The annual State of Auglaize County address was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic. None the less there’s plenty the area is preparing for.
The county is wrapping up the long awaited renovation to the Neil Armstrong Airport. The last of the furniture is going into the terminal this week. An open house is expected in the spring.
"It’s a project we’ve been working on for a long time," said John Bergman, Auglaize County Commissioner. "And it’s come to fruition. It’s a nice addition to the county. It’s the gateway to the word from Auglaize County. And a gateway from the world back into Auglaize County."
Commissioners are also preparing for the third round of distributing CARES Act dollars to businesses and non-profits. House bill 614 will bring $1.6 million to go out. Applications will be online soon. That money will have to be used before the end of November or it has to be returned to the state.
The county is also purchasing four new cruisers for the sheriff's office and air purification for some county buildings. Waynesfield schools received nearly $50,000 for HVAC services, said Bergman.
As for the city of Wapakoneta, the Riverscape Project is also just about done. The new gazebo is standing tall. The project will be completed by the end of November.
With Pratt’s first year completed, the city is seeing the effects. The mayor says the income tax hasn’t taken a huge hit during the pandemic because of the addition of Pratt. The city also must now expand it’s utilities capacity for electric, water and wastewater treatment. That includes designing a new $50 TO $60 million waste water treatment plant.
"We knew it was coming," Mayor Tom Stinebaugh said. "Before Pratt ever put a shovel in the ground we knew because they projected to us what they were going to use in water. We told them, that pushes us to our limit so we will expand."
That new plant would double the amount of water treated every day. The expansion of water services will cost $18 million and more than double capacity to 5.6 million gallons a day.
The city continues to repair roads using the money from the income tax increase, passed a few years ago. Perry Street project is about done, Stinebaugh says. W. Benton Street will be done in November. the second half of that project will begin in the spring.
Wapakoneta schools is adjusting to a new way of life. CARES Act money has helped to recover from state cuts. The school has purchased 1,300 new Chromebooks, new smart technology for classes, LED lights are replacing old ones and a mental health counselor has been hired. Wapakoneta was one of the first districts to deal with COVID-19. According to state numbers, there have been four students confirmed with the virus. They’ve bounced back and are now sharing what they learned.
"We are still having kids go out of school with it," Aaron Rex said, superintendent. "We’re all still having kids that quarantine. I think we have a better handle on it. And I think because we were one of the first schools to have cases, it was talked about quite a bit, but now I have other superintendents calling me saying what did you do in this situation or what did you do in that situation."
Rex says they are working with Gov. DeWine’s office to adjust the quarantining policy.
