By: Rebecca Miller
The Monday morning, June 28, 2021 Williams County Commissioners sessions for the day began with an Executive Session to discuss employment with Darrel Moore from Hillside Country Living.
They came out of ES with no action and following a fifteen minute recess, went into the regular session to approve resolutions and other items.
Approved during that session were:
-Resolution 238 Supplemental Appropriations on behalf of WC Common Pleas Court, Sheriff’s Office and Treasurer
-Resolution 239 Approving an Additional Holiday in Fiscal Year 2021 Holiday Schedule – Juneteenth Holiday
– Resolution 240 Cancelling the Previously Declared Public Health Emergency and Rescinding Resolution 20-0123 – Declaration of State of Emergency
-Resolution 241 To Proceed with submitting the question of the Renewal of an Existing Tax Levy on behalf of WC OSU, including Educational Activities related to Agriculture, Natural Resources, and 4-H Programs for the benefit of the Citizens of Williams County.
-Also signed were Credit card appropriations for the month of July for Recorder’s Office; Motorola Project Milestone request for June, 2021; Change order for 2021 Asphalt Paving Program; Letter of Resignation from EMS from Anas Alzuhaili, Medical Director; Final Sheet for Grant being applied for on behalf of CCNO for repairs to prison system
Clerk Anne Retcher then addressed a number of issues, beginning with ZOOM. She asked the commissioners for direction concerning whether or not they would continue having ZOOM available, since House Bill 404 expires on July 1,2021.
Commissioner Terry Rummel mad a motion that they continue Zoom with a plan to renew it every year, but with no second from his fellow commissioners, the motion failed.
Discussion was held on the topics of monthly and weekly meetings with the determination to continue Monthly EMA and EMS meetings, Quarterly JFS meetings and to keep the weekly meetings of the commissioners the same, even though President Brian Davis will not be able to attend the Thursday meetings.
Concerning vacations, Retcher updated the gentlemen that the one scheduled for December will not mess up the weekly scheduled meeting.
The commissioners ended that session by approving the minutes for June 24, 2021 and the payment of bills. County Auditor Vicki Grimm was present so they moved into a session for Refinance.
Retcher listed a number of Final Transcript proceedings and certificates and other items necessary in connection with the closing of Various Purpose Refunding Bonds, Series 2021.
She directed that they all needed to be signed by the Board, Clerk and Auditor. During the meeting, County Treasurer Kellie Gray entered, so she also signed her portion.
It was determined that a few other officials needed to sign them, so Retcher said she would take care of getting that done.
At 9:30 that morning, they opened another session with Kim Nossaman who is with Victim’s Assistance in the Prosecutor’s office, for a budget update.
Due to some confusion on the difference between WCVA and Sarah’s Friends, Nossaman gave a history of the WCVA. “WCVA program was founded in 1989 and has been continuously providing services to all the WC victims.
The staff consists of two full-time advocates which is myself, I am the director and Susan Tennet who has been a victim advocate since March of 2020.
The advocates respond, at law enforcement’s request, to the sexual assault clinic, the hospitals, the law enforcement agencies and even the homes of people who are in crisis and need our services.
That is not the only way that we respond. We also receive anonymous phone calls during the day from people that may be in crisis, people that are looking for direction. So, we are available for them s well.
The advocates accompany the victims or respond themselves to each court hearing and continue to provide. Information and communication between the prosecutors and the victims.
The advocates assist with completing victim impact statements which help the judge understand how this crime has affected the victim.
The advocates help with completing orders for restitution, so bills incurred can be paid and we assist with temporary protection orders which are in effect through the duration of a court case as well as civil protection orders which can be up to five years.
The advocates will provide emotional support and also help link victims with appropriate counseling services.
We are required to respond 24/7. Victim’s Assistance is essentially open for services every single day and night 24/7. VA is normally the first agency made aware of any crime in WC to make contact with the victim.
After we have assessed the needs of the victim, we can then make appropriate referrals to other agencies like Sarah’s House or Shalom Counseling. We can collaborate to help meet housing, security, and monetary needs.
We refer to Shalom for ongoing trauma counseling needs that we are not equipped to provide. In addition, we started to build some amazing collaborations with the courts and judges in WC, and the prosecuting attorneys.
We are required by Marcy’s Law to follow specific guidelines on how we offer our services to victims of crime. There are now many more steps in the process built in to safeguard the rights of victims, which is our job. We have built amazing relationships with the judges within our own community.
The VAProgram is partially funded by the VOCA Grant which has been cut drastically in the past two years. This past year, our numbers have climb to serving 572 victims, in addition to the already high number of victimizations the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the risk of abuse and the barriers to safety for survivors of abuse in the county.
Domestic Violence is being called a pandemic within the COVID-19 pandemic, with growing evidence showing the conditions of the pandemic have resulted in escalated rates of intimate partner abuse and in some cases, more severe injuries.
With the rates of victimizations increasing annually, along with the heightened episodes of violence caused by COVID-19 pandemic, crime victim advocacy programs nationwide are preparing for a larger increase in the coming years than normal.
Programs like, and including, WCVA are diligently working to prepare for those increases amidst the continual loss of state and federal funding for personnel and program support.
I realize that asking for $100,000 is a large request and I am grateful to be here before you to plead our case. VA is an essential service that has helped hundreds of people on the worst day of their lives by working diligently and partnering with the prosecutors, courts, the public, counseling agencies, we continue this work that we have been doing which is so very important.
I hope that you will strongly consider our request and award our request so that we can continue the important work that we do.”
Nossaman gave each of the commissioners a paper printout of the VA budget. She explained that “a year and a half ago the VOCA budget was $107,000 with a twenty percent cash match from the prosecutors but this year it has been cut to $44,392.”
Commissioner Rummel stated that it looks like they might be able to use some of the American Rescue Plan Act money to help, as the uptick in crime was connected to the pandemic.
He also said that he is meeting with Allen Rutter from Shalom and Representative Jim Hoops to see what they can do to help with the VOCA Grant.
He suggested they might need to contact all of the federal government officials at their disposal.
It was agreed that they need to run this past the county auditor and the commissioners said they are “interested in looking forward as this is a good use of money.”
Rummel asked if the $100,000 would keep the office stable. There was quite a bit more information of what is hoped for in the future for the Victim’s Assistance office to be able to do.
Commissioner Hilkert said, “We see this as an important service to the citizens of the County and as we go through this ARP money and how we can use it, will send as much your way as we can.
Commissioner Davis spoke of the “constitutional mandate” they have to keep this program going and he believes that the “federal government will bridge the gap in time.”
Nossaman mentioned a “sustainability report” which she is looking into for more funding. It was agreed that they need to meet again and talk more about “what we are going to do.”
The commissioners ended the regular morning sessions at 9:40 and went to the annual ditch maintenance meeting in Defiance County with the Defiance County Commissioners at 11 a.m.
The Joint Ditches discussed were: Defiance-Williams (no assessment); Fisher (200% -$23,038.62); Hardy Projects (1% -$427.65); Lost Creek (1% – $2,060); Reynolds Ditch 5% -$1346.02) and Schroeder (140% – $7,754.92).
Resolution 21-06-295 was passed in the matter of Maintenance assessments for the duplicate year 2022 on Joint Ditches with Williams County.
All commissioners voted to approve the resolution and the meeting adjourned for the day.
Rebecca can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com