Wednesday, April 6, 2016

COMMISSIONER’S CORNER - March 2016

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 Counties 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

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