After soliciting feedback from residents of Hancock and Putnam counties, Representative Robert Sprague (R-Findlay), Representative Lynn Wachtmann (R-Napoleon) and Senator Cliff Hite (R-Findlay) announced that they will be hosting town hall meetings to reveal the results of the surveys, as well as the next steps in their efforts.

The town hall meetings will be held at the following locations and times on Monday, March 19th:

• Putnam County town hall: Putnam County YMCA (101 Putnam Pkwy, Ottawa, 45875) at 4:30 p.m.
• Hancock County town hall: University of Findlay Winebrenner TLB Convocation Center (950 S. Main St., Findlay, 45840) at 7 p.m.

“With over two-thirds of surveys filled out online, we were impressed with the initiative residents took to fill this out,” Rep. Sprague said. “The results clearly show that this continues to be a high-priority issue for residents of Hancock and Putnam counties. We are 100 percent committed to helping solve this problem and we are looking forward to sharing these results with the Governor’s Office and other state officials.”

“Representative Sprague, Senator Hite, and I appreciate the time everyone took to respond to our surveys,” Rep. Wachtmann said. “This is an important issue that can only be solved if we all work together—local, state, and federal officials need to make this a priority. As elected officials in office to serve you, we welcome your opinions and participation in the town hall meetings so we can resolve this problem in a timely manner.”

“It was good to hear from so many people that believe flood mitigation is still a number-one priority,” said Sen. Hite. “We will continue to work with all government entities to bring conclusion to the project.”

From approximately 840 surveys, the lawmakers learned that nearly 290 respondents said they had $10,000 or more in damages to their homes or businesses—which, at the very minimum, cost these individuals nearly $3 million collectively. With the Blanchard River flooding clearly a massive strain on the residents of Hancock and Putnam counties, Senator Hite and Representatives Sprague and Wachtmann hope that these town hall events will give citizens, elected officials and interested parties an opportunity to analyze the results of the completed surveys as well as to learn more about the extent of the damage and options to mitigate the problem.

Anyone who responded to the Blanchard River survey, as well as residents of Hancock and Putnam counties and individuals with ideas for improving the situation, are encouraged to attend one of the town halls.