EMA updates commissioners on activity

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EATON – Preble County Commissioners on Wednesday, March 16, heard from three county residents during the public comment portion of their meeting.

Jerry Wick was present to question his not being notified in advance of a Thursday, March 3, special meeting the Preble County General Health District had regarding Sewer District 6. (The meeting notice was published as a legal advertisement by PCGHD, in the Saturday, Feb. 26, edition of The Register-Herald.)

Another resident voiced concerns over a possible solar farm project being proposed in the northeast Preble County.

During the meeting, the board also held its quarterly meeting with Preble County Emergency Management Director Dave Anderson.

Anderson provided an update on a grant application he had submitted to have the county’s mitigation plan reviewed and updated. He has not received word on whether he will be receiving the grant yet.

“Not that I haven’t, that I’m not going to get it,” Anderson said. “It’s just that they haven’t decided to let me have it yet so I can get a contractor to get started on it. So that’s still kind of sitting in in neutral.” The plan isn’t due until 2023, so there is still time to do it, he noted.

Anderson is also getting quotes on re-write of the county’s Emergency Operations Plan.

Things are calming down on COVID-related meetings and such, according to Anderson. “I was having meetings that were anywhere from once a week to twice a week, and several of those have gone down to once a month now, especially with the state,” he said.

Preble County remains in the “low” category on the state’s current COVID transmission ranking system, according to Anderson. “They’re doing vaccinations at the health department, but they’re not doing anything in the gym anymore, he said. So, I haven’t really been able to help them out taking care of doing that because they’ve done it all in-house. And hopefully it won’t rear its ugly head anytime soon, even though they talk about it all the time. I just hope they’re wrong this time.”

Anderson also reported on working closely with the Wayne County, Indiana EMA and on various conferences and preparedness activities he had taken part in since his last report.

He also explained he had gotten his general certification as an amateur radio operator. “So now I have all the capabilities I’m going to have to have to be able to talk on the radio, not only during disasters, but also not during disasters,” he said.

In other business, commissioners also:

•Discussed courthouse IT and cyber security

•Noted receipt of a letter from the Preble County Engineer regarding the resignation of James Cottingim, Highway Service Worker III.

•Noted receipt of two letters from the Ohio EPA, regarding the first quarter 2022 inspection and the 2022 inspection letter of compliance for the Landfill.

•Executed a 3-year electric supply pricing agreement with Energy Harbor for the Preble County Commission.

•Signed an agreement for replacement of the Sheriff’s Office impound barn roof with Gross Roofing & Sheet Metal LLC in the amount of $15,800, out of American Rescue Plan Act funds.

By Eddie Mowen Jr

[email protected]

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