NEWS RELEASE

DEFIANCE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2008

The Board of Defiance County Commissioners met in regular session at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, January 10, 2008 in the Conference Room in the Commissioners Office at 500 Court Street, Suite A, Defiance, Ohio 43512. Chairman Otto L. Nicely called the meeting to order. Also present were Commissioners Thomas L. Kime and James E. Harris, Jr., Laura Howell, County Administrator, Cara Brown, Clerk, and Joanne Goerlitz, Deputy Clerk.

The Board received the December, 2007 Activity Report from Jean Ziegler, Clerk of Courts. Jean reported collecting Legal fees of $16,774.37 and Title fees of $4,194.01. The Certificate of title Administrative Fund is at $7,788.88. Jean also reported deposits for the following: Legal Fees of $61,558.78 and Title Fees of $382,524.99. the Sales or Use and Dealers Tax collected was $363,207.58 and Watercraft Tax collected was $820.63. The number of Titles issued was 1,815, number of Notation of Liens was 529 and the number of Inspections was 393.

The Board also received a year-end report from the Records Center. In 2007, 1,605 records requests were fulfilled, 18 rolls of microfilm were filmed and/or fiched. Also in 2007, Volumes 34-38 of the marriage records were indexed and Volume 2 and part of Volume 3 of the birth records were indexed.

The Commissioners entered Executive Session to discuss employee compensation. Executive Session ended with not decision being made.

Laura Howell, County Administrator, presented her update to the Commissioners. Tom Sanders, Defiance County on-call dog warden, was also present. The Defiance County Dog Warden and Assistant Dog Warden, are both on sick leave and Tom Sanders will be the Interim Dog Warden and will be on-call 24-hours a day, 7 days a week until either the Dog Warden or Assistant Dog Warden can resume their responsibilities.

Laura also advised that Ron Cereghin, Maintenance Supervisor, informed her that there is a drainage problem issue out at Evergreen Lane Office Complex that needs to be fixed. Also, a section of the standing seam roof on a barn out at Soil and Water is flipped up and Ron is checking to see what can be done to repair this. Laura also advised that there was a department head meeting held earlier in the week and provided updates from each of the department heads that attended.

Laura stated that Julie Rittenhouse, Emergency Management Director, has scheduled a Defensive Driving Course for county employees on July 9, 2008 at the EMA building from 8:00am – 1:00pm.

Greg Reinhart, Wastewater Director, and Jan Roehrig, Wastewater Clerk, met with the Commissioners to provide an update on the Beldens Wastewater Treatment Plant. All repairs have been made and the plant is functioning properly.

The Commissioners and Laura Howell, County Administrator, attended a meeting with the Defiance City Board of Control to discuss the plans for the State Route 66 project and the Elliott Road area.

Release Approved: ____________________________________________________

Otto L. Nicely, Defiance County Commissioner