DEFIANCE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

News Release

Monday, August 26, 2002

OPENING:

The regular meeting of the Board of Defiance County Commissioners was called to order at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, August 26, 2002, in the Conference Room of the Board of Defiance County Commissioners, 500 Court Street, Suite A, Defiance, Ohio 43512 by Chairman Otto L. Nicely.

PRESENT: ABSENT:

Otto L. Nicely, Commissioner

Thomas L. Kime, Commissioner

Richard L. Cromwell – Commissioner-appointee

Becky Wagner, Administrator

Alison Grimes, Clerk

D. Joan Brown, Deputy Clerk

Sherry Carnahan – for 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. meetings

A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

The minutes for the August 22, 2002 meeting were reviewed and unanimously approved as read.

Motion – Tom Second – Otto

Ø JOURNAL #130, RESOLUTION #02-08-471

B. RESOLUTIONS

The following Resolutions were submitted for consideration and approved:

Payment of Vouchers

Motion – Otto Second - Tom

Ø JOURNAL #130, RESOLUTION # 02-08-472

Appropriate Property for Public Highway and Road Purposes - Engineer

Motion – Tom Second - Otto

Ø JOURNAL #130, RESOLUTION # 02-08-473

No Purchase Order Request - Various

Motion – Otto Second - Tom

Ø JOURNAL #130, RESOLUTION # 02-08-474

Abolish a Position in the Department of Job and Family Services

Motion – Tom Second - Otto

Ø JOURNAL #130, RESOLUTION # 02-08-475

C. OPEN ISSUES/DISCUSSION

At the Junior Fairboard Livestock Auction, the Defiance County Elected Officials (Otto Nicely, Tom Kime, Defiance County Commissioners; Karen Tubbs, Defiance County Treasurer, Gaylon Davis, Defiance County Engineer, Jean Ziegler, Defiance County Clerk of Courts, Judge Steven Ruyle, Probate/Juvenile Court Judge, Jane Tadsen, Defiance County Recorder, Judge John T. Rohrs, Municipal Court Judge; Marlene Goodwin, Defiance County Auditor, Sheriff David Westrick; Jeff Strausbaugh, Defiance County Prosecuting Attorney and Dr. James Preston, Defiance County Coroner, and Rich Cromwell, Commissioner-appointee and the Hicksville Bank purchased the Grand Champion turkey, shown by Zach Meyer, son of Bob Meyer. The Elected Officials and Rich Cromwell also purchased another turkey, shown by Jared Blosser and paid $100.00 toward a gallon of milk. Income from the sale of the gallon of milk will go toward 4-H projects.

Jim Harris, Soil and Water Conservation, called the Commissioners to let them know he is requesting proposals for the purchase of a snowplow.

The Board received word that Commissioner Otto Nicely has recently been named a member of the National Association of Counties’ (NACo) Agriculture and Rural Affairs Steering Committee by NACo President Kenneth A. Mayfield. Naco’s 11 steering committees from the policy-making arm of the association. Each committee is comprised of approximately 60 – 100 county officials who meet several times during the year to examine issues critical to local government.

The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Steering Committee focuses on farm legislation affecting the economy of agricultural counties; trade legislation as it affects agriculture; rural development programs; soil conservation; and agricultural land preservation. In addition, the committee is responsible for oversight of platform amendments and resolutions from other steering committees that have significant impact on rural counties.

The steering committee’s recommendations on legislative policies and goals are presented to NACo’s membership during the association’s Annual Conference. If approved, the recommendations become part of the American County Platform, which is the basis of NACo’s efforts in representing counties before Congress and the White House.

D. APPOINTMENTS

8:00 a.m. Russ Herman, Defiance County Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, met with the Commissioners to review documents currently at the Prosecutor’s office pending his approval.

At 8:12 a.m., Russ requested EXECUTIVE SESSION regarding Personnel (ORC 121.22 (G) (1) Motion – Tom Second – Otto All eligible voted aye.

EXECUTIVE SESSION ended at 8:24 a.m. A resolution will be prepared regarding the abolishment of a job position in the Department of Job and Family Services.

8:30 a.m. General Session –

9:30 a.m. Gaylon Davis, Defiance County Engineer, met briefly with the Commissioners to present his weekly update. The Commissioners and Gaylon reviewed the various bridge projects his office is and will be replacing. They also discussed how the new parking lot at the fairgrounds benefited fairgoers. During Fair week, the Commissioners had received several positive comments regarding the new parking lot.

The date of Monday, September 16 at 9:30 a.m. was set to receive bids for the following:

Rosedale Road at the CSX crossing (Hicksville and Mark Townships)

Wonderly Road at the CSX crossing (Mark Township)

Snyder Road at the CSX crossing (Richland Township)

The CSX crossings will be reconstructed.

10:00 a.m. Karen Seigman and Kelly Worline, Bureau of Tourism, met with the Commissioners for an update on various activities scheduled and proposed for the State’s Bicentennial celebration. The bell casting is scheduled for June 14^th and 15^th and the casting will be held in the Northtowne Mall parking lot. The bell will be cast on the 14^th and finished on the 15^th. Other proposed activities include a birthday celebration for Ohio (March 3 – when Ohio became a state); a Native American celebration – dancing, workshops, games and crafts; Riverside Chapel will be open for tours and the Ohio Frontiers Chautauqua – a five day event where historians, dressed in character, will provide entertainment and show an accurate portrayal of what the Ohio frontier was like.

They showed two afghans that will be available for sale ($40) depicting scenes and symbols of Ohio, a pillow and a small, wooden replica of the Ohio Bicentennial barn.

10:30 a.m. Otto Gerdeman and Ken Maag, Poggemeyer Design Group, met with the Commissioners for an update on the Indian Bridge Lane and other sewer projects. Also attending the meeting were Doug Rath and Greg Reinhart of the County’s Wastewater Operations office and Todd Helberg, Crescent-News.

Ken presented the plans for the State Route 66 Sewer on mylar for the Commissioner’s signatures. The EPA paperwork is ready for submission and an EPA permit will be obtained.

Express Sewer – it is expected to have EPA clearance by October with construction to begin, possibly, by December.

Indian Bridge Lane (Green Acres Subdivision) – a public hearing date of Monday, September 30^th at 7:00 p.m. was scheduled to bring residents up-to-date on the project; financing the project was discussed – 50% of the funding is expected to come from a Community Development Block Grant.

Evansport Wastewater Treatment Plant – need to know what grant funds are available before bidding the project. 20% is coming from CDBG funds. Doug needs to know when funding is

available as it is a 14 to 16 week wait after ordering the pumps. Dennis Miller, Maumee Valley Planning, was contacted and reported that the earliest the funding would be available was late October.

Evergreen Wastewater Treatment Plant – construction needs to begin by December 1, 2002 and completed by March 1, 2003. This is the oldest pump station in Defiance. Poggemeyer will send the Commissioners a cost analysis for their review.

Doug Rath noted that several more residents have hooked into the Brunersburg Sewer.

Discussed an issue of storm sewer run-off at Green Acres Mobile Home Park. Poggemeyer will send a letter to the owner regarding the installation and calibrating of a meter to properly keep track of the amount of water entering the system.

Commissioners informed Mr. Gerdeman that the recently annexed acreage north of where Menard’s is being constructed, is within the County’s sewer district and any facility built there would utilize the County sewer..

Mr. Gerdeman also reviewed the documentation sent to Rural Development concerning the Brunersburg Sewer Project loan closing.

Doug briefly updated the Commissioners on the equipment purchases for Wastewater Operations. Almost all the items ordered have been received.

1:30 p.m. The Brunersburg Sewer Project loan closing was held at this time. The following were on hand for the closing: Lee Sonnenburg and Olivia Binkley, USDA/Rural Development; Russ Herman, Defiance County Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney; Karen Tubbs, County Treasurer and Tom Wilson, legal counsel for the project from Peck, Shaffer and Williams; Otto Gerdeman, Poggemeyer Design Group; and Marlene Goodwin, County Auditor.

Commissioners passed a resolution authorizing the issuance of $837,531.21 of bonds for the purpose of paying part of the cost of acquiring and constructing the Brunersburg Area Sanitary Sewer Project.

Motion - Tom Second – Otto

Ø JOURNAL #130, RESOLUTION #02-08-476

Lee Sonnenburg reviewed the loan closing instructions and found that all items on the list were completed.

Commissioners then passed a resolution authorizing and providing for the incurrence of indebtedness for the purpose of providing a portion of the cost of acquiring, constructing, enlarging, improving and/or extending Sanitary Sewer System in the Brunersburg Area of Defiance County.

Motion – Tom Second – Otto

Ø JOURNAL #130, RESOLUTION #02-08-477

The necessary documentation regarding the resolutions was passed around for proper signatures.

It was discovered that during the Brunersburg Sewer final meeting a few items on the punch list were not completed. Otto Gerdeman will check to see that everything is completed.

Meeting adjourned at 3:15 p.m.

Approved for News Release: ______________________________

Otto L. Nicely, Commissioner