PHOTO BY BRIANNA BALOGH / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
ELECTRIC KUDOS … Administrator Dawn Fitzcharles and Mayor Bob Day listen as council members commend the electric department during Wednesday’s meeting.
By: Brianna Balogh
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
On Wednesday, March 18, 2026, the Edgerton Village council met for its regularly scheduled meeting. Mayor Bob Day called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. and led attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance then said a brief prayer. Administrative Assistant Amanda Knecht took roll call in place of Fiscal Officer Denise Knecht who was absent.
Attending council members were Sharon Blinzler, Brian Bowsher, Jason Gruver, Pam Wampler, and Chuck Wallace.
Council member Leslie VanAusdale was absent and due to her absence the rules committee recommendation regarding the new community center at Miller Park was pushed to the next meeting on April 1.
Read more: Edgerton Rules Committee: Community Center Rules, Deposits & Rental Fees
MINUTES AND COMMUNICATIONS
The first item on the agenda was the approval of the meeting minutes from March 4. Gruver made the motion to approve and Blinzler provided a second. All members approved.
There were no items of note for communications, petitions, or public claims, so the meeting moved into a shorter than normal report agenda.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Mayor Day presented a brief report, outlining a few upcoming events in the community. Parkview Care Center will host an Easter egg hunt on April 4, with more details to come.
Large trash drop-off day will be held on Saturday, April 11 from 8 a.m. to noon. On Friday, April 24, and Saturday, April 25, a health fair will be hosted at the town hall.
Wallace added two additional events happening on Sunday, the fireman’s breakfast from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and the pinewood derby at 3 p.m. at the Edgerton United Methodist Church.
INTERIM PUBLIC WORKS SUPERINTENDENT
With the updates Day covered, Administrator Fitzcharles had no need for a report. The agenda moved into resolutions, motions, and ordinances.
The first requested motion was to consider the extension of the Interim Public Works Superintendent, which was originally approved by council in January and was approved through March 22.
Fitzcharles explained a longer time period was required and asked to extend the interim position through May 31 for Bo Aldrich. Gruver put the motion on the floor and Bowsher seconded with all other members approving.
PART-TIME LABORER HIRED
The second item was a motion to hire a part-time general laborer. The positions, previously discussed in council meetings, would have a starting rate of $16.92 and are not to exceed 29 hours per week.
Fitzcharles anticipates approximately 20-25 hours per week. James C. Albertson has been offered the position and has a background in forklift operation, equipment operations, and landscaping.
Albertson moved back to the area three years ago and Fitzcharles stated he is excited to be a part of the team and serve the community.
Gruver confirmed this was the custodial position for the community center. The motion passed unanimously with Bowsher making the motion and Wampler seconding.
IMPAC PAPER LEASE AGREEMENT
Council moved on to approval of a lease agreement with Impac Paper. The company, based in Fort Wayne, services two vital pieces of machinery, the postage meter and inserter.
This equipment is used for monthly billings. The contract cost would be $247 a month for the first nine months and $324.26 for the remaining 54 months. When asked, Knecht stated they are very responsive and will perform same-day service calls. She had no complaints.
The motion to approve came from Bowsher, followed by a second from Gruver. The motion advanced with full support.
METER PAN PRICING UPDATE
Continuing through the agenda, the board reviewed the next approval item: an update to Exhibit A of the Village of Edgerton’s General Rules and Regulations. Fitzcharles explained that COVID originally caused a shortage in electric and water meter pans.
Prices, once set at a flat rate, have fluctuated since then. To help recoup costs, the proposed change would set the price at current-cost plus $25.
The price of meter pans has doubled since 2021, and the cost is typically included in the meter deposit.
In most cases, these pans are purchased by developers for multi-unit projects. By keeping a stock available for purchase, the village maintains consistent infrastructure and provides property owners the convenience of obtaining the correct model locally.
Bowsher asked about the cost and what options were available if a property owner was not able to pay the full amount.
Fitzcharles stated the village is always willing to work with people, even if they have to delay payment or split it over several months.
Knecht added that she believes they have done something similar in the past. Gruver initiated the motion, and Wampler followed with a second.
AMP AGREEMENT AMENDMENT
The next item before council was an amendment to Exhibit D of the operation and maintenance agreement and the bill of sale between the village and AMP (American Municipal Power) transmission.
The agreement was entered into on December 31, 2025. Exhibit D was added into the existing agreement with hourly rates which will be able to be recovered through the cost of the project once it is approved and completed.
The bill of sale updated the value of the asset which increased by $84,170.94 bringing the total to $302,806.57. As of December 31, the village has received $302,806.57.
Within the budget are two accounts, one for distribution and one for transmission. The goal is to split those activities out to better track and cost recover the daily activities performed at the substation.
Fitzcharles recently met with a consultant to review processes and procedures and to ensure record keeping is easy and consistent. That information will be reported back to the fiscal office so it can be billed out for reimbursement. Fitzcharles warned it is a slow start and currently they are keeping a detailed log of all information.
Blinzler moved to approve the amendment, and Wampler provided the second. The motion was approved by all.
CODIFIED ORDINANCE UPDATE
The council proceeded on to Ordinance 1166 to approve current replacement pages to the Edgerton Codified Ordinance as well as declaring an emergency.
The annual update is driven by state legislation and would carry through the end of the current year. 144 sections were updated.
Fitzcharles noted while there are some hard copies, the entire codified ordinances can be found online through the village website or a Google search. Gruver motioned to suspend the routine three readings with Bowsher seconding.
The council approved suspending the rules allowing Bowsher to motion for approval. Blinzler seconded the motion and the motion was passed by all members.
BILLS APPROVED
The last item was to pay the bills, normally covered in the fiscal officer report. The motion to approve came from Gruver with Wampler making a second. The vote passed without opposition.
ADMINISTRATOR UPDATES
Before council discussion, Fitzcharles had a few items to cover. First was upcoming virtual sessions focusing on public power. The monthly sessions began March 2.
The hour-long sessions can be viewed live or in a recorded format. In a complicated and always changing industry, Fitzcharles reported this was an excellent resource and Day added it provides a wealth of information.
Continuing with a note from Fiscal Officer Knecht, Fitzcharles reminded that Certified Public Records Training needs to be completed by May 1, and thanked Bowsher for completing the training. The training can be completed on demand, in person, or online virtual class in April.
COUNCIL DISCUSSION
Discussion followed, with Blinzler opening the conversation by bringing to council’s attention a resident who had been experiencing electric issues.
After a brief outage, only half of the home’s power returned, and it took several hours and multiple employees to resolve the problem.
Blinzler said the homeowner was extremely grateful, and she herself was impressed by the staff’s dedication. Day added that quick response times are a major benefit of having village-owned power.
Bowsher added that he wanted to commend the electric department for its work during the recent storms and high winds. Fitzcharles noted the winds had certainly been a challenge.
Wallace added that the extensive tree-trimming efforts pay off during high-wind events, noting that neighboring towns saw far more calls. Adding to that, tree trimming also reduces the loss percentages where other areas show a 15%-20% loss of electricity, stated Fitzcharles.
COMMUNITY CENTER UPDATE
Lastly, Wallace asked for an update on the community center, stating he has just visited and wondered if they were ahead of schedule.
Though the contractor did not state it, Fitzcharles feels they are ahead of schedule and the village may be able to take occupancy sooner than projected.
However, site items key to completion will be entirely weather dependent and could cause unforeseen delays. The projected date, August 1, for rental reservation remains unchanged.
The meeting concluded with a motion to enter into executive session to discuss employment and compensation of a public employee, made by Bowsher.
With a second from Wallace and unanimous council approval, the meeting moved into executive session at 6:05 p.m. No action was expected to follow.
The next council meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 1 at 5:30 p.m.
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