By Meladi Brewer

DailyAdvocate.com

GREENVILLE – $48,150 was advanced out of the General Fund to cover the Gettysburg water tower replacement. Commissioners Matt Aultman, Marshall Combs, and Larry Holmes were present.

“When they come into town, they hope they do not see water spraying out of it,” Commissioner Aultman said.

The water tower in Gettysburg is dated, as it was put in in the 1950s. It is a single lined tower whereas the newer ones are double lined with a tank and a tower.

“This one is just water against metal, so it’s not good if it springs a hole,” Aultman said. “The new system is going to be a single pedestal like you see in most towns.”

The project will cost a total of $1.3 million, and the old tower will be scrapped upon completion. Aultman advised other communities share this same issue, and they will be looking into replacing their towers, too. This $48,150 advance will advance back once revenue is received.

“A lot of times, when these towns were built out, they built their water systems to go from well water into city systems, and they are all just getting older,” Aultman said.

Darke County intends to enter into a contract with CSL Contracting, LLC for the Lead Safe Ohio Program. There were three organization with CSL Contracting being the only company to respond with 170 points.The point system is broke down base upon services being offered, experience, history, familiarity with local experience, price comparison, etc.

“Others, we have a federal standard when we do our dues,” Commissioner Matt Aultman said. “They bring in ethnicity quotients, they bring in if its a woman owned business, but this is a standard we use when we do a grant proposal.”

The point system was in response for them to submit a Professional Qualification and Proposal for the program. Commissioner Holmes said they are looking forward to this kicking off.

“We are fortunate and confident about the resource we found,” Commissioner Holmes said. “There for a while we struggled to find one.”

Commissioner Aultman said Candy Lammers has been a big help in this organizational process.

Miami University of Ohio Rural Plus Program is going to be adding to the acceptance. The program will be hosting freshman and first year students to intern in company’s as well.

“The idea is getting them in and started sooner,” Commissioner Combs said. “Typically by their junior and senior year they have been pulled in several different directions or other areas to intern.”

Combs said if the county is able to be proactive and get to the young professionals sooner, he believes it will help fill the next generation of work force and opportunities here.

“There is going to be a name change though. It is going to be known as The Hometown Talent Initiative instead of Rural Plus,” Combs said.

If there are any questions, need for more information, or are a business wanting to host an intern, please call Denise Elsas at Darke County Board of Economic Development. She is the Workforce Specialist, and Elsas can be reached at 937-548-3250.

“We will also be hosting an event on Thursday, April 4 at 5:30 p.m. It will be at Sure Shot Tap House in Greenville, so there is going to be a lot of good information for the companies. Several interns and Miami University Alumni will also be present,” Combs said.

They are trying to create a networking opportunity for the students to “feel like they are a part of something and also get plugged into the Darke County Network”.

Commissioner Holmes gave an update on the meeting he was to have with the Rural Transportation Planning Commission saying “it was cancelled, so it did not happen.”

The Darke County Board of Commissioners hold a regular session every Tuesday and Thursday at 1:30 p.m. at 520 South Broadway, Greenville, Ohio 45331. For more information, contact the commissioners’ office at 937-547-7370.

To contact Daily Advocate Reporter Meladi Brewer, email [email protected]