Paulding commissioners discuss wind farm issue, property tax report 

PAULDING – Paulding County commissioners here have released information on their three regular sessions held in late May and early June.

Included among a number of different topics was a discussion with Wade Miller concerning wind turbines near the village of Briceton.

According to information provided by commissioners, Miller claimed that “only a few people were offered compensation by a good neighbor agreement on Magee Street from the wind farm company. Mr. Miller has been calling the wind farm company for months trying to figure out why he and the others on the street were not offered this agreement also.”

Miller told commissioners that the company won’t communicate with him, and requested commissioners’ help in the matter. Commissioner Roy Klopfenstien pledged to assist him.

Commissioners said they would contact Miller when they have more information.

During their May 27 meeting, Paulding County Treasurer Lou Ann Wannemacher noted that second-half property taxes – due on July 15 – have been mailed out with property owners afforded three ways to pay. Taxes can be paid in the treasurer’s office at the county courthouse, in a dropbox at the courthouse’s west doors, or online through a program called “point & pay.”

Wannemacher informed commissioners that this information is advertised in the Paulding Progress and West Bend News, two newspapers based in Paulding County.

Too, she told commissioners that as of May 14, delinquent county property taxes total $751,059.54.

Meanwhile, Wannemacher noted that as of April 30, county investments total $19,811,688.71, while investment interest this year totaled $121,368.44.

The monthly average of sales tax receipts for Paulding County was $168,239.39 through March, explained Wannemacher.

Sales taxes are collected by the state and returned to each county with a lag time of about three months. Receipts are based upon the size of that county’s sales tax. (Paulding County’s is 1.5%, added to the state rate of 5.75%)

In other business, commissioners:

• approved a resolution allowing the Paulding County Health Department to seek a state water pollution control loan fund agreement to assist in the repair and replacement of residential sewage systems.

• approved a resolution authorizing a contract of $322,481.80 with Henry W. Bergman Inc., Genoa, for this year’s county chip-seal projects. The county engineer’s estimate was $425,246.66.

• adopted resolutions amending the 2020 county budget. Among the expenditures was $35,000 more for the jail commissary fund.

• learned from Sheriff Jason Landers that his office is continuing to have problems with the building’s HVAC system. Landers expressed concern with a slow response time from the HVAC service company.

• approved resolutions concerning memorandums of understanding between the Antwerp and Wayne Trace school districts and the county sheriff’s office. These concern guidelines for each district’s school resource officer.

• passed a resolution allowing the county engineer’s office to advertise bids for the Paulding County-Blue Creek Township Road cement reclamation project and township road paving.

• discussed the use of county revolving loan funds for Oakwood’s critical infrastructure program with Tim Copsey, county economic development director, and Sandy Kessler of Maumee Valley Planning Organization. Copsey was asked by Kessler to send a letter to commissioners requesting the funds.

• met with Paulding County Common Pleas Judge Tiffany Beckman for an update on procedures to deal with the coronavirus situation.

• opened bids on Grover Hill’s manhole rehabilitation project funded with community development block grant funds. Bids were received from Structured Solutions, LLC, Winchester, Ind., $27,345; United Survey Inc., Cleveland, $31,995; Advanced Rehabilitation Technology, Bryan, $34,792; and Culy Contracting Inc., Winchester, Ind., $36,665.

• participated in a Defiance-Paulding Job and Family Services meeting, along with Director Corey Walker and Defiance County commissioners.