Commissioners OK Convoy project

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The Van Wert County Board of Commissioners awarded bids on Thursday for a Community Development Block Grant project for the village of Convoy and also discussed what appears to be a statewide move to eliminate single-county solid waste management districts (SWMDs).

Craig Knapke, a civil engineer with Fanning/Howey consulting firm, reported on bids received for a CDBG project along Ohio 49 in Convoy that includes replacing waterlines and storm sewer catch basins, curbs and gutters on a spot basis, and sidewalks, as well as some park improvements this summer. Knapke said the project is being done in advance of the Ohio Department of Transportation’s project that would include reconstruction of State Route 49 within the village limits.

The low bid was to Cleveland-based Eclipse Construction, which submitted a base bid of $720,443.22. Although the company is fairly new and has not done a lot in the northwest Ohio area, Knapke said he had done some research and found no negatives with the company.

Mike Jackson of the commissioners’ office said environmental studies have been completed for the project, so construction can begin as soon as the weather warms up and the company is ready to start on the project.

Also Thursday, George Brake of the Van Wert Solid Waste Management District also met with the commissioners on a proposal by the Ohio Environment Protection Agency to eliminate single-county SWMDs, such as Van Wert’s.

Brake, who sits on a state task force working on changes to House Bill 592, the state law that created solid waste management districts back in 1988, said the state EPA appears sold on combining single-county districts into multi-county districts statewide.

The local waste management district director also criticized the EPA proposal, noting that that state agency was the one that set up the SWMD system in the first place. “The EPA built the whole infrastructure up, and now they want stop change it,” Brake said.

Although he called Van Wert’s waste management district the “golden boy” of county districts, and noted that the local SWMD is the “most proactive” of districts in the state, Brake also said some “bad players” among the other waste management districts is driving the EPA’s proposal to eliminate the single-county districts.

Brake called the Ohio EPA’s SWMD merger proposal a “strategy of hope” by that state agency, clarifying that by saying it appears the EPA feels that larger districts would be more cost-effective and efficient, while also allowing the “good players” among SWMDs to overcome problems caused by the “bad players.” He also said, though, that he feels merging Van Wert with other districts is not only counter-productive, but could also weaken local control over county recycling and waste management efforts.

Brake also said it’s still possible the Ohio General Assembly would reject the EPA proposal. “I don’t think anyone’s given up on this,” the local SWMD director said of a possible rejection of the proposal, but added that, barring that, the county SWMD would likely be forced to merge with neighboring districts.

Brake also sought to have an earlier county resolution rescinded that sought funding for a building addition to the recycling center. He said that the state is no longer funding building projects and asked the commissioners to either amend or rescind the current resolution and change wording on the legislation to allow for the purchase of a new curbside recycling truck and a 1-ton dumping truck. An old truck would be phased out as part of the deal.

Brake said he would rather be looking at a building expansion, but that doesn’t appear to be a viable option at this point.

County 9-1-1 Coordinator Kim Brandt also met with the commissioners on Thursday to obtain approval for the purchase of $95,000 in 9-1-1 equipment for the county. A five-year service contract also included in the project would cost approximately $11,000.

The commissioners also discussed fiber optic wiring in the courthouse with John Butler, Van Wert City Schools technology director and met with Jack Hegan, public information officer for the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO).