County hears updates from 4-H, EMA

TIFFIN — Katie Cole, 4-H supervisor, gave an update about upcoming programming for the club to the Seneca County Board of Commissioners meeting Thursday. "We have completed our enrollment," Cole said. "We have around 750 project taking members and around 150 Cloverbud members and around 150 adult volunteers in 40 community clubs." The club will be camping on Kelley's Island from June 10 to June 13, with an informational meeting scheduled for May 19. After Cole said she is counting down the days to fair season, she said she would be back later in the year to give a further update "after the craziness of summer." Later, the board went into executive session to discuss compensation of employees. Commissioner Anthony Paradiso advised the board would take action at a later time but had included the department of Job and Family Services on the conversation to discuss the compensation of non-bargaining employees in the county. County administrator Barb Patterson reported narrowing down candidates for the open county IT specialist position, saying she would notify the successful candidate with an offer of employment soon. She later reported she was working to post job openings after both the director of job and family services, Kathy Oliver, and county maintenance supervisor, John Logsdon, announced their retirements. Paradiso reported that an open house for the new EMS building would be held at 10 a.m. on June 28. During public comment, Seneca County EMA director John Spahr said the county had recently launched usage of the Hyper-Reach emergency notification system. Residents who were previously signed up for the Wireless Emergency Alert system should have received a text message with a link to sign up for Hyper-Reach. "It's not a scam," Spahr said, also saying the signup process required residents to input their address but that that information would only be used for emergency notifications. He advised that the notification technology wasn't as useful for notification of a potential threat if an address was not given. "If you don't put your address in, you're not going to get the message," Spahr said. "... We want you to be safe." Also at the meeting, the board approved the following supplemental appropriations: $6,300.00 from the JUV program and services fund for supplies $6,216.00 from the general special projects fund for contract services $23,700 from the CDBG grant fund for advance out The board made the following budget adjustments: $40,000 in the probation funding grant fund from hospitalization to equipment $50,000 in the probation funding grant fund from salaries to leases Finally, the board approved the following resolutions: Authorizing a fund advance repayment from the CDBG fund to the general fund Authorizing the Seneca County Board of Commissioners to enter into an agreement with D&D Rides for transportation services on behalf of the Seneca County Department of Job and Family Services Authorizing the Seneca County Board of Commissioners to enter into an agreement with Fremont Connections for supervised visitation services on behalf of the Seneca County Department of Job and Family Services Authorizing the Seneca County Board of Commissioners to enter into an agreement with North Central Area Transit for transportation services on behalf of the Seneca County Department of Job and Family Services Authorizing the Seneca County Board of Commissioners to enter into an agreement with the Fostoria Learning Center and the Vanguard Sentinel Career and Technology Centers Aspire Program for GED Instruction Services on behalf of the Seneca County Jail Authorizing the Seneca County Board of Commissioners to accept the bid of TR 58 bridge replacement from the Crawford Construction Co Setting time, date and place to receive sealed bids for the 2025 chip seal project Appointing members to the revolving loan fund committee for three-year terms retroactive to Jan. 1, 2025 Approving the Seneca County Auditor's Office to receive and process credit and debit cards and other electronic payments Authorizing the Seneca County Board of Commissioners to enter into an agreement with RCR Technology Group for countywide managed IT services. The next meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday at 111 Madison St., Tiffin.