Post-meeting Release

Commissioners honor three at weekly meeting

By Sheri Trusty, Seneca County Media Relations Coordinator

TIFFIN — The Seneca County Commissioners recognized the impact and influence of three local residents during the Dec. 14 commissioners’ meeting. The commissioners presented proclamations to Green Springs resident Bud Rutherford, Seneca County Health Commissioner Julie Richards and Opportunity Center Director Lew Hurst.

Bud was honored for a generous donation which helped the Stemtown Historical Society purchase the Calvary Church building in Green Springs. The building is now the new home of Stemtown Museum. Rutherford made the donation in honor of his wife, Maxine Rutherford, who passed away on Dec. 5, 2019.

“Since Maxine passed on, everything I’ve done, I have to have her name on it,” Bud said. “When the opportunity came up for me to purchase Calvary Church, my only stipulation was Maxine’s name had to be on the front.”

Bud said the donation was also a response to the friendship and hard work of Stemtown Historical Society Vice President, Megan Knieriemen.

“Another reason I bought the church was for Megan Knieriemen. If I would not have known her, I don’t think I would have been involved in Stemtown as much as I am,” Bud said.

Richards was honored for the competent and resilient leadership she displayed when the health department was forced to move to temporary space just a few days after Richards assumed the position of health commissioner in July. The county commissioners praised Richards for maintaining vital health department services, protecting county health records, and bolstering staff moral during the ordeal.

Hurst was recognized for generously offering use of a Department of Developmental Disabilities building on Fair Lane that temporarily housed the health department.

“Seneca County was in a bind with the health department building, and we made a call to Lew,” Commissioner Anthony Paradiso said. “We’ll never forget that. It worked out great.”

Richards attended the meeting with Seneca County Director of Environmental Health Dainna Raye and Seneca County Board of Health Vice President, Dr. Zachary West. The group presented a resolution passed by the board of health on Nov. 16 “in the hope to solicit a similar resolution by the commissioners,” Richards said. The resolution approved funding and implementation of an Environmental Impact Study relating to the proposed expansion of WIN Waste Innovations’ Sunny Farms Landfill. The board of health plans to develop a coalition of supporters of the study, which will help the board make educational decisions moving forward.

Richards said the study would be an unbiased, scientific study of the social, environmental and financial aspects of the landfill on the community.

Paradiso said the commissioners support the resolution and will take action on the issue at the next commissioners’ meeting.

The commissioners presented reports on the week’s activities, which included Commissioner Tyler Shuff’s attendance at a meeting of the “Unlocking the Iron Triangle” project which addresses solutions to the dangerous intersection. Among other events, Frankart attended a site meeting at the new EMS station under construction and was impressed with the progress.

“Everything looks good. The frame is up, and they are moving forward on this,” he said.

In other business, the commissioners approved 14 supplemental appropriations and passed ten resolutions. The next Board of Seneca County Commissioners’ meeting will be held on Dec. 21 at 10 a.m.