NEWS RELEASE

DEFIANCE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

The Board of Defiance County Commissioners met in regular session at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, January 28, 2013 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 James E. Harris, Jr. and Thomas L. Kime, Laura Howell, Administrator, and Stephanie Metz, 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.

Jason Roehrig, Defiance County Soil & Water Conservation District, met with the Commissioners for a quarterly update. Jason informed the Board that Vetter Tile has a completion date of May 1, 2013. The Webb Run survey should be completed by the end of the week for a viewing/informational meeting scheduled in April. $313,000 was received from EPA for the Powell Creek grant for best management practices in Defiance and Putnam Counties, like wetlands, cover crops, grassed waterways and controlled drainage structures. The WLEB Nutrient Reduction Program Phase I was for $165,000 like include 54 controlled drainage structures. Phase II of this program is in the amount of $300,000.

Warren Schlatter, Defiance County Engineer, met with the Commissioners for a weekly update.

Corey Walker, Defiance County Job & Family Services Director, met with the Commissioners for a monthly update. Corey provided statistics through November 2012. There were 5,272 individuals on food stamps in Defiance County that received $618,158. There were 7,045 individuals on Medicaid that received $3,584,931.

Julie Rittenhouse, Defiance County Public Safety Services, met with the Commissioners for a quarterly update. Julie reported that there were no hazmat incidences in the quarter.

The Commissioners attended the Four County Solid Waste Board of Directors meeting in Williams County.

The Commissioners’ Office received notification from the Ohio Department of Agriculture that they will be applying aerial treatments of forested areas in Defiance County infested with the Gypsy Moth pest, beginning in early to mid-May with an insecticide treatment or in mid-June with a mating disruption treatment.

The letter stated: “This insect does its damage by defoliating the tree during its caterpillar life stage. A couple of years of defoliation and other environmental stresses can cause the trees to die. With over 300 species of trees and shrubs that can be affected, it is considered one of the most destructive insect pests threatening our forest and ornamental plants in Ohio. If left unchecked, Gypsy Moth infestations can grow quite rapidly. Therefore, it is vital to eliminate growing populations as soon as possible.”

All treatments will be applied from an aircraft flown approximately 50 to 100 feet above the tree tops. The exact time and date of treatment applications in Defiance County cannot be determined in advance. The timing of treatments is dependent on insect development and environmental conditions. The Commissioners’ Office will be contacted prior to the start of the treatments in Defiance County. The map provided with the notification showed the treatment area to be in the Fruit Ridge Road/Hagy Road vicinity.

Release Approved: ____________________________________________________

Otto L. Nicely, Defiance County Commissioner