Commissioners welcome foreign visitors

There was a bit larger crowd than usual at the Sept. 19 Lorain County commissioners meeting.

The board welcomed government dignitaries from Central and South America who came to the area as part of the International Visitor Leadership Program through the U.S. Department of State.

Commissioner Matt Lundy said fellow commissioners met with the group for about an hour to discuss how Lorain County government works.

“A lot of great questions” Lundy said. “We really appreciate what you do back home serving the people in your community.

“We all know it’s a challenge. There are good days and bad days, but I think at the end of the day, it’s always worth it to make your community a better place for families.”

In other news, the commissioners awarded a contract for the Pitts Road Bridge replacement project in Wellington Township.

R & I Construction, of Tiffin, will receive $646,376 to replace the current deteriorated pony truss bridge with a new pre-cast concrete box beam bridge with new reinforced concrete abutments.

R & I Construction will use eight separate companies as subcontractors on the project.

The Lorain County Engineer’s Office gave an estimate of $705,636 for the cost of the project.

The County Engineers Association of Ohio will pay 95 percent of the cost. It’s scheduled to begin on or about Oct. 19.

Also, the commissioners approved and entered into a professional services agreement with Arcadis U.S. Inc., of Akron, for a final environmental study, detailed design work and right-ofway plans for the Gore Orphanage Road Bridge in Henrietta Township.

The agreement sets the price for these services as equal to or less than $319,954.

The commissioners also requested that a speed zone study of Irish Road in Rochester Township be forwarded to the Ohio Department of Transportation for review and in hopes to establish a 35 mph speed limit from the end of that road to Bursley Road.

Commissioners approved a petition to the Lorain County Common Pleas Court to request an outside counsel be hired to represent the county’s Board of Revision in a brewing legal battle between the county and Green Circle Growers in Oberlin.

Assistant Lorain County Prosecutor Gerald Innes said the issue lies with a recent decision declaring greenhouses as personal property instead of real estate, thus exempting them from real estate taxes.

“The Board of Revision is in the process of appealing that,” Innes said. “The auditor has also been in contact with auditors from other counties who believe this is a significant enough issue that they would eventually want to join in that.

“We think it’s something that’s eventually going to make its way to the Supreme Court and down to Columbus. So, the feeling is we ought to get a Columbus law firm and engage outside counsel to work on this.”

The law group they’re seeking to hire is Rich and Gillis for an initial cap of $40,000.