Editor:
On June 3, 2019, I attended the Preble County Commissioners’ meeting.
I requested the commissioners assign a federal prosecuting attorney to Preble County for the purpose of empanelling a federal grand jury to investigate events surrounding the creation of Sewer District 6.
In my opinion, the following agencies and individuals need to be subpoenaed and placed under oath:
1. The Ohio Department of Commerce. Explain why they gave permits to a mobile home park with no sanitation system.
2. Ohio EPA. They’re over the mobile home park yet they let thousands of gallons of untreated sewage flow into our ditches and streams.
3. Chris Esterline, owner of 32 Quaker Trace Mobile Home Park. Explain how he’s able to operate a business without sanitation.
4. Gary Walker, Preble County Health Department. Explain why he did nothing to stop sewage from the mobile home park. Mr. Walker’s excuse is the mobile home park is under EPA jurisdiction. Well, Mr. Walker, that may be the case, but our ditches and streams are under your jurisdiction.
5. Katie West. Explain under oath why she refuses to use the powers of the prosecutor’s office to hold health violators responsible.
6. IBI Group. This consulting firm was paid by a grant from the Ohio EPA. Have them testify under oath to what level the discussions were with Commissioner Chris Day concerning Sewer District 6 when Commissioner Day was also the administrator of the West Alexandria WWTP.
Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s former Chief of Staff said this about government,” Don’t let a crisis go to waste.”
Think about this, under its jurisdiction, the Ohio EPA has allowed sewage to be dumped in Preble County streams and ditches for years. Then, the Ohio EPA shows up at a commissioners’ meeting with findings and orders to force Preble County homeowners to pay millions in fees, taxes and endure their property being taken from them. The Ohio EPA, Gary Walker from the Health Department and Katie West created this mess. Let them clean it up.
Commissioner Creech stated the county could fix these problems at a fraction of the cost, by the EPA won’t let them. I agree with Mr. Creech, however you will never get the sanitation problems fixed in this county as long as Gary Walker heads up the Health Department and Katie West is in the prosecutor’s office. Not going to happen.
No county commissioners have jurisdiction over the Health Department. Gary Walker hides behind Ohio Revised Code. No one in county government can fire him.
We are citizens of Preble County, not subjects to bureaucrats from Preble County and the State of Ohio.
With all due respect to the commissioners, if you’re not for the citizens of Preble County, you’re against us.
Jerry L. Wick
West Alexandria
