(PHOTO BY BRENNA WHITE / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
EMPIRE STREET PROJECT … Chair Dave Newcomer and Secretary Ashley Epling discuss the best timing for the open house on Empire Street.
By: Brenna White
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
The Williams County Port Authority convened for a regular meeting on Monday, July 14, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. in the Port Authority Conference Room at the WEDCO Building.
Chair Dave Newcomer led the meeting with a roll call, with all members in attendance. The meeting minutes from May 27, 2025, and the financial report through June 30, 2025, were approved with no discussion.
During the meeting, Cheryl Andres was recommended for the vacant board position previously advertised. Due to conflicting schedules, as Andres was the previous Rotary Club President, she will be unable to attend Port Authority meetings through the rest of the year.
Andres’s application was approved, and the board hopes her expertise in real estate will bring further insight.
“She is excited about all the efforts that the Port Authority is doing to assist the community, and to be able to be a part of it,” mentions a representative of Andres.
An ongoing housing update was presented. A total of four houses are underway with construction in Williams County.
Notably, a near-finished house in Montpelier will soon be hosting its first open house. 402 Empire Street, a “cottage-style” single-family home, is scheduled for an open house on August 1, 2025.
This will run from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., to give workers of all shifts an opportunity to stop by.
Other workforce housing projects are in the works, with several new ideal locations to follow in the future. 408 Clear Fork Drive, Pioneer, and 891 Bryan Street, Bryan are both single-family homes. At 303 and 307 Satcher Street, Edgerton, is a duplex currently being built.
Secretary Ashley Epling shared a new housing interest link available at the Port Authority website. This survey is to help create a database for the board to have a better understanding of what the county needs. Questions such as income, ideal housing locations, and specific styles are recorded.
While not for the purpose of housing requests, this survey serves as an opportunity to get first-hand knowledge of the needs of Williams County locals during the ongoing housing crisis.
The board entered executive session at 12:15 p.m. to consider the purchase of property, whether real or personal, tangible or intangible. No further action was taken.
The next Port Authority meeting is scheduled for July 28, 2025, at 12:00 p.m.