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Commissioner’s Corner
Construction
has begun at South Industrial Park Drive
August has certainly been friendly to Darke County. It seems we have
had perfect weather most of the time, only a couple of really warm
days, and rain when needed. The Great Darke County Fair could not have
had any better weather! The Days were cool and mild, and the nights
were perfect. With High School football starting, I am sure players,
coaches and fans hope for this unseasonably reasonable weather to
continue!
As with most activities in August things have been a little slow in the
Commissioner’s Office, although we have had some projects getting
started. The South Industrial Park Drive Project, along with the sewer
and water line extensions, has finally begun. Work was started Fair
week, and should continue for several months. This project will allow
O.D.O.T. to move into their new facility sometime next year. Hopefully,
this project, the brainchild of Commissioner Rhoades, has already
brought new construction to the County, and our hope will be to create
even more. As always, we work closely with everyone to make Darke
County better, and the relationship with the City has been beneficial
to both of us.
With the flooding we have had in Darke County, our E.M.A. office has
worked hard in trying to secure funds to help those who need help.
Mindy Saylor, the Director, has pursued every avenue to try and help
our residents who need it most. Mindy will let everyone know if any new
avenue’s open up. Feel free to contact Mindy or Josh at 937-548-1444
anytime for further updates. Thanks to Mindy and Josh Haney, her
Emergency Management Specialist, for all their work. This month, we
have updates on our insurance coverage for liability and health. CORSA,
(the County Risk Sharing Authority), and CEBCO, (the County Employee
Benefits Consortium of Ohio), are both run through the CCAO (the County
Commissioners Association of Ohio). This relationship with the CCAO has
helped to keep our costs down, and all preliminary indications are that
our premiums will show slight increases. Our Health and Wellness
program, run by co-chair Denise Dillman, has done an outstanding job
(along with our employees) in keeping our premiums down. Thanks to all
who participate and thanks to Denise for coordinating these efforts.
On the economic front, we continue to put people to work. At the last
survey, Darke County had an unemployment rate at 4%. That is the 12th
best in the State! Our neighbors to the north, Mercer County lead the
State at 3.3%. Our combined efforts with the West Central Ohio
Development Coalition, a six county group formed by Darke, Shelby,
Auglaize, Miami, Mercer, and Allen, inside the Dayton Development
Coalition region, have done an outstanding job in working with each
other to make sure all of our citizens who want a job can find one
locally. Our workforce efforts are bearing fruit, and the partnerships
our own Career Pathway Coordinator, Lisa Wendel, have formed with
schools and businesses will be viable for years to come. Darke County
has some economic activity in the works, and we will let you know as
soon as possible.
The fair is over, the weather is cooling and Schools are back in
session. Fall is here, and with that, activities pick up. Patriot Day
is Sept. 11 for when we should commemorate the day of loss and tragedy
and also a day of triumph and patriotism. One activity you should do is
attend a public session of the County Commissioners. We meet every
Monday and Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. in the Commissioner’s office located
at 520 South Broadway in Greenville, just south of the Court House.
Hope to see you there!!
The Darke County Commissioners
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