(PHOTO BY RENEA KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
OWDA FUNDING … State Representative Jim Hoops joined in on the commissioners meeting Thursday to see how he can help the Northwest Water District get its loan taken care of.
By: Renea Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
renea@thevillagereporter.com
The Williams County Commissioner met with Ashley Epling, Executive Director of the Williams County Economic Development Corporation (WEDCO), during their meeting on Thursday, January 30th.
Epling explained an enterprise zone agreement for a company in Montpelier. The agreement would provide Creative Liquid Coating with a 75% tax abatement on new real property over 10 years.
By doing this abatement, the company will still be paying some taxes, with most of it going to the school district.
The county and the village will receive a small portion of the new tax money, as well as the company’s current tax payments.
Epling added that there will be an increase in income tax based on the 50 new jobs expected to be created. The company will also be contributing to the WEDCO infrastructure fund.
“I think it’s important to know they’re paying a pretty big tax rate anyway,” said Commissioner Terry Rummel. “We’re not losing any money.”
The commissioners then met with Job and Family Services (JFS) Director Kylee Towns, who expressed serious safety concerns regarding the facility known as Dad’s Place. Accompanying her were two employees who had troubling experiences while entering and leaving the JFS building.
One employee recounted an incident where, as she was sitting in her car, she was surrounded by individuals from Dad’s Place who harassed her and prevented her from leaving until two police cars appeared around the corner.
Another girl reported that she has experienced being whistled at, catcalled, and stared at while entering and leaving the building for work.
She even encountered a woman who tried to lure her to Dad’s place by claiming that someone inside had a gun and was going to shoot everyone. The girl called the police and waited at the JFS building until they arrived.
Towns expressed her deep concern for the safety of her staff. She questioned if these incidents are occurring to them, who else might be affected, as workers in that area have no choice but to park in the lot behind Dad’s Place.
Towns reiterated her concern that sometimes small children taken in by JFS must walk on foot from the JFS office to the nearby health clinic for a physical examination. She noted that in the past, she has seen feces and needles on the ground along the route.
Towns expressed appreciation for Dad’s Place’s efforts to help with homelessness, but she suggested the church should better monitor those it serves.
“The manner in which Dad’s Place is conducting business, for lack of a better word, is jeopardizing my workers and their safety, and I don’t believe that should be a cost to helping people,” Towns said.
Commissioner Rummel expressed his dismay regarding a recent legal brief filed by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, who has announced his candidacy for governor in 2026.
The brief urged the Williams County Common Pleas Court to reverse its recent ruling allowing the city to enforce its fire code against a church.
Towns will draft a letter outlining the issue and present it to the commissioners, who will then forward it to Yost.
The commissioners discussed the possibility of cameras outside JFS and a way to enter in and out of the front of the building during emergency hours.
However, it was stated that their county cars could not be parked out on the street in front of the building as part of procedures.
The county administrator invited State Representative Jim Hoops to discuss the Northwest Water District. Funding from the Ohio Water Development Authority (OWDA) was granted in 2008, but the water board lacked the funds to repay this loan.
Flying J contributed to the loan for ten years before going bankrupt. During the bankruptcy proceedings, Flying J was supposed to be reimbursed for all the funds they had paid into the OWDA loan.
Currently, the loan stands at $1.7 million, and the water board claims they do not have enough revenue from businesses to cover the payment.
Hoops questioned how the board was able to secure the loan without proof of their ability to repay it. It was mentioned that the lieutenant governor at the time approved the loan.
Hoops expressed concern that the water board ended up with a loan they neither wanted nor could afford. He has requested a detailed list of items related to the situation, so he can determine how he might assist.
There was also a discussion about the possibility of forgiving part of the loan due to the circumstances surrounding its approval.
During old business, the following actions were taken:
-A second quote of $15,000 for the water heater and tank at the Bryan Senior Center was received and approved.
-Two bids for asphalt emulsion were opened.
-A letter of support was signed for a housing project proposed for Stryker.
-Approval was granted to pay $80,000 for preliminary drawings for the North Annex building.
-County Administrator Vond Hall’s recommendation to fund redaction software for body cameras at the sheriff’s office was accepted, with the funding allocated from the software line in the sheriff’s budget.