30 a.m. Becky Wagner, County Administrator, presented her update to the Board. Maintenance issues in several departments have been rectified by Ron Cereghin, Maintenance Director.

Cliff Thornton, RC & D (Resource Conservation and Development) is checking to see if any funding is available for log jam removal.

An Express Sewer meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 6 at Poggemeyer Design Group. Becky, Greg Reinhart, County Wastewater Operations Director and Gino Silvestri, City Wastewater Operations, will also attend.

Tim Houck, Landfill Manager, received approval to advertise and hire two seasonal employees to replace two who have quit.

An Elected Officials luncheon/meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 7 at 11:30 a.m. Kelly Lowry, Comp Management and Winnie Warren, Bureau of Workers’ Comp, will give an informational presentation.

A training session for dislocated workers is scheduled for Tuesday, August 5, 8:00 a.m. to Noon at Schomburg Hall, Defiance College. Defiance County Jobs and Family Services will be on hand to assist dislocated Manville employees, but any person currently displaced from employment is welcome to attend.

Effective Friday, August 1, the Defiance County Department of Job and Family Services’ business hours will be 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

10:30 a.m. Kelly Lowry, Comp Management and James Bartezak, Integrated Benefits, met with the Board to present information regarding Workers’ Comp and employee benefits. Julie Fowler, Public Safety Services, also attended.

Kelly presented various studies depicting savings on different types of insurance claims and the impact on the County’s pocket. She also showed the cost savings when injured workers came back to work on light duty or transitional duty, versus their staying at home.

Wage continuation, continuing regular payroll to injured employee instead of Bureau of Workers’ Comp paying the disability compensation, was also reviewed.

Ms. Lowry will be presenting this information to the Elected Officials at the luncheon/meeting scheduled for Thursday, August 7.

Although not making it to this meeting, Mr. Bartezak, Integrated Benefits, studies the injured individual and the type of job he/she does, and shows how that individual can come back to work on transitional or light duty and progress back to their regular job.

1:30 p.m. The Commissioners toured several sewer projects with Greg Reinhart, County Wastewater Operations Director.

Today’s meeting adjourned at 11:02 a.m.

Approved for news release: _____________________________

Thomas L. Kime, Commissioner