NEW RICHMOND, OHIO (April 12, 2025) – Connect Clermont is accepting financial donations for those affected by the recent flood.
Donations can be made via cash or check to Connect Clermont c/o Disaster Relief Fund at any Park National Bank location or by U.S. Postal Service mail. Send your donation to Connect Clermont, 2400 Clermont Center Drive, Suite 100, Batavia, Ohio 45103.
Donations will be used to provide recovery assistance to survivors of the floods affecting Clermont County residents. Assistance may include home repairs, temporary and long-term housing, debris cleanup and insurance deductibles.
Connect Clermont is a 501(c)(3) organization. Donations are tax deductible. All proceeds benefit victims.
Resources:
Please note: The American Red Cross shelter is now closed.
If you are affected by the recent flood and aren’t sure which agency to contact for assistance, please call Clermont County’s Emergency Management Hotline: (513) 735-8000. Please leave a voicemail if you are calling after hours. Someone will get back to you on the next business day.
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NEW RICHMOND, OHIO (April 8, 2025) – The Clermont County Emergency Management Agency and local response teams are accepting donations for those affected by the recent Ohio River flood at the First Baptist Church of New Richmond between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. beginning Wednesday, April 9, 2025.
The church is located at 213 Western Ave, New Richmond, OH 45157. To help with traffic control, the public is asked to enter via Walnut Street to Center Street to Western Avenue, or via Augusta Street.
BATAVIA, OHIO (April 8, 2025) – Homes and businesses whose utilities have been turned off must be inspected before gas or electric can be reconnected.
This means residents and businesses will need to apply for and obtain appropriate building permits. There is no cost for flood-related permits.
Once you have completed the attached permit, there are several ways to return it:
If you have questions, please call (513) 732-7213, option 9, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.- 4 p.m.
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Following are details shared in the April 9 letter from the Clermont County Permit Central & Building Inspections:
IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR RESIDENTS AFFECTED BY FLOODING
Building Permits Required for Power & Gas Service Restoration
Dear Resident,
We understand that the recent flooding has brought significant challenges to you and your family. As part of our commitment to ensuring the safety of all residents and their properties, we want to make you aware of an important requirement:
Before power and/or gas services can be safely restored to your property, you must first apply for and obtain the appropriate building permits. There will be no cost for flood-related permits.
Floodwaters can cause serious damage to electrical and gas systems. These systems must be inspected and verified for safety before utilities can be reconnected.
What You Need to Do:
Need Help? If you have questions about the process or need help navigating the paperwork, please call us: 513-732-7213
Buildings & Inspections
2275 Bauer Rd Batavia, Ohio 45103
Email: permitcentral@clermontcountyohio.gov
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Let’s work together to make sure your home is safe, secure, and ready to have services restored.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Sincerely,
Bruce Crase, Chief Building Official
BATAVIA, OHIO (April 4, 2025) – Gov. Mike DeWine has appointed senior assistant prosecutor Katherine Terpstra to serve as a judge for Clermont County Municipal Court.
Terpstra assumes office Monday, April 7.
She will be serving the remainder of Judge Jason Nagel’s unfinished term that expires Jan. 1, 2028. Nagel was elected in November 2024 as a judge for Clermont County Court of Common Pleas.
“I am honored to be selected to take over the role of municipal court judge,” Terpstra said. “I look forward to continuing to serve the citizens of Clermont County in this new capacity.”
Terpstra has been a senior assistant prosecutor for Clermont County since 2019. She joined the prosecutor’s office in 2013. Terpstra earned her juris doctorate with honors from the University of Cincinnati College of Law.
A career prosecutor, Terpstra brings more than 10 years of courtroom experience to her new role on the bench. She worked her way up from intern to senior assistant prosecuting attorney in the felony division during her time in the prosecutor’s office.
As a senior assistant, Terpstra supervised other attorneys in the office and handled serious and complex cases, successfully prosecuting rape and murder cases as well as those involving intricate criminal enterprises. Terpstra has experience in all aspects of criminal law, including juvenile, traffic, misdemeanor, felony, and appellate. She has extensive experience in trial work and motion practice, including cases presenting unique or novel legal issues.
Terpstra, a Cincinnati native, graduated with honors from Ohio State University in 2010 with undergraduate degrees in psychology and Spanish. She was also a student-athlete at OSU, competing with the university’s nationally ranked women’s rowing team.
Terpstra got her start in the Clermont County court system as an intern in the prosecutor’s office during her last semester of law school at UC. She was hired as an assistant prosecutor after graduation.
Terpstra is married and has three children. She is involved in a variety of their children’s school and extracurricular activities.
BATAVIA, OHIO (April 2, 2025) – Forecasters are calling for severe weather in Greater Cincinnati over the next four days with the likelihood of historic amounts of rain and flooding as well as strong winds and tornadoes.
The first round is expected to hit overnight and continue through Sunday, April 6, with the expectation of rainfall totaling six to eight inches.
“Over the next few days, our region will receive an unprecedented amount of rain,” said Pam Haverkos, Clermont County’s Emergency Management Agency director. “Flash flooding will be a threat throughout the entire county and will lead to Ohio River flooding by next week.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, the National Weather Service rated Clermont County at Level 3, or enhanced risk of severe weather. The most severe rating is 5.
“Enhanced risk is significant,” Haverkos added. “Damaging winds and tornadoes will happen. It is just a matter of where they occur and how severe they are.”
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear on Wednesday declared a state of emergency ahead of the storms, activating the Kentucky Emergency Operations Center and units of the Kentucky National Guard to stand ready to respond.
Boone County in Kentucky and Hamilton and Butler counties in Ohio are rated at Level 4, or moderate risk.
Haverkos is urging Clermont County residents who live near waterways to identify in advance multiple ways to evacuate their homes. She also recommends that residents near waterways move their vehicles to higher ground.
EMA officials are coordinating with other partner agencies and organizations to make sure they are prepared to respond to any disaster that may impact Clermont County, Haverkos said.
The Clermont County Engineer’s highway operations team stands ready to respond, whether to install high water signs to alert motorists to avoid certain areas or mobilize heavy equipment to remove debris from roadways.
Keep up with the latest forecast by visiting the following sites maintained by the National Weather Service Office in Wilmington:
To receive alerts and warnings in Clermont County, visit: https://ema.clermontcountyohio.gov/emergency-notification/
Important Safety Reminders:
For tips on how to prepare, visit: https://ema.clermontcountyohio.gov/preparedness/.
BATAVIA, OHIO (March 7, 2025) – On March 7, the county celebrated the opening of its new seven-acre highway operations and fleet maintenance campus at 4475 State Route 222 in Batavia.
Clermont County Commissioners David Painter, Bonnie Batchler and Claire Corcoran along with County Engineer Jeremy Evans, Fleet Maintenance Director Wayne Prescott, contractor Monarch Construction Co., architecture firm Garmann Miller and other officials marked the occasion with a ribbon-cutting, open house and tours of the facilities, which include seven buildings covering a total of 74,550 square feet.
The new buildings include space for the county engineer’s office, highway operations for snow removal and road repair, salt storage, vehicle washing, maintenance and fuel supply.
Please see below for a map of the new campus and highlights of each building.
Construction of the $18.5 million project wrapped up in late 2024, replacing deteriorated highway and fleet facilities that dated to the 1950s and 60s. The county highlighted the need to replace those outdated facilities along Filager Road in its 2009 master plan.
“This is an investment in our future,” Commissioner Batchler told the crowd at a ground-breaking ceremony that kicked off construction in June 2023. “We are building a modern facility that will help Clermont County provide top-quality service to our citizens.”
View a photo slide show of current and historical images.
The new highway and fleet facilities are expected to reduce costs by improving staff efficiency and increasing the longevity of equipment used to maintain county roads, bridges and other public services. The largest of the new buildings is a 34,800-square foot indoor garage with an overhead crane and space for 32 heavy vehicles such as dump trucks and crew-cab trucks. Other improvements include a salt-storage barn with a covered extension, new heavy-vehicle lifts, an indoor vehicle wash area, a sign-construction shop with dedicated storage and lockers for workers to store their gear. The 6,800-square foot building that houses fleet operations has six mechanics bays, office and break room space, a parts room and storage. The adjacent, covered fuel station features four pumps, 10,000-gallon tanks for gas and diesel storage as well as reclamation tanks for used oil and coolant.
The new facilities, dubbed Filager Campus Phase 1, were funded by the county’s capital budget. Two additional phases are in design. Those phases, estimated to cost $12 million to $17 million, will be located across the street along Filager Road on the acreage previously occupied by highway operations and fleet maintenance. Those projects will include construction of office space for engineering staff and the county’s public bus service, Clermont Transportation Connection. The construction timeline will be announced once the designs are completed.
BATAVIA, OHIO (Feb. 12, 2025) – The Clermont County Department of Community and Economic Development is conducting an online survey to evaluate current and future housing needs. Residents and businesses are invited to take the survey, which is part of a comprehensive countywide housing study.
The deadline to complete the survey is Monday, March 31.
The study will help the Board of County Commissioners assess market conditions for both owner-occupied and rental housing, identify challenges, and develop a strategic plan. The study is funded by a federal Community Development Block Grant.
The county’s consultant, Philadelphia-based Urban Partners, will conduct engagement sessions this spring with cities, villages and township leaders, and is expected to share its final report by late summer.
>>> Take the Survey
BATAVIA, OHIO (Feb. 10, 2025) – The Clermont County Treasurer’s Office had a printing issue that has delayed the return of many tax payments to our office.
Please rest assured that we check the postmark on every envelope and any postmark of February 12, 2025 or prior will be posted as a timely payment, no matter when it is received.
Thank you for your patience.
Jeannie M. Zurmehly
BATAVIA, OH (Nov. 9, 2022) — The Family Recovery Court of the Clermont County Juvenile Court has earned final certification from the Ohio Supreme Court’s Commission on Specialized Dockets.
In order to receive the certification, the local court had to submit an application, undergo a site visit, and provide specific program materials in response to certification standards that went into effect in January 2014.
Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor congratulated the Clermont County Juvenile Court and Judge James A. Shriver for receiving final certification.
“Specialized dockets divert offenders toward criminal justice initiatives that employ tools and tailored services to treat and rehabilitate the offender so they can become productive members of society,” said Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor. “Studies have shown this approach works by reducing recidivism while saving tax dollars.”
Specialized dockets are courts that are dedicated to specific types of offenses or offenders and use a combination of different techniques for holding offenders accountable while also addressing the underlying causes of their behavior. There are more than 210 specialized dockets in Ohio courts that deal with issues such as:
The standards provide a minimum level of uniform practices for specialized dockets throughout Ohio, and allow local courts to innovate and tailor to meet their community’s needs and resources.
Currently, 71% of Specialized Docket participants admitted to methamphetamine use while the other 29% indicated fentanyl was their substance of choice. According to Judge Shriver, the Clermont County Family Recovery Court has implemented evidence-based practices and worked together with a number of partner agencies to assist families in overcoming the barriers in their lives and achieving long-term sobriety and changing their way of life. Participants have been able to obtain safe and sustainable employment and housing before graduation and learn what it means to have a sober and loving family relationship with their children.
The certification requirements include establishing eligibility requirements, evaluating the effectiveness of the specialized docket, and assembling a treatment team for implementing daily operations of the specialized docket. The team can include licensed treatment providers, law enforcement, and court personnel, and is headed by the specialized docket judge.
The Commission on Specialized Dockets has 22 members who advise the Supreme Court and its staff regarding the promotion of statewide rules and uniform standards concerning specialized dockets in Ohio courts; the development and delivery of specialized docket services to Ohio courts; and the creation of training programs for judges and court personnel. The commission makes all decisions regarding final certification.
David Painter, vice president of the Board of County Commissioners in Clermont County, has been appointed chair of the Environment, Energy and Land Use Steering Committee of the National Association of Counties (NACo).
“David was chosen because my goal is build a talented and committed leadership team for NACo,” said Denise Winfrey, NACo president. “Our strength at NACo is in our members and their involvement. It is time to elevate the county role in areas of need, and we are ready to rise.”
The committee is responsible for all matters pertaining to air, water, energy, and land use, including water resources/management, stormwater, pesticides, air quality standards, solid, hazardous, and nuclear waste handling, transport, and disposal, national energy policy, renewable/alternative energy, alternative fuel vehicles, energy facility siting, electricity utility restructuring, pipeline safety, oil spills, superfund/brownfields, eminent domain, land use, coastal management, oceans, parks and recreation.
“I am extremely honored for the opportunity to fulfill such an important role,” Painter said. “These are critical areas for the future of our country. They impact every one of us as we go about our daily lives. Rest assured that I will do my best as we move ahead with these vital matters.”
Painter serves on the NACo Board of Directors. He previously was vice chair of NACo’s Environment, Energy and Land Use Steering Committee. He also is president of the OKI Regional Council of Governments.
The National Association of Counties (NACo) serves nearly 40,0000 county elected officials and 3.6 million county employees nationwide. Founded in 1935, NACo unities county officials to advance excellence in public service to enrich the lives of all citizens. NACo is one of the most effective and largest advocacy organizations in the world.
