County tables resolution on appointment

TIFFIN – At Thursday morning's meeting the Seneca County Commissioners tabled a resolution that would remove the Seneca County Regional Planning Commission Executive Director from the Transportation Improvement District. Transportation Improvement Districts are administered through ODOT's Office of Jobs and Commerce, according to the Seneca Regional Planning Commission's website the purpose of the district is to: "promote intergovernmental and public-private cooperation of transportation resources and investments." The district can provide funding through reimbursement with each project it approves receiving up to $500,000 per fiscal year. "The Seneca County TID was created through Seneca County Commissioners Resolution dated September 24, 2015," reads the Seneca Regional Planning Commission's website. The funding provided for each project is limited to $500,000 per fiscal year. TID Funding can be used for: Preliminary Engineering Detailed Design Right-of-Way Construction Applications are scored on a 50-point scale under three primary categories: Economic Development, Transportation Factors, Project Funding Plan. Seneca County Regional Planning executive director Charlene Watkins explained that when the district started, a county commissioner was appointed to the board; however, when creating by-laws, the district discovered there was a law that it would be a conflict for a commissioner to sit on the board. "It was, I believe, in 2018 that the county commissioners asked Regional Planning to be their representative on the (Transportation Improvement District) board since we (Regional Planning) have the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and transportation is hubbed out of Regional Planning," she said. Seneca County Administrator Barb Patterson told the A-T that Regional Planning serves on the Transportation Improvement District board as an appointee of the commissioners and that the board has a memorandum of understanding with Regional Planning to administer the TID. She explained that administration of the TID involves invoicing for successful grant applications, monitoring TID awards, grant application processing and other responsibilities. A second resolution that would appoint a county commissioner to the Transportation Improvement District was also tabled during Thursday's meeting. In 2017, former Commissioner Mike Kerschner was on the Transportation Improvement District board and was the last commissioner appointment to the board. Until the commissioners' office was informed by the County Commissioners Association of Ohio that a commissioner can now serve on the board. "According to ORC Section 3.112 a Commissioner may simultaneously service as a member of board of transportation improvement district effective July 3, 2019," Patterson told the A-T. She further explained that one of the commissioners would be the most qualified person to take over Regional Planning's position on the board as they represent all the county residents. "It will be up to the TID if they choose to continue the MOU with Regional Planning," she said. Also at the meeting, the board approved the following supplemental appropriations $50,000 to the Maintenance and Repair fund for equipment. $700.65 to the FFY22 IDEP fund for transfers out $857.08 to the FFY22 STEP fund for transfers out $287.25 to the FFY23 IDEP fund for transfers out $22,500 to the County Capital Projects fund for the Southwest EMS station $940,000 to the County Capital Projects fund for agricultural buildings $7,000 to the County Capital Projects fund for the Commissioners' office $64,462.26 to the VOCA fund for transfers out The following resolutions were also approved: 10 a.m. Feb. 29 at the commissioners' office, 111 Madison St., Tiffin to open sealed bids for AWOS III P/T replacement Authorizing the expenditure of non-general funds for interest unable to be removed from the Seneca County Engineer credit card Approving the amendment to the contract for victims' assistance services Authorizing a fund transfer be made to VOCA Grant fund Authorizing fund transfers be made to the General fund Authorizing a fund advance repayment from the Impaired Driving Enforcement program to the General fund Authorizing a fund advance repayment from the Impaired Driving Enforcement program to the General fund Authorizing a fund advance repayment from the S/O Selective Traffic Enforcement program FFY22 fund to the general fund Authorizing a fund advance repayment from the S/O Selective Traffic Enforcement program FFY23 fund to the general fund The next meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday at the commissioners' office, 111 Madison St., Tiffin.