Tue Feb 09 2010
By JACK PALMER
The long-proposed Lick Creek ditch improvement project in Defiance and Williams counties has proceeded further downstream with the scheduling of Aug. 3 as the date for viewing exceptions filed by 17 property owners.
"The law requires us to view potential damage to these properties," said Defiance County Commissioner Tom Kime, who chaired the project's reconvened final hearing Thursday at the Defiance County EMA building in Brunersburg.
"This is an archaic section of the law," added Kime. "We can see more by aerial photographs, but (viewing the properties) is what the law says."
The exceptions filed object to the assessments or the accuracy of drainage calculations. The number of pending exceptions is actually relatively low given the scope of the project, which covers the removal of logjams, sandbars and leaning trees in Lick Creek from U.S. 6 in Williams County south to Prairie Creek in Defiance County, just before it joins the Tiffin River. It also includes Little Lick Creek from Williams Center to Lick Creek in Ney. The project cost is estimated to cost $747,000.
According to Defiance County Engineer Warren Schlatter, the project involves slightly under 1,000 parcels covering approximately 18,000 acres in Defiance County and about 2,500 parcels covering approximately 24,000 acres in Williams County. A list of parcel numbers and assessments on the affected properties in both counties are available online at www.defiance-county.com/engineer/lickcreek.htm.> Thursday's joint hearing of the two boards of commissioners began with the reading of the recent decision of Ohio Department of Natural Resources director Sean Logan. Three weeks ago, Logan cast the deciding vote after commissioners in the two counties split their votes to proceed at a public hearing on June 1. Defiance County Commissioners Jim Harris, Tom Kime and Otto Nicely voted to proceed while Williams County Commissioners Brian Davis, Lewis Hilkert and Al Word voted no. Logan stated in a letter to both boards that he voted yes because "the record of proceedings thus far demonstrates the need for this improvement project to clear logjams, restore stream flow and reduce flooding along the Lick Creek ditch and that the benefits derived thereby will far exceed the reasonable costs of the project." The final hearing will reconvene at the Ney American Legion Hall at 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 3. After opening the meeting, the two boards will begin viewing the properties where exceptions were filed and conclude on County Road 14 in Williams County. Their route is expected to cover about 65 miles and last about three hours. Upon a suggestion from Hilkert, the joint board agreed to invite an ODNR representative to accompany them on the viewing trip.
Comments
By Posting to this site, you agree to our Terms of Service Be polite.
Inappropriate posts may be removed.
Crescent-News.com doesn't necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post.
Login above or Register to comment.
0 Total Comments Home | Back
Copyright Defiance Publishing, LLC 1995-2010. All Rights Reserved.
Content may not be republished without the expresse written consent of the publisher.
Content may not be republished without the expresse written consent of the publisher.
Dix Communications