Post-meeting release 4/27/23

Commissioners speak with county residents about Child Abuse Prevention Month Thursday

[Tiffin, OH – April 27, 2023] — Seneca County resident Amy Laird spoke to the Seneca County Commissioners Thursday morning about Child Abuse Prevention Month.
The commissioners also presented Laird and her son Alec Van-Beveren, with a proclamation recognizing the cause. Van-Beveren is a Shaken Baby Syndrome survivor with quadriplegic cerebral palsy.
Laird said she is always looking for ways to increase awareness and prevent child abuse and she asked the community for support. The commissioners were pleased to present the proclamation and to light the courthouse cupola in the color blue for Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Laird shared Van-Beveren’s story and discussed the role that Court-Appointed Special Advocates played in helping her and Alec 20+ years ago. She then discussed how she recently joined CASA as an opportunity to give back and help other children who have been abused.
You can learn more about Amy and Alec’s story on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070351801700
In other action, Commissioner Anthony Paradiso discussed a letter sent from the commissioners to the Seneca County General Health District Board of Health. The letter asks the health board members for a wish list of items and services that would improve their capability to inspect and regulate Sunny Farms Landfill.
The letter states that the commissioners are working through the Ottawa-Seneca-Sandusky Joint Solid Waste Management District to implement a solid waste management plan update. Through that plan, the commissioners hope to significantly increase funds flowing from OSS to the Seneca County health department for oversight at the landfill. The plan is due to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency in June, and the letter states that the commissioners are committed to working with the other commissioners from Ottawa and Sandusky County to ask for the additional money.
According to the letter, “examples of items and services that could be included in their wish list are hiring more licensed sanitarians, seeking out third-party environmental firms to provide random facility inspections, reimbursing for ongoing sampling costs and more frequently collecting samples from water wells adjacent to the landfill.”
You can view the letter here.
In other business, Paradiso also updated the commissioners and the community on one of the county’s major priorities, which is improving and solidifying the future of ambulance services in the rural areas of the community.
He said the Joint Ambulance District, which is an entity of townships and villages that came together to contract with the county through Seneca County EMS for emergency medical services, have been working on a few key issues. First, details are being worked out to take over for North Central EMS and to cover the northern portion of the county.
In May 2021, the commissioners approved a request from Adams and Pleasant Townships to spend $135,000 in 21, 22 and 23 to help cover costs that the townships have in contract with NCEMS to provide ambulance services to the area.
Paradiso said the other major point of discussion within the JAD is work on a second EMS station to be built in the county. The initial goal of the district and the county was to attempt to build four stations, geographically located for the most efficient, and quickest EMS service possible. Plans continue for the first building in the southeast portion of the county.
On the second station, the commissioners approved $5,000 Thursday for a feasibility study for an area on CR 6 in Seneca Township that is owned by the trustees.
Paradiso applauded Bettsville Village officials on the third point, which is an effort to purchase a property to improve the current living quarters that crews are working out of in that area. He said officials are working on closing on that improved property soon.
On another EMS note, County Administrator Jaime Wolfe asked the commissioners to approve an education policy for EMS officials, allowing them to work on moving to the next training level. This training, which for example could help an Advanced EMT become a Paramedic, would be paid for by the county in exchange for a three-year commitment to work for Seneca County EMS, Wolfe said.
After an executive session, the commissioners “reluctantly” accepted Wolfe’s resignation from her position as county administrator. She took the role in September of last year, after being hired as the county’s Human Resources Director in June of 2021.
The commissioners thanked Wolfe for her service to the county. Wolfe said she is moving on to be able to spend more time with her family.
During new business, the board approved the budget adjustments and resolutions from the meeting agenda.