Post-meeting release 9/19

Commissioners learn of November event to benefit Seneca County veterans
Receive one bid for farmland and hear about the Read to Succeed Program

[Tiffin, OH Sept. 19, 2019] – Republic Village Councilman Mike Schreiner, who also serves as the commander of the Sons of the American Legion, discussed an upcoming event to benefit local veterans during the commissioners’ meeting Thursday morning.
He said the third-annual Salute to our Veterans event is to occur Nov. 9 at the Meadowbrook Park Ballroom. The event includes a concert featuring Trent Tomlinson, The Eric Sowers Band and Luke Rausch. Tickets are on sale at Perry Street Market in New Riegel, Bill Sowers Landscape, Tree and Gift Shop in Sycamore, The Viaduct Bar and Grille in Tiffin, Sauber’s Stumble Inn in Bascom and Simply Susan’s in Tiffin.
Schreiner said the event has raised $20,000 in the past two years and funding has benefitted several causes including the Tiffin VFW Fund, the Seneca County United Veterans Fund and a fund to support all the war memorials in the county. All the money raised has gone directly to help Seneca County veterans.
In other business, the commissioners opened one bid for a 63.75-acre parcel near the Seneca County Airport in Hopewell Township. The bid was from GD Century Farms, of New Riegel, and it was for $261 per tillable acre.
Also during the meeting, Mathis Kiefer, a third-grader from Krout Elementary School, talked to the board about the Read to Succeed Program. Commissioner Shayne Thomas has been working with Kiefer through the program. Tiffin City Schools officials are looking for more volunteers to help children with reading. The program includes four, 30-minute sessions to help students practice reading fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. If you are interested, call Kathy Miller at Krout, (419) 447-2652, or Molly Lofton at Noble Elementary, (419) 447-1566. You also can e-mail them at Kathy_Miller@tiffincityschools.org or Molly_Lofton@tiffincityschools.org.
In other action, County Engineer Mark Zimmerman discussed several topics with the commissioners, including joining a mandatory state program and increasing sewer rates for the first time in five years.
Zimmerman said the state now is requiring the Seneca County Sewer District to join the Ohio Utility Protection Service (OUPS). The organization works to prevent damage to utilities by providing efficient and effective communication and educational information related to digging. Zimmerman encouraged residents to dial 811 before digging, so authorities can make sure there are no problems with where people are planning to dig. Dialing 811 before digging is free, easy and required by law. The cost to the sewer district is to be about $12,000-$15,000 a year.
Zimmerman also said he wanted to notify the commissioners that the sewer district is to raise rates by three percent. He said the sewer district resolution already guarantees increases of three percent each year, but for the past five years, Zimmerman asked the commissioners to rescind that portion of the resolution. He said because finances are tighter this year, he needed to keep the three-percent increase. He said he hopes that it will not be necessary next year, but it will depend on the financial situation of the district.
“We look at this every year, we haven’t collected the increase in a long time, but costs are going up,” he said. You can view the rates via the resolution here.
In new business, the commissioners decided to table discussion on a letter drafted by Commissioner Anthony Paradiso that would be sent to the Federal Aviation Administration to point out issues with the proposed Seneca Wind industrial turbine project that could adversely affect the Seneca County Airport. Discussion of the letter is expected to continue next week, as the letter is due at the end of the month. You can view the draft Paradiso submitted at this link.
During new business, the board approved all resolutions from this week’s pre-meeting release.