By: Rebecca Miller
General Session of the Williams County Commissioners December 17, 2020 meeting held reports from Brent Wilson for the Airport and Gene Woodring for Courthouse Maintenance. Wilson informed the commissioners, “We are currently under, we finished the 2019 federal grant of 2.43 million dollars. We are just waiting for the FAA to give us the final approval to go ahead and submit for the final draws to finish out that last 10% of which the State of Ohio pays 5% of our matching funds. Then we have started our 2020 projects.”
“We ended up with three grants this year that are 100% paid for by the Federal Aviation Administration, which means that we were budgeted for having to pay in 5%. We ended up getting a little over 3.1 million dollars, 100% paid for by the Federal Government. Right now, with the Airport Taxiway Project, that totals a little over 5. 56 million dollars. In that was a CARES Act grant of $30,000 to help pay for Steve Fortner’s salary during the slow period. So far to date since 2012 the FAA had invested 7.5 million dollars into our airport.”
Wilson said in response to a question concerning the construction, that they had to stop construction on the 2020 Grant but it will start back up again in April 2021. “We have the dirt work prepped,” he explained, “We just can’t put any base down as it must be above 60 degrees in order for that asphalt to meet the compaction.”
“The other news,” he continued, “is I am working with two other entities outside this area to bring two other aircraft to Williams County. I hope it happens. If it does, our jet fuel sales will go through the roof. I will keep you appraised on that. At that point we are out of hanger space.” Commissioner Brian Davis commented that this is a good problem to have.
The last topic covered with Mr. Wilson was the need of a good courtesy vehicle for use by those who fly into the airport. With some discussion, the commissioners agreed that it is needed as the one used now is a 2003 van. They plan to facilitate the transfer of a 2011 van owned by the county, with only about 80,000 miles on it, to be used by the Airport.
Gene Woodring presented an update on the courthouse maintenance needs, asking for some guidance for what they want him to do, especially about the windows. It was agreed by all that at least 37 of the 143 windows in the building need to be replaced over the next five to ten years.
There was discussion as to how to replace the rounded ones, whether to keep fixed windows the way they are or make them able to be opened, as well as how many they would want to get repaired at once. Woodring highly recommended getting the windows on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the west side of the building done first as that is where most of the bad weather hits and causes leakage and rotting damage. He added that once the windows are replaced, they can tear out the rotted areas and repair all the inside damage.
In 2014 there was a recommendation to purchase storm windows but Woodring favors getting replacements instead. He recommended going with aluminum frames that are bronze colored so they fit with the look of the building. It was determined that the Courthouse Restoration Committee needs to be brought into the discussion as they want the building’s beauty to be maintained.
An estimate is needed and Woodring said he will start looking for a commercial contractor with good pricing that can do a good job, someone who has worked on things like this before. Whether to do the whole building at once or spread it out over time will be decided at a later date. The commissioners asked him to get quotes on three phases of either 20 at a time, all at once or one side of the building.
Woodring commented that the roof just needs minor repairs here and there to keep it going for another 20 to 25 years as it is in pretty good shape. The maintenance staff is all “back at work again and are working through some backlog from being short handed the last six months,” Woodring said. They have been getting some projects completed in the Sheriff’s office, the second floor and some other detail items.
In Regular Business, the Commissioners voted to approve:
•Resolution 366 Supplemental Appropriations on behalf of Auditor for Municipal Court Budget, CARES Act, Commissioners, Common Pleas court, Communications, Department of Aging, Engineer’s office, Hillside, Juvenile Court and Victim Assistance
•Resolution 367 approving MVPO Project #6-2020 CDBG RLF Waiver Program health Department – ADA Sidewalk and Ramp project – contract with Schimmoeller Construction, Notice of Award, and Notice to Proceed
•Resolution 368 Approving Qote from Davis and Newcomer Elevator Co., Inc. for elevator power door upgrade at The Heights
•Resolutions 369 -381 Entering into IV-E Contracts between Williams County Department of Job and Family Services and:
•369 Kids Count Too
•370 Keeping Kids Safe
•371 Cornell Abraxas Group, Inc.
•372 Belmont Pines Hospital and RTC
•373 Adriel School, Inc.
•374 Safe House Ministries, Inc. (dba Safe House Residential Services)
•375 The Village Network
•376 Department of Mental Health – Foundations of Living (Non-ODJFS)
•377 Hittle House LLC
•378 Ohio Teaching Family Association
•379 National Youth Advocate Program
•380 Richmeier Therapeutin Home
•381 Lutheran Homes Society, Ind. (dba Genacross Family and Youth Services
•Resolution 382 Accepting bids until 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, January 7, 2021 at Williams County Commissioners’ Office ( for the MARCs Tower)
•Resolution 383 Order Fixing Time of View and First Hearing for Ditch #742 Petitioned for by VonDaile Fenicle. Viewing scheduled for January 11, 2021 at 11:30 a.m. and First Hearing for January 25, 2021 at 10 a.m.
•Resolution 384 Approving rental service agreements with Knox Textiles, Inc.
•Resolution 385 Entering into a Hospice-Nursing Facility Services Agreement with OP Hospice-Ohio, LLC, d/b/a Elara Caring (previously Great Lakes Caring)
Also Signed: Dog Warden Report for Week of November 30-December 6, 2020 and week of December 7-13, 2020; Title Sheet for Project #1-2020 Storm Sewer Construction for Bruce Drive; Revision to work with county/township road right of way with the Beaver Excavating Company; Letter Re: Lump sum payment to first responders
•Minutes for December 14 and payment of bills
With no further business, following the two reports, the meeting adjourned.
Rebecca can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com
