NEW LIEUTENANT … Newly promoted Lieutenant Randy Mills accepts his position with a certificate from Mayor Ed Kidston.
PHOTOS BY BRENNA WHITE / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
PROMOTION … School Resource Officer (SRO) Stephanie Mills was promoted to Sergeant within the Pioneer Police Department, also presented with a certificate from Mayor Ed Kidston.
By: Brenna White
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
The Village of Pioneer Council met in regular session on Monday, February 9, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. to appoint promotions to town police officers and hear updates on the solar field project.
The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer from Pastor Craig. The agenda, minutes from the January 12, 2026 session, and financial report were approved.
In attendance: Mayor Ed Kidston, Fiscal Officer Nikki Mittelstaedt, Brock Zuver, Joe Nickloy, Dean Frisbie, Bryan Gendron, and Trevor West.
Council approved two pieces of legislation tied directly to the village’s solar energy development. An annexation of approximately 107.628 acres of land from Madison Township into the Village of Pioneer was accepted. The annexed land is designated for the village’s solar field project.
With the land soon to be within village limits, contractors working on the project will be subject to Pioneer’s income tax.
“It could be a very good year income tax-wise just from the major projects that we have in town,” said Mayor Ed Kidston.
Council also approved an ordinance amending previously adopted Ordinance 40-2025. The amended ordinance authorizes the issuance of “electric utility system first mortgage revenue,” and notes not to exceed $10,500,000.
The funding is strictly for the expansion of the village’s municipal electric utility system, including “related equipment and appurtenances thereto.”
The original ordinance was passed in November 2025. “It has to be modified,” Kidston explained. Currently, the Village of Pioneer has secured loans with Ohio AMP and is currently trying to finalize the USDA loan as well.
The updated Ordinance 6-2026 was created and passed in an effort to meet USDA requirements and allow the project to move forward.
If the ordinance is rejected or requires modification by the State of Ohio, the village will hold a special meeting to revise it.
To qualify for loans associated with both the solar field and substation projects, the village must use its electric revenue stream as capital.
Kidston explained that loan providers through the USDA want their loan attached to the village’s electric revenues, as do AMP loan providers who are already in that position.
The mayor compared the situation to multiple mortgages on a home. “If you go out and get a home equity loan, or a second mortgage, those people are in ‘second place.’
“The people who gave you the money to buy the house and the first mortgage are in first place. We are dealing with two entities that want to be in first place,” said Kidston.
“We are trying to create the language so that both parties have first-place attachments in our electric revenues.”
The conflict has delayed the final approval of the USDA loan. Although construction has not begun, the project has already been bid out, and vendors are preparing to receive purchase orders.
Those purchase orders cannot be completed until the USDA loan is finalized.
To additionally help subsidize the costs for the projects, Pioneer has a contract with the AquaBounty firm. Under that agreement, AquaBounty will make monthly payments totaling $3,000,000 over the next ten years.
“Technically, the citizens of Pioneer and the other businesses will only have to pay $2 million of the $5 million, because the other three is coming from one single company (AquaBounty),” Kidston continued.
Village officials noted the solar field is time-sensitive. In order to avoid losing tax credits, the solar field project must be completed and online by the end of 2026.
The village also hopes to complete their goal to reduce residents’ electric rates as soon as possible.
Kidston stated that completing the project in 2026 would allow the village to receive 2027 tax credits, potentially totaling between $3,000,000 and $4,500,000.
Those funds would be used to pay down the AMP loan. “We are agreeing right up front then when we get our tax credits, we’re going to do our best to pay that AMP loan off,” he said.
The village plans to have the entire AMP loan paid off by December 31, 2028. In the meantime, the USDA loan would “stay in parity” with AMP. A $2.1 million loan forgiveness would also apply through the PACE program.
“This one is going to be a little shorter window, a couple years, but we can do this – we can make it happen. Especially with the AquaBounty money coming in,” affirms Kidston.
Kidston also offered alternative plans in case the revenue projections change, including taking out another loan or pulling from the general fund in order to meet their December 31, 2028 deadline.
The police report was given by Chief Tim Livengood, who recommended a series of motions for council to approve.
The first was to seek a full-time and part-time position on the Pioneer Police Department staff. “We typically have five full-time spots that are open and available,” he explained. The police have not been fully staffed for nearly eight months.
Livengood credits this to a recent SRO retirement and a transfer of a police officer into another department in eastern Ohio.
The chief continued by requesting a new program from the Safety Committee. SRO Mills presented the “Explorer Program” as an outreach to young adults interested in law enforcement.
Participants will become students of the department, where officers will teach them about the responsibilities of being a part of the village police.
Livengood additionally requested to put Auxiliary member Sawyer Rademacher through the Ohio State Police Academy in Columbus, Ohio.
The training, lodging, and meal cost will be free, and the village only has to provide equipment and uniforms.
Chief Livengood requested that the village additionally provide a “probationary auxiliary pay rate” of $15.00 per hour while Rademacher attends the academy.
His wage will cease on the graduation and completion of his training, in which Rademacher would be approved for a part-time position in the Pioneer Police Department.
All motions requested were approved, and an official resolution will be drafted for acceptance regarding Rademacher’s Ohio State Police Academy’s attendance and wage request.
Lastly, Livengood recommended two promotions for officers Randy Mills and SRO Stephanie Mills. Randy Mills was appointed to the Lieutenant position, while Stephanie Mills was appointed to the Sergeant position.
“She (Stephanie) as well as Randy have displayed the characteristics and leadership skills we find necessary to improve this police department,” Livengood stated.
The Fire Department report was presented by Tiler Williams. He reported a slow month with two calls.
He recommended a motion for council to approve the open officer testing positions list. Zuver and West abstained from voting, and the list was approved.
Administrator Anthony Burnett additionally presented five motions for council to vote on regarding village affairs. They were approved as follows:
-A contract with Feller, Finch & Associates for Phase One of staking for the solar field. The cost is $14,600, with a start date projected for March 2026.
-A contract with Current Tech Solutions to conduct Phase Two of the village’s technology upgrade. The cost is $23,984.44 to finish the replacement of computers.
-A contract with On Target for design and assessment engineering contract to begin Lake Shore Drive repairs. The initial rough estimate was set to be $110,000 for the project.
Assessments will be placed on the affected property owners. A public hearing will additionally be held.
-A mural for the pavilion in Crommer Park, with North Central Art Teacher Cheyanne Sponsler providing the design.
Burnett also asked to seek a revised quote with J Quad Surveillance for vandalism prevention for the area around the Splash Pad.
The cost is estimated around $8,200, and will include camera-coverage for areas such as the concession stand and pavilion.
The mayor opted to table this motion as a fiber optic installation program will soon be under consideration by the council. He mentioned that it is possible to easily install cameras into the fiber equipment.
After more discussion during the March 2026 meeting, the council will choose the option that is most efficient for its residents.
Nikki Mittelstaedt recommended an ordinance amending the appropriations for 2026 and declaring an emergency.
The amount totaled to $38,414 and is for the purpose of a “blanket PO” for several necessary village bills. The ordinance was passed with no contest.
Mayor Kidston offered a motion to donate $500 to the Easter Egg Hunt scheduled for April 4, 2026. The donation is to cover the cost of lost decorations for the program.
With no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m.
