NEWS
RELEASE
DEFIANCE COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS
MONDAY, AUGUST 7, 2006
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, August 7, 2006. Chairman Thomas L. Kime called the meeting to
order. Also present were Commissioner’s
Richard L. Cromwell, Otto Nicely, County Administrator Becky
Wagner, Clerk Lyla Gurwell,
and Deputy Clerk Joanne Goerlitz.
General Session –
The Commissioners were presented with various resolutions and documents for
approval. Commissioners also reviewed
agenda items, discussed upcoming meetings and reviewed and updated the calendar
of events.
Russ Herman, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney met with Commissioners to
update them on pending projects.
Russ reported he is waiting on receipt of a proposed agreement from Mercy Hospital
regarding tapping into the water
lines at the Defiance County East location.
The hospital needs a second waterline feed. Mr. Millhouse, representative of Mercy Hospital
discussed this issue in Mid July and proposed a new tap that would come off of
the existing waterline. The second line
would be an alternate looped redundant secondary feed.
The Commissioners approved an Annexation Petition for Open Bible Church – Village
of Sherwood in Delaware Township. The annexation involved a 3.877 acre parcel
of land adjacent to the Church.
Warren Schlatter, Defiance County Engineer came in for his
weekly update. Warren advised the Commissioners that the Elliott Road
project is moving along. The base course
asphalt has been put down and the contractor will be putting down the
intermediate course today.
The Commissioners held the first Public Hearing at the Defiance County
Public Safety
Services Building
in Brunersburg regarding the upcoming Sales and Use Tax Increase that will be
proposed on the November election ballot.
The final Public Hearing will be held on August 14, 2006 at 11:00 a.m. at the Defiance County
Public Safety
Services Building
in Brunersburg.
The Investment Advisory committee, Auditor Karen
Tubbs, Landfill Director Tim Houck,
Clerk of Courts, Jean Ziegler and Bill Scanlon from Productive Portfolios, Inc.
came in to discuss changing the current investment policy.
Mr. Scanlon and Karen Tubbs
advised the Commissioners that it would be in the Counties best interest to
adopt a new policy that would enable them to broaden the list of
providers. The new policy would be a
more generic policy that would allow more diversity and would not lock the
county in to a specific issuer or a specific rate and would allow the county to
generate income consistent with current market rates.
Mike Williams, Director of the Defiance County Veterans Affairs Office
came in to update the Commissioners on 2004 vs. 2005 program expenses.
Mike reported financial assistance expenditures increased $25,105 (21%)
due to increased transportations expenses.
Total financial assistance claims are also up 12%. Memorial Day expenses increased $4,111 (55%)
due to more Veterans organizations filing for this benefit. Veteran’s burial and funeral expenses were
down $1,000 (33%).
Transportation of Veterans to VA Medical Centers increased 28% due to
the high cost of gas. Mike advised the
cost will go down for 2006 as the result of changes in their transportation
program.
Compensation claims for service connected disabilities Increased 38% due
to Agent Orange related claims and returning Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom
Veterans.
News Release
Approved: ______________________________________________
Thomas L. Kime, Commissioner