|
|
The views expressed on this page are soley
those of the author and do not
necessarily represent the views of County
News Online
|
 |
Commissioner’s Corner
Focusing on
Capital Improvement, Economic Development
March did what it is supposed to do; come in like a lion and go out
like a lamb. We have had a pretty good March so far, with just a few
shots of severe weather. Let’s hope that mother nature will be kind to
us, and Spring will be warm and uneventful.
March has been fairly quiet in the Commissioner’s Office. Things
continue to move along that we have already started, and at this point
we only have to wait on several contractors and engineering firms to
get back to us to start some projects. One of those is the Courthouse
steps. No one seems to know how old the steps are, but they are in
desperate need of repair, and that is currently on our radar. We have
had several engineering firms look at them, and we contracted with
Garmin/Miller out of Minster to give us some ideas on how to fix the
problem.
One other area we will be working on is replacing the roof on the
County Home. It is at end of life, and before we start having problems,
it needs to be fixed. We are also still working on improvements at the
airport, and of course maintenance on our buildings. These are ongoing
projects, and will be completed as soon as possible.
As far as newer projects are concerned, the O.D.O.T. garage to be
located at the new South Industrial Park, should be starting
construction soon. No set date has been set as of yet. One other
project in the park is the new Erwin Brothers Auto and Truck stop
located in the Industrial park. The Erwin’s are finalizing plans, and
are almost ready to start as soon as weather permits. Congratulations
to the Erwin’s, and may you have many years of success in your new
home!
In other news, the new Dollar Tree store across the road from Lowe’s
has broken ground and construction will be starting. There have been
several new places open in Greenville and Versailles lately, so check
them out when you can. We seem to be on the grow, and wish to thank all
the entrepreneurs who are starting their new businesses here. Thank you
and we wish you success!
On the Economic side, Marc Saluk, the E.D. Director has left his
position to be closer to his home of Philadelphia. Marc has taken a job
in Hunterdon, New Jersey as their new E. D. Director, and will try to
duplicate what he has done here. Hunterdon is 45 minutes from
Philadelphia, and 45 minutes from New York. He will be missed greatly,
but we wish him all the success in the world! A search committee has
been formed and applications are being taken to fill his spot. We
should know more by the end of next month, as a very deliberate search
is taking place to fill Marc’s big shoes.
Also on the economic front, on March 22nd, the Economic Development
department, in conjunction with Greenville High School and local
businesses, sponsored the first Senior Job Fair. Over 70 students from
all the county schools were invited and took advantage of the occasion
to meet with 14 of Darke County’s employers, and Commissioner Delaplane
and Commissioner Stegall got to meet with them also. The companies have
said they enjoyed the experience, and a lot of the students said it was
beneficial, and learned a lot of what was available job-wise in Darke
County. The idea of the job fair was to get these two groups together
in an effort to keep Darke County Talent here in Darke County. This is
hopefully the first in a series of these events, and as we evaluate the
process, we will make the next one better, more enjoyable, and
informative for both the employers and the students.
A huge “Thank You” to our Career Pathway Coordinator Lisa Wendel for
her tireless effort in making this first one a big success. Of course,
with Marc Saluk no longer here, Lisa and Melanie Nealeigh, the Office
Manager, put in extra work to make this possible. Thank you to both
wonderful ladies for your efforts!
We mentioned there are a lot of new stores, and restaurants opening
soon or currently open in Greenville and Versailles and all over Darke
County. If you are in Greenville checking out some of the new places,
why don’t you stop by for a while and come to one of our public
meetings? We meet Monday and Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. in the
Commissioner’s Office located at 520 South Broadway, just south of the
Courthouse. Hope to see you there!!
The Darke County Commissioners
|
|
|
|
