PHOTO BY JESSE DAVIS / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
FIRE DEPARTMENT UPDATES … Swanton Fire Chief Cuyler Kepling delivers his report to the Swanton Village Council during the body’s most recent meeting. Kepling’s comments included updates on repairs to a fire truck water tank and the hiring of a new firefighter/EMT, which was approved by council members.
By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
A pair of proposed ordinances met different fates during the most recent meeting of the Swanton Village Council.
The two ordinances were set to increase regulations on food trucks and to reduce them on golf carts and other low-speed vehicles.
The “mobile food vendor” ordinance, which passed on first reading despite pushback from the council and the public, includes a fee of $100 per event for vendors wanting to operate for an individual special event or a fee of $150 for an annual permit.
It also requires a variety of other licenses and permits already commonly held by vendors, such as an Ohio mobile food license, liability insurance, registration, and fire safety inspection.
Councilman Derek Kania, husband of Cat Kania, who owns CK Sweets in Swanton and operates a mobile truck as an extension of the brick-and-mortar location, shared his concerns with the measure.
“I think that, for me, food trucks coming to the village is a luxury we have here. I know from experience, food trucks that come here, they don’t make a ton of money,” Kania said.
Kania said some trucks come to Swanton to test out new menu items, for the slower pace, and other reasons. He said he thought the fees would stop at least some vendors from coming to the village.
During public comment later in the meeting, Benfield Wines owner Julia Benfield said she agreed with Kania.
“I have significant concerns, even as a restaurant owner who serves food, about mandating these fees for these food trucks that are small businesses that are not going to be able to afford a … fee for a one-time visit,” Benfield said.
She said she could be persuaded to support the measure if the fees were reduced. Council members voted to pass the ordinance on first reading with a vote of 4-2, with Kania and Councilwoman Dianne Westhoven casting the dissenting votes.
The proposed ordinance relaxing rules on low-speed vehicles had been equally controversial, with only one person speaking – in support of the measure – during a recent public hearing, while the majority of online comments were in opposition.
The ordinance included opening up new village streets to the vehicles and reducing the speed limit on at least part of Hallett Avenue to 35 to allow its use by the vehicles.
It failed when no one on the council seconded the motion for a vote.
MESSENGER ELECTION OVERTURNED
Mayor Neil Toeppe reported final vote tallies for the November election have been reported for both Fulton County and Lucas County, resulting in a change to the official results.
Incumbent Councilman Patrick Messenger was originally reported to have won reelection by two votes, but a vote correction in Fulton County apparently resulted in his challenger, Deacon Dzierzawski, winning.
Messenger was absent from the meeting with no reason provided by those in attendance.
FIRE TRUCK REPAIR
Fire Chief Cuyler Kepling gave an update on a damaged water truck during his report to the board, stating that some of the baffles inside the water tank, which keep the water from sloshing around while driving, had broken off and would need to be repaired.
According to Kepling, the vehicle will be sent to Columbus for repairs at the manufacturer, which will take two to three weeks.
He pointed out that a similar tank in Delta with similar damage had to be sent out three times for repair, eventually requiring it to be sent to Wisconsin, a situation he hopes to avoid.
One concern brought up by the council was the fact that the tank is made out of polypropylene plastic. The tank will have to be removed, a hole cut in the top to access the damaged portion, the repair completed, and the top plastic welded back together.
Councilman Noah Kreuz said he has run into the type of tank in his work for Gerald Grain Center. “At my job, they quoted plastic welding, and they said it will last you a couple years, but it’s not a permanent fix,” Kreuz said.
Kepling further reported that the truck has only been in service a little more than four years and is expected to last 20 years.
The tank has a “lifetime” warranty of just seven years, which he said is the standard across the three companies that manufacture poly tanks for fire service.
Kepling said the department will be borrowing a spare truck from Providence Township to use during the time that Swanton’s truck is out for repair.
OTHER BUSINESS
Council members passed on final reading changes to the village’s Community Reinvestment Area provisions. The changes include removing the village as a whole from the defined area, instead identifying specific properties for which the owners could apply for abatements, as well as the creation of a housing council to make recommendations on the applications to the council, which will vote on approval.
Council members passed on second reading an ordinance increasing the required deposit on fire hydrant meter usage from $2,000 to $5,000 and an increase in fees from $10 per 1,000 gallons to $30, with an additional five cents per additional gallon.
Changes will also be implemented to the policy for payment of the deposit by check to ensure the checks are not automatically voided by age.
Council members approved on second reading an ordinance including temporary appropriations for current and other expenditures for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2026.
Police Chief John Trejo reported the department was awarded a $5,970 Ohio Law Enforcement Body Armor Grant, which covered 75 percent of the total $7,960 cost of the equipment.
Trejo reported officers who are also part of the Fulton County Special Resource Team joined the team alongside the FBI and the Toledo Police Department to take into custody a suspect in a recent robbery at a Toledo PNC Bank branch.
He said a total of roughly 25 operators swept three buildings to locate and arrest the individual. Council members approved the hiring of Caleb Hensley as a full-time officer with the Swanton Police Department.
Council members approved the hiring of Brandon Staley as a full-time firefighter/EMT with the Fire and Rescue Division. Council members approved the 2026 meeting calendar.
Council members approved updates to the employee handbook, including updates to village policies on marijuana and credit card use, a change to the definition of “part-time,” and a new cybersecurity policy.
Council members authorized Shulters to enter into a Water Pollution Control Loan Fund agreement.
The next regular meeting of the Swanton Village Council will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, December 15, at 219 Chestnut Street.