Class expands the view

TIFFIN — The Leadership Seneca County class has given sheriff's Chief Deputy Charles Boyer a whole different view of Seneca County. The chief deputy provided county commissioners an update on Thursday when county commissioners met. Through the years, since it was started in 1996, the leadership group has "empowered hundreds of individuals to expand their knowledge of the community and their leadership skills," Boyer said. He's been a law enforcement officer a long time and has seen a lot of the bad parts of the community. "That's what I dealt with for 30-some years of my career," he said. Through the leadership class and working with people as a team, there's been a lot more exposure to successes in the county. "It's allowed me to really understand why people stay in Seneca County," Boyer told county commissioners. Helping kids in foster care The team chose this project. "The Leadership Seneca County class of 2025 chose to assist Seneca County foster families by creating the Foster Closet," Boyer said. The foster closet is a small shed that will provide around the clock access to clothes, cribs, car seats, diapers and other necessary items at no cost to the families or the county and will be located near the Seneca County job and family services office. On behalf of the class, Boyer said he and his classmates are working hard to earn funding for the project from donations and grants. In other action The board heard from Amy Hoffman of Palmer Energy about electric aggregation in Seneca County. "We work behind the scenes to put into place electric aggregation in Seneca County," Hoffman said, explaining that the idea was to help keep pricing low for residents. "...Everyone can have the same rate for a period of time that should be lower than the utility." Hoffman later said market pricing would be going up and that Palmer Energy was only recommending a one-year contract because of the unpredictability of the market. "I bring only not great news with me.. By having contracts in place, we're trying to deaden the blow." The board later passed a resolution to sign a contract with the lowest cost electric supplier. The board also heard from Rebecca Conrad of Dinsmore and Shohl LLP, bond counsel for Mercy Health bonds. Dinsmore explained the proceeds of these bonds would be used to fund debt at various Mercy Health facilities across the state and Seneca County could receive up to $18 million of the bond money but that that money would not become debt of the county. "We're working on getting county approval from fifteen counties in Ohio," Conrad said, adding that the bonds would be priced and closed by the end of April. The commissioners later passed a motion to approve the bonds in Seneca County. Also at the meeting county EMA director, John Spahr updated the commissioners about the recent train derailment in Attica, saying the project was ongoing but that the derailed cars had been moved offsite and the focus was now on digging out and replacing contaminated soil in the area. Ben Nutter of WIN Waste then invited the commissioners to a groundbreaking 9:30 a.m. Friday, March 21, to start building a facility converting landfill gas into renewable natural gas on the WIN Waste Innovations landfill property. The board then approved a supplemental appropriation of $400.00 from the general fund for advertising. The board also approved the following resolutions: Authorizing the Seneca County Board of Commissioners to accept the bid of superstructure replacement prestressed box beams. Authorizing a contract with Dynegy Energy Services retroactive to May 30, 2024. Authorizing a contract amendment to the agreement with Dynegy Energy Services and authorizing Barb Patterson to sign on behalf of the board. Authorizing a contract with the Lucas County Board of Commissioners for the Lucas County Coroner to perform certain necessary autopsies and toxicology reports for 2025, retroactive to March 1, 2025. The next commissioners meeting is 10:30 a.m. Thursday at 111 Madison St., in Tiffin.