The Clermont County commissioners are taking government to the people with three town meetings this month.

        The Tate Township meeting will begin at 7 p.m. today at the township firehouse, 145 N. East St. in Bethel. Washington and Monroe townships will have their meeting at 7 p.m. Oct. 10 at the Point Isabel Fire Station, 2817 Mill St., Point Isabel. And the village of Williamsburg and Williamsburg Township will meet at the township hall, 4025 Alexander Lane, at 7 p.m. Oct. 22.

        After the three meetings, the commissioners will have visited all of the townships and villages in the last two years. The meetings have had good turnout, with about 40 people attending in some areas.

        “The commissioners did this a number of years ago, and we decided to do it again because I thought it would be a way for them to interact with us,” said Commissioner Mary Walker. “It's a way to break down the formality of, "We're in Batavia making decisions.' We just wanted to let (the people) feel more comfortable coming to us when they have an issue.”

        Each of the meetings begins with a prepared presentation requested by the township or village officials, and usually includes an update on road and bridge repairs in an area. At the Tate Township meeting, county officials plan to talk about water and sewer projects and possibly septic systems, said Kathy Lehr, director of communications for the county.

        At the Williamsburg meeting, the county will provide information about greenspace. Details are not yet final for the presentations for the Washington and Monroe meeting.

        After the presentation portion, there's an opportunity for questions and answers and for township and village officials to update the commissioners on news, Ms. Lehr said.

        Mrs. Walker said the meetings are productive and often help the commissioners understand what is important to people. At the recent Goshen Township meeting, the board learned about citizens' interest in remedies to traffic problems on Ohio 28 and the need for a park. She said those citizen concerns will lead them to consider the township's needs when they next allocate greenspace.

        “They're very open to letting us know what the problems are in their communities as well as telling us about the good things going on in their lives,” she said.

        “I thought it was definitely a very worthwhile meeting,” said Sara Hill, 86, a lifelong resident of Goshen. “I didn't have any real concerns. I just go because I'm interested in what's going on.”"It's a way to break down the formality of, “We're in Batavia making decisions.” We just wanted to let (the people) feel more comfortable coming to us when they have an issue.'

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