DEFIANCE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 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 Monday, October 20, 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. Russ Herman, County Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, met with the Board to review various documents pending his review/approval. Mr. Herman is currently up-to-date on all documents.

9:00 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.

10:00 a.m. Gaylon Davis, County Engineer, met with the Board to present his weekly update. He handed out the weekly Ohio Department of Transportation construction report for the Board’s review. Mr. Davis also reminded the Board about the ODOT Public Hearing regarding the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the US Route 24 Improvement Project. The meeting is scheduled for October 30 between 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Defiance Junior High.

He also submitted for the Board’s review and approval a Memorandum of Understanding between the County and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Recycling and Litter Prevention for a state-wide litter study. The study selects various sections of interstate highways, county roads, state highways and interchanges and requests that a specific site be left undisturbed (as much as possible) – no mowing, no collection of litter, no site improvements or other modifications, etc., until the end of the study in the spring of 2004. ODNR will pay the County a not-to-exceed sum of $1,042.86 for this study. The Board gave Gaylon the go-ahead. Mr. Davis will oversee this project, making sure the requirements are fulfilled.

Also, Gaylon handed out and reviewed information concerning accumulated revenue, permissive tax income, motor vehicle and gas tax income, and gas tax and court fine income.

His crew is working on the Fountain Street culvert replacement. He also noted that the Bend Road bridge project is moving along slowly due to poor weather conditions.

The annual snow plow/roads inspection is scheduled for Monday, November 17 at 10:00 a.m.

10:30 a.m. Ken Maag, Poggemeyer Design Group, met with the Board for a projects update. Also attending the meeting was Greg Reinhart, County Wastewater Operations Director.

Ken updated the Board on the following:

Express Sewer – generators will not be available until the 28^th of November which may affect the start-up date.

Evansport Pumps and Blowers – the pumps should be arriving soon and should be installed and done by the end of the first week in November.

Indian Bridge Lane – received plan approval, after a few minor changes are made, from Rural Development last week.

Christi Meadows I & I – the project is ready to bid. Phase I (Amber Oaks/Christi Meadows) is estimated to cost $36,000.00. Phase II (the remainder of Christi Meadows) is estimated at $100,000. A bid date for this project was set for Thursday, November 20 at 9:30 a.m.

Auglaize River Sewer Project – Ken has been trying to coordinate a meeting with Ohio EPA, Rural Development, and the Commissioners of Paulding and Defiance County for an update of the project. He will let the Board know when he hears from the EPA.

1:30 a.m. Commissioners traveled to Fulton County to meet with Fulton, Williams and Henry County Commissioners for a Four County Joint Solid Waste District meeting.

Today’s meeting adjourned at 2:30 p.m.

Approved for news release: _____________________________

Thomas L. Kime, Commissioner