doug engel

The 18-hole course is being built by volunteers on the campus of Defiance College, and could become functional in several weeks, according to Jay Hanson of the Jacket Woods Disc Golf Course Committee. But final installations will have to wait until after Defiance College’s graduation ceremony in May.

He said his organization is putting together a course capable of hosting tournaments.

Permission was given by the college to proceed last November, Hanson noted, while 23 volunteers have been helping build it. Another volunteer work day is scheduled for March 19.

Help also will be — or has been — received from Boy Scout Troop 70 and Defiance Master Gardeners, he said.

Commissioner Mick Pocratsky suggested that his colleagues would consider providing funds for phase 4, perhaps from the county’s hotel/motel tax. Commissioners occasionally use this money for tourist-related activities or related infrastructure.

According to Hanson, the course’s estimated construction cost — undertaken in four phases — is $70,000-$75,000 with $58,600 collected through fundraising. The final phase would cost between $6,800-$15,000, he said.

As for the course’s difficulty, Hanson informed commissioners that it will be challenging.

“We’ve purposefully maximized the enjoyment of the game … by having the course be as complex as it can,” Hanson explained. “You don’t want to make it too easy … .”

He said no disc golf clubs exist in Defiance, but others have been formed in Archbold, Bryan and Wauseon. Hanson is hoping for the establishment of high-school level clubs here in the future.

Also Thursday, commissioners met with E-911 Director Matt Hanenkrath and Sheriff Doug Engel to discuss the construction of a new communications tower at the county fairgrounds in Hicksville for the MARCs radio system used by law enforcement.

Engel told The Crescent-News that the tower would provide better communications coverage in Hicksville and surrounding areas.

He noted that the estimated cost is $600,000 to $1 million, and asked if commissioners could offset this with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money. The county will receive $7.39 million in ARPA money from the federal government.

Commissioners did not grant Engel’s request, but would front the project cost and require the sheriff’s office to pay back the money over time.

The sheriff’s office will hire a project manager who will handle the bidding, according to Engel.

In other business Thursday, commissioners received a monthly update from Ron Cereghin, the county’s maintenance supervisor.