By: Rebecca Miller
The regular session held on Monday, April 12, 2021 of the Williams County Commissioners, with Lew Hilkert absent, consisted of approval of a number of items. Passage for items included:
-Resolution 133 Supplemental appropriations on behalf of Adult Probation, commissioners, Common Pleas Court, and EMS&Sheriff
-Resolution 134 Authorizing the Waiver of Revolving Loan Funds to support the construction of the water and sewer facilities related to the Refill Industries and Altenloh Brinck expansion
-Resolution 135 Entering into various Visa card Cardholder agreements on behalf of Hillside Country Living
-Resolution 136 Advertixing for sealed for MVPO Project #2-2021 – Bona Vesta Flood and Drainage project
-Minutes dated April 8, 2021 and payment of bills
Other items also signed were Dog Warden Report for Week of 3/29/21-4/4/21; Monthly Expenditure for Prosecutor’s office for the month of April; Quote and Purchase addendum for Spillman Mobile in the amount of $78,990.52; Letter to Elected officials/Department heads regarding wage increase; office of Community Development CDBG Economic Development Pre-application; and A Renewed Mind Merger notification.
With nothing further, the commissioners adjourned. On Thursday, April 15, 2021, with all commissioners present, a bid opening was held for an Asphalt Paving Program.
Dan Clum opened the one bid, which was from Gerken Paving in Napoleon, Ohio, in the amount of $1,373,353.50. The Prebid Estimate was for $1,672,800.58.
Approval was given for:
-Resolution 137 Appropriations on behalf of Commissioners and EMS

-Resolution 138 Entering into a 2021 Participation Agreement with CORSA
-Resolution 139 Amended proposal from Bryan Ford as submitted by Todd Roth, WC Engineer
-Resolution 140 Pre-Award Conditions as submitted by the Sheriff for CCNO Reimbursement Grant
-Resolution 141 An MOU between Adopt America Network and Williams County JFS
-Resolution 142 An You between Local Workforce Area 7/GOWBI and Williams County JFS

-Minutes for April 12, 2021 and payment of bills
-Also signed a letter submitted by the Sheriff to make the Board aware of transfer of unused property to the Pioneer Boy Scout Reservation; and a Special Hauling permit #21-025
The Commissioners then entered into an Executive Session to discuss pending or imminent court action with also present Todd Roth, Dan Clum and Katie Zartman.
There was no action taken and they entered the Final Hearing for Ditch Petition #738filed by John Corman on May 19, 2019.
Brian Fritsch reported to the Commissioners that upon surveying the area, he does not feel there is enough reason for the county to do the job, stating that “the costs are going to exceed the benefits that would be obtained from doing this project.

So I no longer suggest or recommend that we continue on with the project.” With no one objecting to his recommendation, the three of them voted to pass a motion to decline the project.
A second Executive Session was held to consider the purchase of property, with Todd Roth present. No action was taken and the commissioners then voted to approve Resolution 143 Hereby dismissing petition filed by John Corman Ditch 738.
Before adjourning, Commissioner Terry Rummel gave an update regarding Everbridge. “It is our mass notification to our citizens that all the townships and towns bought into several years ago.”
He explained, adding, “It has been a good working program up until this year when they increased the prices dramatically from $8000 to $12,000.
They are doing it on per use, so however many texts or notifications that you send out, they charge each entity for and that was going to be a billing nightmare.

Apryl (McClaine) is looking into a new program called HyperReach. They have looked at a couple of these and are looking at moving forward.
I will bring these guys more information on this as it develops. It is not going to change anything for our users, so they won’t even know they are getting a notification from a different one.
Apryl is wanting to reach out to each individual that uses it. The City of Bryan is a pretty big user, as well as Maggie at the Senior Center and the Village of Montpelier uses it.”
He spoke a little further and then asked for the commissioners approval for Apryl to move toward this $4-$5000 savings per year.
Commissioner Davis reiterated that “the data that is currently housed by Everbridge would be imported into the new system so the consumer would not have any “hands on” application in order for it to work.”

Rummel said that if it was different than that, they would “absolutely put the brakes on it, because we don’t want our citizens to have to sign up for anything new or change anything” with this.
Rebecca can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com