Paulding County, Ohio

7 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 10 development with some of their small local users, if they were to bid on these projects. “We’ve heard presentations in nine of the twelve townships so far that have said they will use a portion of their funds for broadband improvement in their township,” Copsey says. “The county has committed to match that amount, as have several of the local users. So we are now putting miles and miles of extra fiber optic infrastructure in the ground.” Already recognized as the greenest county in Ohio, Paulding County is currently in the process of installing a 49.9 megawatt solar field over more than 250 acres. The solar array will generate power that has been designated by Amazon for putting into the grid. They also have 265 privately-owned wind turbines in operation. In the realm of water and sewer management, the county is looking at options for next steps, as their treatment plants age. “The state and federal governments have both said they need more collaboration instead of each individual town or suburb running their own facility,” Copsey explains. “And with the lack of water treatment facility operators and supervisors, we need to work together to go after grants that would help fund the establishment of a single treatment plant for more than one community. “When it comes to storm water management and climate impact concerns, the Paulding County EMA Director is heavily involved with those type of discussions. Our mitigation plan is coming due again and he will be sitting down with smaller sub-committees to discuss what we already have in place and where and how do we strengthen it.” Summing up his favorite attributes about the county, Copsey shares, “The thing I love most about Paulding County is the willingness to collaborate and the support that every community gives to each other. This is an exciting county. It really makes for good rural living, with city amenities that people look for but don’t even realize we have.”