By: Brenna White
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
The Williams County Port Authority convened on Tuesday, May 27, at noon in the Port Authority Conference Room located in the WEDCO building.
Following roll call, with two members being absent, the board promptly began the meeting. Tyson Stuckey, Joe Kimble, Dawn Fitzcharles, Bill Martin, Tyler Sailer, and Clerk Ashley Epling were in attendance.
After approving the meeting minutes from the previous May 12 meeting, the financial report, starting from April 30, was still held under review.
The board moved on to discuss the recent progress on the Bryan Senior Project. With a proposed 50 units available, located off of Fountain Grove Drive in Bryan, the initiative is officially underway thanks to the Port Authority.
Dawn Fitzcharles thanked the organizations that helped along the way: the County Commissioners, the City of Bryan, Frontier, and the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA).
Fitzcharles continued, “Everybody worked together. We’ve spent a lot of time and effort to submit a successful project, including becoming a co-developer. Hopefully, we can utilize this in the future. We’re incredibly grateful.”
She explained how there are tight time-frames to be expected, especially while they continue their pre-existing housing projects.
The Port Authority has until September 18, 2025, to send in their official, final application to OHFA. The final will be presented to the OHFA Board in February. They anticipate construction to commence as early as June 1, 2026.
Due to regulations, it is standard practice for residents to move in gradually. The first round of tenants is expected to move in on July 1, 2027, with the last on December 31, 2027.
This is intended to help ease the transition during this significant process and avoid hiccups along the way. An on-site manager will be hired to assist as needed.
The Port Authority Board proposed application ideas, including information to be put on their website. A call-in line is also in the works for less tech-savvy locals. More information will follow as a decision is made.
“All of our elected officials have been on board,” Fitzcharles added.
“I think at times it felt like we were fighting a losing battle. It’s incredibly hard to put an application together at the same time that they are finalizing requirements. In my mind, it was a team effort.”
She moved on to share a shocking fact with her colleagues. “In Northwest Ohio, we have an assessment report put out by the Housing Agency. We have about 21% of mortgages that are denied through finance agencies.”
This spreads across several different counties in northwest Ohio, but regarding this information, Fitzcharles believes that in the future they might be applicable for the single-family housing credit.
The Board moved on to approve the Request for Proposal (RFP), for the Bryan City lots.
They also will begin advertising a vacant board seat on the Port Authority and are seeking a qualified individual to join. With hopes of finding a licensed realtor or a seasoned real estate professional, they hope to include someone with relevant housing experience to expand their outreach. Applications can be sent to their website, before June 20, 2025.
The Port Authority has plans to continue its home building with locations on Beech Street in Bryan, Pioneer, and Edgerton. Soon plans will be underway.
At 12:16 p.m. the board entered into executive session to consider the purchase of a property for future endeavors. The next meeting of the Williams County Port Authority will be held at the same location, on June 9 at 12:00 p.m.