By Ryan Berry

DailyAdvocate.com

GREENVILLE — The Darke County Commissioners put their seal of approval on two petitions for annexation into the village of Versailles at their regular meeting on Tuesday.

According to Thomas Guillozet, attorney for the village and the agent for the petitioners, the roadways in front of the properties are already within the village. All petitioners cited the failure of their sanitary systems as the reason for being included in the village. Guillozet said the township trustees and the village have given their consent. In total, the village will accept 0.549 acres owned by James and Donna Monnier and 7.592 owned by Nicholas and Timri Nolte and Alex and Malorie Cox. The property owners wish to tie into the village’s sanitary sewer system.

The commissioners unanimously approved the annexation.

Commissioners Matt Aultman, Marshall Combs and Larry Holmes also approved a request from the Darke County Engineer to hire Korda/Nemeth Engineering, Inc. of Columbus for bridge replacement design work. The original consultant for the project, E.P Ferris, also of Columbus, was contracted to do the work at a cost of $48,000. According to the Darke County Engineer, the company recently informed the county they could no longer perform the work due to not having any qualified bridge designers on staff. The company recently had several resignations.

Korda/Nemeth Engineering, Inc. agreed to perform the work at the same price, which alleviated the need to re-bid the project. The bridge is a 40-foot span over Bridge Creek on County Route 380 (Meeker Road). The project is a Federal/State Exchange, local-let project. The project will require the engineer to submit final plans by Dec. 15, 2024.

Commissioners also approved an agreement with Butler, Fairman and Seufert, Inc. for design and construction services of the fuel farm at the Darke County Airport. The county is hoping to advertise for bids by the middle of May with construction beginning later this year. The completion date is set for February 2025.

Commissioners also approved a bill from Rossburg Mayor Howell for an emergency quote/repair of the lift station. According to the commissioners, the lift station experienced a clog and needed emergency repairs. The cost of the repairs from Mike’s Sanitation, Inc. was $28,567.25. These repairs are paid for from the fees Rossburg residents pay for their sewage collection and do not come from the county’s General Fund.

The county also approved a consultant agreement with Burton Planning Services for the Darke County Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. The plan is required if the county expects to receive funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in case of a disaster. The county believes the funding for this plan will come from grant funding available through the federal government.

To contact Daily Advocate Editor Ryan Berry, email [email protected].