Members of Council, Employees, and Residents of the Village,
At the beginning of 2014, the Village was faced with the closing of the DMI/Chassix Plant. All the contacts to the corporate offices were to no avail. By March 31 production had ended, the plant officially closed and was vacated by June 30. Having been aware of this happening, all Village Departments endured budget cuts for the year. With the cooperation of all employees and no costly unexpected expenses, the Village maintained daily operations.
Following are some highlights of the past year:
•Replaced brakes on the backhoe
•Purchased 3.407 acres of land from the Yoder Estate; it joins Village property at the Wastewater Treatment Plant
•Approved a Farm Lease Agreement with Larry Meyers for 1.8 tillable acreage of above property
•Removed stop signs on Railroad Street as requested by The Edon Farmers Co-Op
•Contracted for one year with Williams County and Everbridge Mass Communications for the Citizen ALERT Notification System
•Hired Dennis Bell, Bell Engineering, as the Village Zoning Inspector, replacing Jim Lonabarger
•Installed lattice covering the fence around the Wastewater Treatment Plant
•Made repairs and maintenance at the Wastewater Treatment Plant and Water Plant
•Board of Public Affairs accepted the resignation, effective November 28, 2014, of Chris Decker, Water and Wastewater Superintendent
•Received notification from Jim Brigle, Street Superintendent, of his retirement effective April 1, 2015
The Zoning Inspector issued 15 permits for a total of $469.00 creating a total of $283,440.00 in Land Improvements Costs.
The Police Department continues to work diligently in keeping our Village and the surrounding area a safe place to reside. Police Chief Szymczak will continue working closely with interim Superintendent John Granger and staff at the school to protect the children and maintain a safe environment for everyone.
I consider the most exciting achievement of 2014 was the establishment of the position of Village Administrator. There were many deciding factors involved and many hours were spent weighing the pros and cons and being certain the budget would support the position. Does the Village continue to struggle or move forward into the 21st Century. All Council members saw the need to move forward, therefore Council created the position of Village Administrator. Council then approved the Mayor’s recommendation to hire Randy Mahlman as Village Administrator beginning January 5, 2015. Due to the hiring of the Village Administrator, the Board of Public Affairs was abolished on January 5, 2015. The Village Administrator will serve as the Zoning Inspector, hire and work with village employees and work closely with the Financial Officer. Randy also holds the necessary licenses to operate both the Water and Wastewater Plants; he will be a working Administrator.
The Village of Edon is very fortunate to have hired Randy Mahlman, bringing to the Village a wealth of knowledge and expertise. “Welcome to Edon, Randy.”
There will continue to be many challenges and opportunities for the Village of Edon in 2015. We, as the governing body, and all employees of the Village of Edon will continue to cautiously manage the future of our community.
Finally to all of you that have contributed your time to the Village this past year – THANK YOU!!!!
Mayor Darlene Burkhardt