S&W CONSERVATION … Soil and Water Technician for Williams County, Manuel Lay and Educator, Anne Marie Michaels, presented an update to the WC Commissioners at the February 10, 2022 morning session. (PHOTO BY REBECCA MILLER, STAFF)
By: Rebecca Miller
The morning of February 10, 2022 began for the Williams County Commissioners with a Courthouse Repair/Renovation Committee meeting at 8 a.m. General Session began at 9 with the approval of the following:
-Resolution 59 Transfer on behalf of the Airport, Auditor, Engineer’s Office and Hillside Country Living
-Resolution 60 LEPC/EMA Contract for Emergency Management Services to manage the program and it’s grant at a cost not to exceed $14,000, with term February through December 2022.
-Resolution 61 Contract Extension between Helms & Sons Excavating, the WC Commissioners and Village of Pioneer for the Pump station and Clark St. and Industrial Drive Sanitary Sewer Extension for Village of Pioneer at a cost not to exceed $724,359 with $100,000 paid by county through CDBG Economic Development RLF Funding
-Also signed – Dog Warden report for January 31-February 6, 2022; credit card appropriations for Recorder’s office for February; Housing Semi-Annual Program Income Reports from Maumee Valley Planning; travel for Veteran Services
-Minutes for February 2 meeting and payment of bills
Commissioner Lew Hilkert brought up a letter that was received from St. Mary Development Corporation. He said that he got the impression when it was presented at Bryan City Council that “they weren’t real excited about the project and it would, I got the opinion it won’t be moved forward. “
“Maybe it will be but I guess I am kind of surprised that they sent us this letter, unless it is land that needs to be annexed into the City of Bryan.”
In the following discussion it was stated by Commissioner Brian Davis that he thought it was already annexed and zoned.
The concern was that the county owns property within a certain square- miles of it. They wondered out loud if this letter was just to inform that “this is going to happen.”
Hilkert said, “I know that this company has contacted Area Office on Aging to be one of the sponsors, and that has not been approved yet either. That is still in. negotiations on an MOU, but I thought it would be good for us to at least have some kind of discussion there.”
General Session went into recess for an hour and then reconvened at 10 a.m. to meet with WC Soil and Water District.
Manuel Lee and Anne Marie Michael were present to give a report, and Bob Short, Board Chairman, was present to observe.
Lee informed the commissioners that as a part of his job he:
-does a lot of engineering and working with contractors to get best management practices in the fields
-designed seven waterways, installed six in the county and has verbal commitments for fifteen more this calendar year (including the one that did not get done)
-designed two water-control structures, installed one, and has another designed for coming year
-involved with design process on two different wetlands
-worked on a low flow ditch crossing (clarified to be a low spot in someone’s yard)
He is hoping to get a Nine Element Plan for Williams County, which is for the watershed and is developed through EPA.
He shared that they got two Nine Element Plans written this past year for Brush Creek, Mill Creek and Beaver Creek.
They partnered with Fulton County Soil and Water to apply for a Great Lakes Grant to aid in the installation of Best Management practices.
Lee has also applied for an EPA grant for roughly half a million dollars and is hoping it will come through.
He has also been working filter strips, with Equip and CRP, NRCS and FSA, “anything that results in engineering.”
Someone in their office is also working on developing Wildlife Management Plans, with two done in the last year and two more in the works.”
“It has not been done before in WC but they found funding through Equip and a staff member who was able to write the plans. “It has added significant money coming into the county for the producers,” he said.
H2Ohio is a program that is bringing significant dollars into Williams County for producers. “Right now, we have 80 contracts, 76 from the original sign up and four new ones,” Lee reported.
They have gotten almost 79,000 acres into Nutrient Management Plans. To date they have paid out $370,730 through H2Ohio, to Williams County producers.
Lee mentioned that a lot of education has been done to keep the manure and pollution complaints down. He then turned it over to Michaels, who shared that COVID really made it rough to do many educational events, but they did continue some projects throughout.
That included Seedlings to First Graders, and this year they have the Maple Syrup Festival scheduled for Saturday, March 26 from 8 to noon. They have a full venue with all presenters and are hoping for a great turnout like before COVID.
A Tri-County Soil Health Workshop is scheduled for Friday, March 18, 2022 at the Kissell Community Building in West Unity.
The presenters are Rick Clark who is a Fifth-Generation farmer and National No-Till Presenter, and Dr. Aaron Wilson who is a Climate Specialist with OSU Extension and Atmospheric Research Scientist with Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center. That will run from 8:30 a.m. to a little after 3 p.m. that day.
Also in the works are another program in August, Annual meeting and Open House with Election and a Tech Day.
The Pond Clinic, Fish Sale and Tree sale are also coming up later this year. Milkweed Pod Collection continues as well.
The biggest news for the year was the move to a new office located at 11246 St. Rt. 15. They are loving it and look forward to holding meetings there as well as Field Days at that location.
Commissioner Davis welcomed Mr. Short and asked if he had anything to add. Short said that he “can’t hear these people enough as they tell about all the practices, and all the revenue that comes back to Williams County. All the help that we are getting local producers is just an amazing process.”
Before ending the report, Lee said that he was contacted by Defiance County Soil and Water about a petitioned ditch. Part of the ditch’s watershed comes into Williams County and so he was asked to inform the Commissioners.
DC is filing the petition with the Williams County Engineer and there will not be much involvement for Williams. He reiterated that he was just supposed to bring it to their attention.
The commissioners thanked them for coming and the meeting adjourned at 10:48 a.m.
Rebecca can be reached at rebecca@thevillagereporter.com
