EATON — During a meeting on Monday, Sept. 17, Preble County resident Jerry Wick appealed to county commissioners to “put the heat” on the PC Board of Health to get the Glenwood sewage situation under control.
Commissioners informed Wick the board does not have that authority, and advised him he would have to reach out to the Ohio Department of Health.
Wick addressed the board regarding ongoing sewage issues in his neighborhood. The problem, according to Wick, is raw sewage being dumped by the neighboring trailer park.
“Chris [Day] said the Department of Health sent a letter to Ohio EPA that the trailer park was considered multi-dwelling and that fell under their jurisdiction. Well, I went back to The Register-Herald. This is dated, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016,” Wick said.
“In the story it states, that in Nov. 19, 2009 — almost nine years ago — the EPA Southwest District Office observed a discharge of untreated or partially treated waste water in the Glenwood area in a storm drain, discharging to Bantas Creek, which, that ditch runs through our neighborhood.”
“May of 2010 is when the Board of Health and the EPA took samples and all but one sample tested over the limit for E. Coli,” Wick said. “They knew nine years ago, the Board of Health and the EPA, that the trailer park was dumping raw sewage in that ditch. Now, nine years later, we are full circle where the Health Department is putting it on the EPA. It is just a circle. For nine years they have known that situation has been going on, and nothing.”
Wick asked commissioners if they have the authority to fire the Health Department. He asked for information on the process, but commissioners noted they were not sure of the process. They did know the Health Department does not answer to the Preble County Commissioners, but rather the State Department of Health.
“I just don’t understand why somebody doesn’t get as upset as we do out there,” Wick said. “I see nothing being done and, like I said, if Silfex was dumping raw sewage out at the fairgrounds, that would stop today. That is my frustration.”
In other business:
•Commissioners noted receipt of a letter from the Landes Hog Farm, indicating it is starting a large scale hog operation. It is going to be overseen by the Ohio Department of Agriculture, but the company is required to notify the county when increasing in size. LHF included a study regarding how it believes the business will affect the size.
There was no action required by the county.
•JFS sent in a request to the office to have 18 high windows tinted, due to problems with sunlight and glare. They are looking at a little over $2,300 to have film applied to the outside of the windows. The board received three quotes and were asking to approve the bid from The Tint King, out of Fairborn.
However, Commissioner Rodney Creech asked if this is a project staff could do in-house to save money. He believes it could be done cheaper by the maintenance department.
•Commissioners authorized an expenditure in the amount of $10,000 for prisoner housing with Butler County.
•The board approved a resolution accepting the amounts and rates as determined by the budget commission, authorizing the necessary tax levies and certifying them to the county auditor.
The Preble County Board of Commissioners meets every Monday and Wednesday at 9 a.m. in the Preble County Courthouse, unless noted otherwise.
