SOLAR QUESTIONS … Fiscal Officer Nikki Mittelstaedt and Mayor Ed Kidston discuss a potential ordinance relating to personnel solar field requirements for interested citizens.
By: Brenna White
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
The Pioneer Village Council held its regular meeting on Monday, August 11, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. The session began with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer from Pastor Craig Bard of the Pioneer Community Church.
Mayor Ed Kidston called the meeting to order. In attendance were Fiscal Officer Nikki Mittelstaedt, Administrator Anthony Burnett, Solicitor Tom Thompson, Council President Ben Fiser, Joe Nickloy, Dean Frisbie, Alan Fiser, Bryan Gendron, and Trevor West.
The council approved the agenda and the minutes from the July 14, 2025, meeting. The July 2025 financial report was also accepted, and Mayor Kidston noted that income tax rates had increased. The council approved the payment of bills, including an additional payment of $633.66 to Nickloy’s Fix and Fab.
The Pioneer Council was presented with two event requests. The first was from Hometown Meat Market owner Stacy Frost and Pastor Craig Bard for a community fundraiser.
The event is scheduled for Saturday, September 20, 2025, and will be held at the corner of Elm and West Church Street, directly behind the Meat Market.
“We want to raise awareness for the community church and the new food bank,” Frost said. The event will feature live music, food, and entertainment, with all proceeds funding the new food bank created by the church.
The second request was from Shanna McKelvey to hang veteran banners throughout the village. The American Legion will cover all costs, with the village only responsible for the time and labor of hanging the banners.
Active legion members will receive banners free of charge per request, while nonmembers will pay a small fee. The Legion estimates around 100 available banner spots.
In his police report, Chief Tim Livengood announced that the new School Resource Officer (SRO), Stephanie Mills, will be integrated into the school quickly.
He also reported continued progress on nuisance complaints. According to the report, each residence in violation has received a formal letter requesting action before the village takes further steps.
Fire Chief Robert Swank’s report noted that the Pioneer Fire Department will participate in the Williams County Fair Firemen’s Breakfast on September 13, 2025.
Pioneer’s First Responders were paged for a total of 22 calls in July, responding to 18 of them, for an activity rate of 81.8%.
Administrator Anthony Burnett addressed complaints regarding village employees mowing ditches, easements, and right-of-ways on outskirt properties.
“We have done it for the past 17 years that I have been here, so nothing has really changed,” Burnett said. He requested and received a motion for the village to continue mowing these areas as usual.
The Council approved the purchase of a double-wire reel stand from the Montpelier Village Council for $5,000, a piece of equipment the Pioneer electrical department previously lacked.
During a recently held Finance Committee meeting, a replacement truck with a plow was discussed for the street department. Burnett suggested the vehicle could also be used as a “public works” vehicle across departments. The council approved the purchase of a 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Double Cab for $49,890.
Burnett also provided an update on the new fire truck. He noted a previous payment of $325,000 in June 2025, with a second payment of $110,000 due in August 2025. The final installment will be due in February 2026.
The Council recognized and approved two resignations: Elizabeth Kidston’s last will be August 15, 2025, and Joey Henry’s last day will be September 12, 2025.
The Cedar Street construction project is nearing completion. The base coat of asphalt was recently finished, allowing residents access to their driveways again. Seeding, grading, and a final asphalt topcoat are next. Several new streetlights will also be installed along Cedar Street.
Officials discussed a recent increase in Pioneer’s electrical rates. Many residents were curious about installing personal solar panels to combat the high costs, but no formal request has been made.
Mayor Kidston recognized the future need for an ordinance to protect the village’s electrical grid from “backfeeding” issues from personnel solar fields, following a potential blackout.
Resident’s solar panels may experience backfeeding into the village’s electrical grid during blackouts. This may cause line workers to face electrocution during maintenance as they believe the power lines to be dead.
Requirements such as inverters, disconnect switches, or rapid shutdown devices may be written into the proposed ordinance in the future for the safety of their workers.
“Personally, I think it would be wrong for us to tell citizens they can’t put solar on their house if they want to,” Nickloy interjected. “But I think something has to be put into place to protect our workers to keep it from backfeeding.”
Kidston commented, “The high electrical rates will pass. Once we put our solar field online, the electric rates will go down. I think it will be very, very cost-prohibitive to put solar in residential areas.”
“I don’t know if anyone is going to be able to beat the deal we are going to give them. They just have to have a little patience. Electric rates will most likely stabilize, then go lower moving forward.”
The council moved to look further into the legality of the issue, researching proper legal terminology and restrictions pertaining to locals owning their own solar panels.
A notice of selection has been sent to Seclusion Energy, the new contractors for the solar field. An engineering contract involving pricing is expected to be returned soon.
Fiscal Officer Nikki Mittelstaedt’s report estimated July revenue at around $53,000. The village had also received an additional payment of $68,182 from AquaBounty, bringing their total payments to $1,370,163.
The Council approved a request from North Central School Board President, Kati Burt, to use the Pioneer Community Building for a town hall levy meeting on October 1, 2025.
Council member Dean Frisbie requested a motion to allow Williams County to take over compensation payroll for the Pioneer first responders.
Under this arrangement, the county would supply wages and vehicles for the first responders, with the village’s only expense being to house them in the Cogswell Building.
Commissioner Terry Rummel stated, “Ultimately, I think this process would help us evolve EMS into more what it used to be. We’re trying to structure this thing so it can be more self-sufficient.”
“This will be a direct expense to the county, but I think in the long run it will evolve into something better.” He noted that many other villages in the county have already made the switch to county payroll.
Despite initial hesitation from some Council members due to a lack of information, the motion passed. “It’s a win-win,” Frisbie says. “Why wouldn’t we want to save some money?”
In legislative matters, an ordinance amending previously passed appropriations was approved, changing which fund is being used for the Cogswell Building.
An ordinance repealing existing hunting limitations was also approved, enacting a new section addressing hunting within the village limits. Landowners need to own a large parcel, ten acres or more, with at least five acres of woods to qualify to hunt within the village.
Burnett noted that three parcels on the outskirts of the village qualify but still need to follow state-regulated hunting protocols. The ordinance was approved, with Council members Dean Frisbie and Trevor West voting nay.
An executive session was held at 8:25 p.m. to discuss personnel. Shortly after returning, a final ordinance was passed to amend the set wages for 2025, effective August 11, 2025.
With no further business, the Pioneer Village Council adjourned at 8:38 p.m.