Post-meeting release 5/11/23

Commissioners thank Clerk of Courts Eckelberry for years of service Thursday morning

[Tiffin, OH – May 11, 2023] – The Seneca County Board of Commissioners thanked Seneca County Clerk of Courts Jean Eckelberry for her service to the county Thursday morning as she announced her retirement to the community.
Eckelberry said she has served the public for more than 20 years, including the last nine as Clerk of Courts. She thanked her staff, the judges, county employees and local attorneys for helping her be successful in her tenure.
“Now it’s time to look forward to joining my husband in retirement,” she said, adding that she looks forward to spending more time with family and friends.
Eckelberry’s final day in office is set for May 31. She “highly recommended” Stephanie Hicks as her replacement. Eckelberry said Hicks was one of her first hires when she started as Clerk of Courts about nine years ago.
She said Hicks has the knowledge and experience to be successful in this role, working for several years in both the Title and Legal departments.
“Thank you for your support,” Eckelberry said to the commissioners. “I will treasure that, always.”
Each of the commissioners thanked Eckelberry.
“You will be sorely missed,” Commissioner Tyler Shuff said.
The board unanimously approved Hicks as their appointee to the Clerk of Courts position.
In other action, the commissioners took time to reflect on a successful 2022 with their Year in Review PowerPoint.
When looking back at 2022, the presentation focuses on three major points: fiscal responsibility and financial management, county leadership and accomplishments and progress on major priorities.
Each section delved into several topics, including investing in the county’s Budget Stabilization Fund and bringing the total to a record-high at nearly $2 million. The commissioners also discussed major priorities such as expanding rural broadband internet access, solidifying the Seneca County EMS system and investing in capital projects to avoid issues with deferred maintenance.
The end of the presentation included a two-and-a-half-minute slideshow with pictures from last year. The presentation was debuted by Commissioner Anthony Paradiso at the Seneca Regional Chamber of Commerce Legislative Breakfast last month.
You can view the entire PowerPoint presentation here.
In other action, Commissioner Bill Frankart introduced the newest Ohio State University Extension Office employee, Pressley Buurma.
Buurma, who is from Willard, said she grew up on a vegetable farm and had animals. She said she was in 4-H and FFA and went on to graduate from the University of Findlay with a degree in Animal Science in 2022.
Buurma said she is excited to share her love of agriculture with Seneca County in her role as Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator.
Also during the session, the board approve the Ottawa-Sandusky-Seneca Joint Solid Waste District’s Joint Solid Waste Management Plan five-year update. Paradiso explained that due to a tight timeline set by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, the plan update needs to be approved soon. He said the other members of the OSS board agreed to continue the discussion on amending that plan to include funding for the Seneca County General Health District to help pay for oversight functions at Sunny Farms Landfill. The commissioners also recommended that other governmental entities in the county approve the plan update so that work can then begin on amending it.
In new business, all budget adjustments and a resolution was approved.