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Commissioner’s Corner
March 2017
Is it just me or should February have been March and March should have
been February? This weather has been completely confused! Seventy-
degree weather in February and 30’s in March was the norm this year.
Hopefully, now that we are at the end of the month, things will get
back to a more normal setting, and April will be a regular April!
March has been a busy month in the Commissioner’s office. We have been
busy with all kinds of things from working on grants, to FFA banquets,
meetings in Columbus for a number of reasons, and the normal rush of
things, then the inevitable lull, then the rush to get things done! The
highlight of our month has been the FFA banquets at the schools. As of
this writing, we still have two to go, Ansonia and Tri-Village, and
then they are done for another year. This year seemed to have more
students than normal involved with the FFA, and that is a good thing.
Arcanum just started their program back up this year, and for a first
year program, they had 73 students involved in the program. Not bad at
all for a first year program! Versailles I was told had the largest
senior class they have had in 20 years. These banquets are a testament
to a year of hard work by some very good students and their advisors
and teachers. As Commissioner’s, we are always proud to attend these
functions and meet the students and teachers who make these programs
work. We are convinced that Darke County and America’s future leaders
will come from this fine group of young people. Thanks for inviting us,
and thank you for all the hard work you do! Another high point for us
is the Township Fish Fry. This year as in the past was held at the VFW
in Greenville, and the food, entertainment, and good fellowship was
enjoyed by everyone. When you see your township trustees, be sure to
thank them for the mostly unsung work that they do.
As we always do, we try to keep well informed on legislation and
happenings coming out of Columbus. Earlier this month, Matt Aultman and
Mike Stegall went to a legislative briefing at Rob’s Restaurant in
Brookville with several of our legislators. The legislators included
Senator Bill Beagle, Rep. Jeff Rezabek, and several others from our
region. The meeting included Montgomery, Preble, Miami, and Darke
County Commissioners. The County Commissioners Association had Mr. Brad
Cole, and Kate Neithammer there to help us with questions and to
provide input from all the counties. It was informative, and we did get
the chance to make our voices heard on several key issues that affects
the County. Now we will see what transpires, but our suggestions were
listened too, and the legislators seemed receptive.
In other news, the Commissioners signed a contract with Harbor Freight
and Tools to go into the long vacant Aarons building in the Wagner
avenue plaza. This has taken a while to complete, but thanks to the
hard and meticulous work of Business Administrator John Cook it was
finally signed. We think this will be an excellent addition to Darke
County. Thanks John for all the time you put in on this project. The
date for their opening has not been determined yet. Patty Harter, our
longtime Assistant Clerk/Secretary retired on March 30th. We had a
small get together for her on the 29th to tell her how much she will be
missed. Patty was instrumental in making the Commissioner’s Office a
pleasant and efficient place to work. Her smile was infectious, and she
kept all of us straight, (well, as much as possible!) When you see
Patty, congratulate her on a job well done, and tell her to enjoy her
retirement.
On the other side of that, we were fortunate to hire Ms. Charity Hutt.
Charity lives in Gettysburg and formerly worked for the Miami County
Commissioners. She is experienced in the work, and she too has a
pleasant personality we think the public will enjoy. Stop by and
welcome Charity to her new position. We do have another patron at the
Darke County Airport. Mr. Joe Donohue has rented a hangar, and has
purchased a plane to be housed there. We welcome Mr. Donohue to Darke
County. Another hanger was rented to Mr. Richard Borgerding, who
already was an established renter.
The Chase road project has started, and if you pass that way, be aware
that the road will see several closures as the County puts in new
drainage systems under the roadbed. You can check the Darke County
website, mydarkecounty.com and click on the Engineers link for more
details.
April is just around the corner and with it much better weather. Now is
the time to make your way to one of our public meetings. Every Monday
and Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. in the Commissioner’s office is our public
sessions. Everyone is welcome to attend and we hope to see you there!
The Darke County Commissioners
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