Ottawa reacts to commissioners' denial of flood funding assistance

OTTAWA — Putnam County Commissioner Vince Schroeder had the opportunity to give face-to-face reasons to Ottawa residents for not being in favor of county-share flood-mitigation funding.

Schroeder gave his reasons for not being in favor of the county providing funding for flood mitigation during the Wednesday meeting of the Blanchard River Flood Mitigation Coalition at the Educational Service Center. Several Ottawa residents and community leaders at the meeting questioned Schroeder after a letter sent last week said the commissioners could not come to a consensus and would not be providing funding to assist Ottawa with mitigation flood study costs.

Schroeder said the commissioners are managers for the county that includes several watersheds.

“I couldn't get around that we would be providing funds for a special section of the county,” Schroeder said. “Our funds are for the whole county and if we do this type of funding it could lead to problems in the future.”

Schroeder said Commissioner John Love, also present at the meeting, was in favor of some type of funding, and had given good discussion for providing funding.

Schroeder said other projects for a specific community had come up in the past and he had always been against funding of this type.

Ottawa Councilwoman Deb Bauer reminded Schroeder that the federal and state government also represent specific entities, but provide funding for specific projects.

Schroeder said the county does not do this.

“Can we not argue that people in every community in this county were impacted by the flood,” asked long-term flood recovery member and Ottawa resident Ken Pollitz

Love said they had received “push back,” including phone calls and letters saying the commissioners should not provide this type of funding assistance for one community.

“Hancock County and Findlay residents gave a clear message on their feelings about the funding,” Love said reminding those present that Hancock County voters had approved a sales tax that was to go strictly for flood mitigation and Findlay voters had approved an income tax for the same thing.

“We don't have that kind of message,” Love said.