PROJECT BIDDING … Bids for Project 5-2024 were presented to the commissioners at their meeting on Tuesday morning. Pictured above is a section of one of the bridges which are included in Project 5-2024 Bridge and Culvert Replacement. Both bridges are located on County Road K within Williams County. The first bridge is located between OH-191 and County Road 21 near West Unity (Brady Township) while the other bridge is located just past the intersection of County Road 6-75 and County Road K on the outskirts of Montpelier (Superior Township). (PHOTO BY JENNA FRISBY / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
By: Jenna Frisby
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jenna@thevillagereporter.com
The Williams County Commissioners met for their regular bi-weekly meeting on Tuesday, June 9th. The commissioners held their regular meeting after holding their quarterly meeting with the Board of Elections at 8:30am.
Present for all meetings and their general session at 9:00am were: Commissioners Terry Rummel, Bart Westfall and Lew Hilkert, Clerk Anne Retcher and their Intern Elizabeth Fritsch as well as those from their perspective departments on the agenda.
The first meeting held was with the Board of Elections. Their meeting started promptly at 8:30am and was called to order by Commissioner Rummel.
The main topic of their meeting was the handicap entrance being added to the East Annex Building. Their primary door will have a handicap button added to open the door, so it is more accessible to those who need assistance.
The cost of this project is $3,875. The board also informed the commissioners that curbside voting will remain an option as well as early voting.
They discussed the new entrance as lines do form during peak election times, especially in times of early voting and during lunch hours and late evening voting times.
Multiple signs will be in place during those times The front entrance to the building will still be able to be exited but not entered during voting times to help with the flow of traffic.
The board also discussed their staffing. They desire to have full staff at 120% as they want to ensure they do not run short if something happens to where individuals originally committed could not run their positions.
Overall, to have a 70-75% turnout would be manageable and help with keeping voting lines in order and efficient. After the briefing, their meeting concluded at 8:37am.
The commissioners then held their general session, which began at 9:00am. Commissioner Rummel called the meeting to order and asked Clerk Retcher if there was any business to be presented before the board.
Intern Elizabeth Fritsch then assisted in presenting resolutions before the board. Resolution 24-0228: which would approve Vickie Grimm (County Auditor) to create new lines and make supplemental appropriations for the following funds: Williams County Common Pleas Court— from Unappropriated to Supplies in the amount of $250.00; Williams County Engineer’s Office— from Contract Projects to Advertising in the amount of $860.65.
All commissioners were in agreement on the resolution. The next resolution presented was Resolution 24-0229 which was a resolution of Notice to Proceed for the Village of Montpelier Cranberry Run Storm Sewer Project between InLiner Solutions, LLC, Williams County Commissioners, and the Village of Montpelier.
The contract price is $319,827.00. Of which $107,974.00 is to be paid under the CDBG Grant and the remaining balance of $211,853.00 is to be paid by the Village of Montpellier.
The work is subsequently to be completed by October 31, 2024. With no further questions or discussion on the resolution the commissioners passed it with a 3-0 vote.
The commissioners then received a report from the Williams County Dog Warden which presented the information from June 2024. For the month of June, the Williams County Dog Warden received over 100 calls which resulted in 15 dogs being picked up six of which were reclaimed. They also had the addition of five dogs to their facility which were rescued.
The commissioners also received information in their general session in regards to the new sheriff vehicle which would be delivered soon. That vehicle is a 2024 Dodge Durango.
Credit card expenditures and a report from the county auditor’s office were also presented. And lastly a letter from the Common Pleas Court requesting an additional $55,000.00 from the general fund in order to cover the costs of court appointed counsel for criminal cases, as there has been a surge of them.
As of right now there will be insufficient funds for this service unless the funds are approved. Upon hearing the request, the commissioners took a vote which ended in a 3-0 result for the funds to be transferred. The addition of these funds will cover the costs of court appointed counsel through the remainder of 2024.
Retcher then asked for a motion and vote to approve the minutes from the commissioner’s June 25, 2024 meeting as well as for the bills to be paid as presented by the auditor. Both items were motioned and approved by all three commissioners.
With no other business to present before the commissioners, Rummel motioned for the board to go into recess until their next appointment. Recess was entered into at 9:17pm.
The commissioners then held an executive session meeting 9:30am with engineer Todd Roth to discuss the purchase or sale of property. That session ended by 10:00am when the meeting for bid opening for Project 5-2024 began.
Bid opening on Project 5-2024 involved Ron Buda from the Williams County Engineers Office presenting received bids for the project before the board.
The project is for the bridge and culvert replacement of two bridges on County Road K within Williams County. One bridge in Brady Township, the other in Superior Township. The original pre-bid assessment for the project was $254,000.
Bids that had been submitted prior to the meeting were opened and read before the board. Those bids were as follows: Taylor Excavating $233,488.00; Fenson Contracting $268,164.00; Bryan Excavating, LLC $236,518.00; Vernon Nagel, Inc. $205,173.00; Dangler Excavating $228,930.00; RG Zachrich Construction, Inc. $258,053.60.
After all received bids were read, Buda discussed briefly the locations of each of the bridges according to the project. Both bridges are located on County Road K. One of which is located between OH-191 and County Road 21.
The other is located at the intersection of County Road 6-75 and County Road K. Both bridges currently have substantial damage and deterioration going on with them, so the replacement is imperative.
Buda then mentioned to all those in attendance that their office would further review and convene on the bids and then make the decision.
With no other business in regard to the bids to be made, the meeting was ended at 10:09am and the commissioners went into a recess period until their 10:30am meeting.
With all parties present for the commissioners final meeting of the morning present, they began their meeting at 10:20am.
This meeting was held with Tim Muehlfeld in regard to an easement on his property. Muehlfeld is currently building on some property he purchased.
However, due to some past fees related to the previous owner of the property, unbeknownst to Muehlfeld there are nearly $7,157 worth of fees associated with the property.
The commissioners were all in agreeable to work with the county prosecutor and auditor on Muehlfeld’s behalf and get a resolution passed in order to get the fees spread out over a 5-year assessment period.
After the discussion on the financial aspect, Muehlfeld asked the timeframe for the easement to be done.
Commissioner Westfall informed him that they would not be able to give a definitive answer on that because they would really be at the mercy of whichever contractor got the project after bidding would be done and assessed.
With no further questions from Muehlfeld or the commissioners their meeting ended at 10:28pm after which the commissioners went into a recess period until final paperwork from the day’s meetings was prepared to sign. They officially adjourned their meeting at 11:00am.