NEW LOCATION … Lined up along one wall of a very narrow room, and ready to start their first Commissioners Meeting in the East Annex office, on July 14, 2022, were Clerk Anne Retcher, assistant Jillian Drinnon, and Commissioners Terry Rummel, Lew Hilkert and Brian Davis. (PHOTO BY REBECCA MILLER, STAFF)
By: Rebecca Miller
The Williams County Commissioners office is in the process of moving all of its belongings to the East Annex building as the renovation of the Courthouse 4th Floor is to begin at some point in the near future.
On Thursday, July 14, 2022, Commissioners Lew Hilkert, Brian Davis and President Terry Rummel held their first meeting with clerk Anne Retcher and summer assistant Jillian Drinnon in the room that is big enough for their desks and a few chairs for visitors.
The office complex into which they are moving was housing Ohio Means Jobs, but OMJ is now across the lobby in one room.
The new offices of the commissioners consist of a small welcome room and five other small rooms. One will be used for all of the file cabinets, one as a work room, one as Retcher’s office, one as Robin Kemp’s office and the back room will be the Hearing Room.
The hearing room is long and narrow so they were able to fit the three commissioners’ desks and the clerk’s standing desk on one side, six chairs across from them and four more on the end of the room.
It is a tight fit, but their hope is to move back up to the Courthouse 4th Floor after the renovation, which could take up to a year.
Their first regular session there held the approval of:
-Resolution 193 Supplemental appropriations
-Resolution 194 Entering into a Lease Agreement
-Resolution 195 Requesting the Williams County Auditor to certify the dollar amount of Revenue Pursuant to Ohio Revised Code Section 5705.03(B) for Soil and Water Conservation District Levy Renewal
-Also signed: letter from Donna Sprow from Department of Aging regarding Tax Levy to be placed on the ballot; Dog Warden report for the week of July 4-10, 2022; Permit for use of county property from Cancer Assistance of Williams County for Bike to the Bridge on August 6, 2022 submitted by Mike Kurivial; Travel request for Brian Fritsch to attend CEAO 2022 Ohio GIS Conference; Credit Card appropriation on behalf of the Engineer’s office for September 2022; Application for Tile Repair – Applicant Ronald Keil, Jr. – Application #2022-04; Application for Tile Repair – Applicant Ronald Keil, Sr. – Application #2022-05 (located between CR 12 & 13 by the Toll Road)
-Minutes for July 11, 2022 and payment of bills
Before standing in recess, Rummel announced for the record that the Commissioners are in their temporary new location, at the East Annex for their meetings.
“The staff, Anne, Robin and Jillian will move in probably over the next couple weeks.” Anne added they will be transitioning everything over, starting with filing cabinets. Rummel stated appreciation for all the help being given by the staff in this move.
Following a 20-minute recess they went back into regular session and made a motion to go into Executive Session for employment. They asked County Engineer Todd Roth and Auditor Vicki Grim to be involved in the meeting. They came out with no action and adjourned for the morning at 10:02.
Included in their day was an 8:30 a.m. Work Session with Brian Fritsch regarding Tile Repair at the East Annex, a 10:15 meeting with Donna Sprow concerning the Department of Aging Transportaion Fleet at the Bryan Senior Center, and an 11:30 meeting with Treasurer, Kellie Gray, for the Land Bank at the Courthouse.
Rebecca can be reached at rebecca@thevillagereporter.com