September is almost gone already, High School Football, College, and the N.F.L. are in full swing, temperatures are cooler, and all of our summer festivals are done. With the onset of fall and then the winter season, one would think that things would slow down for us here in the County. Right now, we have a lot of projects in the works, and tying up loose ends is going to be the work for now.
We have been working on our buildings now for quite a while. Earlier this month in the Commissioner’s Office, we had an overflow of a third floor toilet that ruined both second floor bathrooms and one basement office. This happened on a weekend when no one was in the building. We are now in the process of getting both floors refurbished by our maintenance department. They have done an excellent job of completing this task in a timely manner. Some of you may have noticed the work being done on the Visitation House on 5th Street. After going through the quote process, Nealeigh Plastering is replacing the outside stucco on the west and north sides of the building. This has needed to be done for a while, and this work will certainly enhance the exterior of the building. The total cost of the project is $3900. One of the major projects we have completed is cleaning the duct work at the Sheriff’s Department. The air ducts at the Sheriff’s Office had not been cleaned since the building was built. Service Tech Corporation out of Dayton won the quote to clean the ducts for $18,068.00. The work took about 3 weeks to complete. This process has increased the airflow in the building dramatically. While this work was being done, our maintenance people refurbished the cells at the jail. This work was also needed, and with the duct cleaning, it was the right time to complete this work.
In other work, Western Ohio Asphalt Sealing out of Versailles is going to seal the parking lot for the Elected Officials. This is the small lot behind the Commissioner’s Office. This process will increase the life of the asphalt, and included in the cost of the project was re-striping the lot as well. The cost of this improvement is $597.00. Other projects that we are in the process of completing or working towards are new signs for the Courthouse, Commissioners Office, and the Law Library. The new signs should be in soon. Thank you to Krista Fourman at DC Solid Waste for buying the new signs. The new signs will be made totally of recycled materials, and should really enhance the downtown County Campus. There will be some shrubs replaced on the new Parking lot behind the Courthouse, and general landscaping will continue to be done. In the Courthouse, we are looking at improvements on the 3rd floor to improve the appearance and functionality of the Court. This is being done in conjunction with Judge Monnin and with Kelly Ormsby, the Prosecutor. We will update everyone when we have a solid plan as to what is going to happen.
Marc Saluk and the Economic Development Department continue to keep pace with all the activity in the County. Workforce Development will continue to be the main focus for now, and for the foreseeable future. As we move forward with this project, more and more of our local companies are getting on board to offer assistance and advice on curriculum. While workforce continues in the forefront, Marc continues to deal with other projects at hand. We are fortunate to be able to expand and entice businesses to Darke County in these tough economic times.
While everyone is busy with school, and work, and family, we do hope that some of you will take the time to come to a Commissioners meeting. We meet publicly every Monday and Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. in the Commissioner’s Office located at 520 S. Broadway in Greenville, just south of the Courthouse. Hope to see you there!
The Darke County Commissioners
