Medina County Engineer
Andy Conrad, P.E., P.S.
History of the County Engineer
Upon Ohio’s statehood in 1803, the General Assembly enacted legislation permitting the Courts of Common Pleas to appoint the position of County Surveyor for the purpose of guiding development on the new frontier. The specific tasks involved subdividing the land for settlement; recording land plats, titles, transfers, and deeds; replacing early wooden survey stakes with stone monuments; the layout of public thoroughfares; and representing the Board of County Commissioners in land and roadway issues.In 1831, the legislature made the County Surveyor a publicly elected officeholder that would serve three-year terms. The need for better transportation across the state, involving highway and canal construction, led to the eventual evolution of the County Surveyor’s position.
In response to the demands of the impending “Auto Age,” County Surveyors were chosen by the legislature to represent the State Highway Department in local engineering affairs. By the time legislation was enacted, in 1935, to change the County Surveyor’s position to that of County Engineer, the officeholders were serving a four-year term and fulfilling the modern duties of both a professional surveyor and engineer.
Duties of the Engineer
To hold the Office of County Engineer, Ohio law requires that a person hold both an Ohio Professional Engineer's and Professional Surveyor's license and to be elected every four years by the citizens of the county. Ohio is the only state that requires both licenses to be the County Engineer and is the only state that elects the position of County Engineer.Roads: The County Engineer's Office is responsible for the maintenance and repair of 323 miles of County roadways within Medina County. The system encompasses over 3,500 drainage culverts of various sizes and more than 7250 warning/regulatory sign installations.
Bridges: This department is responsible for 292 bridges on the County and Township roadway systems. By definition, a bridge is any structure having an opening of 10' or greater.
Engineering & Surveying: Ohio law requires the County Engineer to be the "Engineer" for the 17 Boards of Trustees in Medina County, encompassing approximately an additional 500 miles of public highways. The County Engineer provides engineering for Township roadside drainage and pavement improvements and, when requested by the Trustees, assists with construction of safety and roadway improvements on the Township system.
Mapping/GIS: Ohio law provides that the County Engineer is the County's Tax Map Draftsman. All deeds, parcel splits, surveys and subdivision plats are approved at this office. Tax Map personnel are responsible for the drafting of all the tax mapping and providing current parcel information to the GIS department for publishing on the County's website.
Funding The Medina County Engineer does not receive funding from levies or property and income taxes. The vast majority of funding for the County Engineer’s office is from portions of the Permissive License Plate Fees and the Motor Fuel Tax ($0.385/gallon State of Ohio gas tax and $0.184/gallon Federal gas tax).
Engineering Code for Subdivision Development
Engineering Code for Subdivision Development BookRoad District Standards for Townships (10/2022)
Dry Hydrant and Fire Pond Specifications
Cement Stabilized Base Specifications