NEWS RELEASE

DEFIANCE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 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 November 3, 2005. The meeting was called to order by Chairman Otto L. Nicely. Also present were Commissioners Thomas L. Kime and Richard L. Cromwell; Becky Wagner, Administrator, Lyla Gurwell Clerk, and Joanne Goerlitz, Deputy Clerk.

8:30 A.M. General Session Clerk, Lyla Gurwell presented various resolutions, contracts and documents for approval of the Commissioners. Commissioners also approved several travel requests, reviewed the agenda items and the calendar of events, discussed upcoming meetings and updated information for the calendar of events.

Jane Tadsen, Defiance County Recorder reported during the month of October, her office recorded the following: 188 Deeds, 278 mortgages, 249 releases, 1 partnership, 7 power of attorneys, 1 soldier discharge and 4 plats. Jane also reported total money received for the month of October was $38,762.45. $19,568.85 for General Fund and $19,193.60 for Housing Trust.

The Defiance County collaborative of the Emergency Management Agency, General Health District, and the Volunteer Connection is the first such effort to introduce School Emergency Response Training on a countywide level in Ohio.  On Thursday, Haley Rich, President of the Alliance for Empowerment Inc., along with representatives from the EMA and Volunteer Connection traveled to various high schools in Defiance County to introduce the program to students.  On Friday, over 50 people from across Ohio will be in Defiance to hear more about Teen SERT.

10:00 A.M. Becky Wagner, Defiance County Administrator reviewed the information received from Ken Keller, First Investments, regarding Insurance Changes. Before the Board proceeds with this program, Becky will contact additional persons regarding the Counties Insurance plan.

11:00 A.M. Marilyn Hite, Library Director came before the Board to update the Commissioners on the building expansion. The land purchase was completed earlier this year. The library purchased 9.45 acres located on South Jefferson. Plans are to build up to 40,000 sq. ft. then to renovate the branch downtown with the intent of removing the wings of the building and restoring it to the original 100 year old Carnegie. The building expansion would be 100% in fundraising and estimating to start construction in five years.

The public libraries in Ohio are 90% funded by local government funds.

The library is in the process of looking at an operating levy. This is proposed to be on the ballot in the spring of 2006 with collection in 2007. The decision for how long has not been finalized. This would be the first levy for the public library in almost ninety years.

11:30 A.M. Morris Murray came in to update the Commissioners on his department and issues that they are facing. Morris indicated that that he wrote a letter to Senator Paul Gilmore on behalf of the Defiance County Child Support Enforcement Agency to urge him to oppose two legislative proposals currently found in the Work Marriage & Family Promotion Reconciliation Act of 2005 as was passed by the House Ways & Means Committee in October 0f 2005.

Morris indicated that both proposals would have negative and devastating impact on the child support program in our County as well as the State of Ohio and possibly nationwide. The proposals are to reduce Federal Reimbursement percentages from 66% to 50% over a four year period as well as limit the ability to utilize Federal Incentive Earnings from good performance as local match. It would ultimately cost all levels of government and all taxpayers more money. This is because the Child Support Enforcement Program is both a cost recovery and a cost avoidance program.

The more we enforce child support the less dependent custodial parents are on public welfare benefits.

Morris also reported that for the Federal Fiscal Year ending September 30, 2005, the Ohio Child Support program registered an improvement in every performance category tracked by the federal office.

1:30 P.M. Commissioners met with Tony Hoeffel, Hoeffel Engineering, LLC, Dennis Miller Director of Maumee Valley Planning, representatives from Underground Utilities, Inc., from Monroeville, OH, and representatives for the City of Defiance for a preconstruction meeting regarding the R & L Enterprise Industrial Park Expansion project.

Approved for news release: _____________________________

Otto L. Nicely, Commissioner