(PHOTO BY AMY WENDT / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
BLOSSOM BASH… The Archbold Community Garden hosted its annual Blossom Bash on Sunday, June 1, giving community members of all ages a chance to enjoy the sunshine and explore the garden.
By: Amy Wendt
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
amy@thevillagereporter.com
Archbold Village Council met for its first regular meeting of the month on June 2 with councilors Karla Ball, Chad Kern, Aaron Babcock, Kevin Eicher, Vaughn Bentz, and Gary Dominique at the table joined by Mayor Brad Grime and Village Administrator Aaron Alt.
Topics of the evening centered around infrastructure updates, ongoing progress at Ruihley Park, and income tax receipts for the current month.
With May 2025 Income Tax Reports showing a decrease of nearly 20% last month, the Village Administrator took a moment to offer some insight.
“Year-to-date we’re at $3,066,603.00…for the month though, we are down 19.48%, which is a pretty big drop,” Alt began.
“Year-to-date, 2.1% down, but again, we’re almost 11% up over 2023 numbers, so I think that’s – 2023 is our target to focus on, what we want to benchmark.”
Alt reported that while income tax revenue is down compared to 2024, which saw over $7 million collected, he isn’t concerned at this point. He explained that he would be more concerned if the current numbers were falling below 2023 levels.
Alt noted that timing often plays a role in fluctuations, and it’s not uncommon to see some ups and downs throughout the year.
“But, nonetheless, we’ll always have to keep an eye on our budgets and make sure that we’re not extending ourselves,” Alt added.
Councilor Chad Kern questioned whether the drop in revenue was typical or if a specific factor was driving the decrease which Alt responded that he does think there is some volatility.
“When we look at some of these reports, it’s really hard to figure out what is driving these ups and these downs,” Alt responded.
He added that profit returns and payroll periods might also be contributing factors to the recent downturn.
The council also briefly reviewed the May 2025 Street Department Fleet Report. After approving minutes from the May 19 regular meeting and authorizing the payment of $604,474.16 in bills and payroll, the council moved on to address legislative items.
On its third reading, council passed a resolution authorizing village officials to enter into an agreement with CB Acquisitions for a perpetual lease agreement for the Verizon Wireless cell phone tower located behind the village’s Street Department garage.
Upon finalizing the deal, the village can expect to see $170,520, which will be earmarked for special projects according to Village Administrator Aaron Alt in a previous meeting.
Council then gave the green light to accept a bid from Bryan Excavating for the North Street waterline replacement project (Contract 4-2025) at a cost of $334,000.
According to Alt, the request for bids went out approximately a month ago and resulted in responses from two companies. Bryan Excavating was the lowest bidder coming in at $111,000 below the village engineer’s estimate.
Alt elaborated on the project noting, “I don’t anticipate much changing as far as that project goes along the way, but it’s a critical link coming out of the water plant.”
“So getting this done and getting it on their schedule will hopefully keep us from having to dig in pretty nasty trenches that keep popping up with the breaks that have been on this line.”
By way of Ordinance 2025-30, council approved the annexation of approximately 50 acres located at the corner of East Lutz Road and State Route 66 into the village.
The property will be zoned S1 (Special Use District), meaning any development plans must first go before the Archbold Planning Commission. A neighboring 50-acre tract was annexed into the village in July 2024.
Before adjourning, a brief discussion was held regarding the ongoing improvements taking place at Ruihley Park. The pool building recently received a facelift with a new facade, and construction on the pickleball courts is moving along.
Keeping council in the loop, Aaron Alt shared that a nearby resident had reached out with a concern about the new security lighting recently installed at the park.
The Archbold Community Garden held its 2nd Annual Blossom Bash on Sunday, June 1, and the event allowed community members an opportunity to explore the garden, listen to live music, and take part in various activities.
Council member Karla Ball, who attended the Bash, added that the favorable weather and live music made for a great event.
Archbold Village Council will hold its next regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, June 16, 2025, at the village’s Municipal Building.