NEWS RELEASE

DEFIANCE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

MONDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2008

The Board of Defiance County Commissioners met in regular session at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, December 29, 2008 in the Conference Room in the Commissioners Office at 500 Court Street, Suite A, Defiance, Ohio 43512. Chairman Thomas L. Kime called the meeting to order. Also present were Commissioners James E. Harris, Jr. and Otto L. Nicely, Stephanie Metz, Clerk, and Joanne Goerlitz, Deputy Clerk.

The Commissioners met in General Session and approved and signed various resolutions, contracts and documents. The Commissioners also reviewed the calendar of events and discussed upcoming meetings.

Russ Herman, Defiance County Assistant Prosecutor, met with the Commissioners for an update on various pending legal matters.

Brad McMillen, Connect Ohio, met with the commissioners to provide an overview of Connect Ohio’s mission. Connect Ohio’s mission is to establish a technology plan to ensure that broadband is available and fully utilized throughout Defiance County. They are not technology providers, nor consultants, but are part of Governor Strickland’s Broadband initiative, working to enable his executive order #2007-24S.

Warren Schlatter, Defiance County Engineer, met with the Commissioners for his weekly update. Warren informed the Commissioners that to date approximately 340 tons of salt has been used; this is about average usage from the last 5-6 years.

Otto L. Nicely, Commissioner, Thomas L. Kime, Commissioner, Karen Tubbs, Treasurer, Warren Schlatter, Engineer, Dr. Paul Brose, Coroner and Amy Galbraith, Clerk of Courts were sworn in by Judge Joseph Schmenk. Jeff Strausbaugh, Probate and Juvenile Judge and Joseph Schmenk, Common Pleas Judge, were sworn in by Judge Stephen Ruyle.

Dave Martin, Carol Sines and Cheryl Brown, Fairboard Members, met with the Commissioners to provide an update.

Lynn Lantz, Ron Goller, Donna Lusk and Jerry DeLong, Auglaize Village Board, Cindy Mack, Defiance Development and Visitors Bureau and Lavon Speiser, Auglaize Village Trustee met with the Commissioners to provide an update.

The Commissioners held an elected officials meeting to discuss building feasibility issues and presented a proposal to renovate the old sheriff’s residence and jailhouse.

There will be no session on Thursday, January 1, 2009; the office will be closed in observance of New Year’s Day. There will be no session held at Hicksville for the month of January; the next session held in Hicksville will be on Thursday, February 5, 2009.

Release Approved: ____________________________________________________

Thomas L. Kime, Defiance County Commissioner