Post-meeting release 5/23

Commissioners celebrate Community Action Month Thursday
Also approve proclamation honoring National EMS Week

[Tiffin, OH May 23, 2019] – The Seneca County Board of Commissioners heard from Great Lakes Community Action Partnership leaders Thursday morning and approved a proclamation honoring May as Community Action Month.
GLCAP has been serving the northwest Ohio area for more than 50 years. The organization began in 1965 and continues to serve Wood, Sandusky, Ottawa and Seneca counties through various community assistance programs.
Ruthann House, president and CEO of the organization, said during Community Action Month, the organization works to get the word out about some of the programs that are offered. She introduced other members of her staff and took the time to welcome and celebrate two families who have been positively affected by GLCAP.
House welcomed Karin Long and daughters Aria and Emelia Long, and Erin Harding and son Clayton Stone.
Both parents said they are very grateful for the programs offered through GLCAP.
Commissioner Mike Kerschner said he has been involved with GLCAP for about 15 years.
“It’s the finest community action group I’ve ever been involved with, (or) that I’ve ever seen,” he said.
For more information on what GLCAP has to offer, call 1 (800) 775-9767 or visit GLCAP.org.
In other action, the commissioners discussed emergency medical services in the county.
Although changes are possible within joint ambulance districts, such as eventually moving some districts to part-time or full-time paid personnel, the current board affirmed their support of the overall mission of Seneca County EMS.
“There are some things we can live without, supporting EMS folks is not one of those,” Kerschner said.
The board thanked all the volunteer emergency medical technicians in the county and read a proclamation recognizing this week as National EMS Week.
Emergency Services Director Ken Majors thanked the board for its support.
Also during the meeting, a public hearing was held for Title XX. Title XX is a capped entitlement program that provides funds for social service program. The Seneca County Department of Job and Family Services use program funding to bolster children’s protective services. Some of the uses include case management and prevention and intervention. SCDJFS serves about 2,689 people annually through the funding, which amounts to about $728,542 each year.
In other business, the board received two bids for the CR 26/CR592 pavement widening and resurfacing project. The engineer’s estimate for the project is $1,258,670 and bids were received from Gerken Paving ($1,105,197.60), of Napoleon, and M&B Asphalt ($1,171,066.70), of Tiffin.
During County Administrator Stacy Wilson’s report, she informed the board that the Cemetery Lane resurfacing project is underway and should be completed in about one week. The project is fully grant-funded.
During resolutions, the board approved all the appropriations from the pre-meeting release. This included moving $25,000 for an upgraded security system at the Public Safety Building, 126 Hopewell Ave.