PHOTO BY BRENNA WHITE / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
2026 FUNDS … Sarah Higdon and Mayor Don Leu review the annual appropriations for the West Unity Village Council.
By: Brenna White
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
The West Unity Village Council met in regular session on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. Mayor Don Leu and Fiscal Officer Sarah Higdon were in attendance, along with Council Members Kevin Gray, Stephen Marvin, Terri LeBowsky, Shawn Blaisdell, and David Short.
Council approved the minutes from the previous October 9, 2025, meeting. The bills were paid with no discussion.
The council moved directly into legislative matters. An additional final reading was held for Resolution 6-2025-6, which authorizes a transfer and exchange of real property between the Village of West Unity and Williams County.
Though passing its third and final reading, the county noted that the incorrect information was submitted. The amended resolution was approved once again and will be sent again to the county for passage.
Following suspension of the rules, an emergency resolution was passed, establishing a vacation-hour payout for the 2025 calendar year. All conflicting prior ordinances or resolutions were repealed.
Council proceeded to review Ordinance 2025-11, the revised permanent annual appropriation measure for fiscal year 2025. The ordinance allocates funds for current expenses and other expenditures through December 31, 2025.
The total village budget, across funds and sections, amounted to $3,603,107.63. An additional $25,000 was reported to be added to the sewer budget for necessary plant repairs. “The concrete is actually fairly decent for being as old as it is,” commented Administrator Fritsch.
“There’s spots, whereas the water comes around and causes pressure on the concrete – it’s cracked in spots,” Fritsch noted that this pertains to the original plant constructed around 1968.
Following appropriations, the council addressed Ordinance 2025-10, revising prior Ordinance 351.17 pertaining to “Semi Parking Only” locations in municipal parking lots.
The ordinance specifies that designated public parking lots may be used only by commercial vehicles such as school buses, semitrailers, agricultural tractors, and similar vehicles.
Restrictions on maintenance, length of stay, and violation penalties were outlined, including misdemeanor classifications for repeat offenses.
Chief JR Jones states, “It’ll allow us to police it and keep it clean.” The ordinance was passed as an emergency with no contest.
An additional ordinance was introduced, amending Section 710 of the West Unity Codified Ordinances regarding licensing and regulation of temporary stores, transient dealers, and food trucks.
The ordinance updates definitions, licensing requirements, exclusions, fees, operational rules, and penalties for violations.
Among the provisions were background check requirements, restrictions on parking space usage, allowed hours of operations, and procedures regarding waste disposal. Violations may result in fines of up to $100 per offense, with each day being a separate violation.
“If they (food trucks) were staying in a single parking lot, not taking up two, they weren’t violating any laws – and there was nothing we could do to prohibit any of that to happen. This puts a little bit of guidelines to it,” said Chief Jones.
The Administrator Report, given by Joshua Fritsch, reported that RAM Construction Service was nearing completion of ditch work and had identified several cracked areas, which would require an allocation of funds. He also reported annual leaf pickup and restroom closures at local parks.
In the Mayor’s Report, Leu discussed zoning options within the town and will be sending a project of “property lines back to zero on the sides of the town,” to the Planning Commission. A floor repair and remodel of the Kissler Building was budgeted, which amounted to $27,670.50.
Higdon presented the Clerk’s Report, which included budget changes and retirement payouts for village employees.
A potential summer job opening up for park mowing was also discussed among the Council. Estimated at about 20 hours at an undecided rate, the mayor presented his idea for pay.
“After his (Mayor Don Leu) calculations, without overs and Medicare and everything, it was about $5,000 (for wages).
“We are already at $45,605 with the budget, which is about $5,600 over what we bring in. So you’re looking at about $10,000 over what we are bringing in,” explained Higdon. After running more solid numbers, the council will return to this idea.
Dave Short brought up the issue of not having a crosswalk at a specific location on Jackson Street, where the gas station crosses to the Subway.
“The state says where we put them… they dictate where we put them, so we just put them where they said,” said Fritsch.
Steve Marvin addressed solicitor issues within the village and reminded residents that they are required to have permits in order to go door-to-door in West Unity.
After confronting solicitors at his home by questioning their permit, which they did not have, they agreed not to return to the village.
LeBowsky commented on several complaints she had received from residents. “I did have a complaint about the (veteran) banners taken down, but I do want to thank you for putting it on Facebook, because I didn’t get as many complaints this year,” she stated.
“Well, it won’t be a problem next year because they won’t be up there,” mentioned Mayor Leu. “They won’t be downtown; we’ll have new banners up there, but they won’t be the military banners.”
The next West Unity Council meeting was scheduled to take place on Thursday, December 11, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. The November meeting adjourned at 8:28 p.m.