By Eamon Baird
TROY — The Miami County Commissioners declared a drought emergency resolution and set a date to receive bids for a vehicle barrier system at their meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 24.
Concerning the drought emergency, the commissioners stated portions of the Ohio Revised Code that apply to the conditions and have caused the issuance of this declaration, to be in full force and effect in the County for the protection of economic welfare and well-being of the people of Miami County.
Commissioner Greg Simmons further discussed the motivation for the emergency resolution.
“We are a farming community here in Miami County. We went from being a severe drought county last week to an extreme drought county,” he said.
“One of the reasons that we’re doing this, is farmers can borrow up to $500,000 at 3.75% interest to restore or replace essential property, pay production costs for the disaster year, pay essential family expenses, kind of reorganize their farming operations or refinance the farm’s non real estate debts.” Simmons added.
In other business, the commissioners set the date to receive and open bids for the Miami County Single Road Mobile Vehicle Barrier System, as requested by Joel Smith, director of the Miami County Emergency Management Agency, for Tuesday, Nov. 12. The Vehicle Barrier System will provide a portable, single road vehicle barrier system capable of protecting pedestrian traffic and public safety personnel walking and standing within a public right of way/roadway while responding to an emergency.
Smith discussed the resolution with the commissioners.
“This is related to a Homeland Security grant we got to purchase mobile vehicle barriers. They would be used to block off vehicle access to the Strawberry Festival, and other events like that, to prevent vehicle ramming incidents,” he said.
“The budget is $120,000,” Smith added. “We should expect it when they express the bid price per 25-foot roadway, it’s going to be less than the requirement for a bid. because we have $120,000 to spend, we’re going to get as many barriers as we can.”
The commissioners also authorized the following resolutions:
• For the Sheriff’s Office to negotiate a contract with Bruns General Contracting of Saint Henry for the Sheriff Tactical Vehicle Storage Facility Project. Proposals were received, publicly opened, and deferred on Aug. 27.
• To accept the attached quote from Asphalt Sealcoaters, of Dayton, and authorize services to seal coat ‘newer’ asphalt around the Grandstand and restore existing stripes and ADA logos at the ends of the Grandstand located at the Miami County Fairgrounds. Costs not to exceed $3,862.
At the end of the meeting, the commissioners announced they would attend the Tipp City Mum Festival Parade on Saturday, Sept. 28, at 10 a.m.
