SWAN CREEK HEARING … Fulton County Commissioners Joe Short, Jeff Rupp, and R.J. Lumbrezer review information displayed on a screen during the October 22 public hearing on proposed changes to Swan Creek ditch maintenance bases. PHOTO BY JACOB KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
By: Jacob Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jacob@thevillagereporter.com
The Fulton County Commissioners held their meeting on Thursday, October 22. The meeting began at 9:00 a.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance and an opening prayer. Commissioners then moved through county business before holding a public hearing on proposed changes to Swan Creek ditch maintenance bases.
Following approval of the previous meeting’s minutes, the agenda, and payment of bills, commissioners approved appropriations requests for various departments. Commissioners entered into indigent defense agreements with Metamora and Archbold and approved an amendment to the county auditor’s agreement with Pivot Point Partners LLC. The board also accepted the resignation of a Senior Center employee.
Commissioners next authorized letters requesting state airport funding, including $1,750 for the first phase of taxilane construction and $19,975 for T-hangar construction and reconstruction of the airport’s automated weather observing system. Two payments for the Ability Center project were approved. The board then entered into emergency medical service agreements with Royalton Township, Morenci, and York Township for 2027 through 2031.
A letter supporting Triangular Processing’s ODOT grant application for transportation services was approved. Commissioners also requested the state tax commissioner’s approval to transfer $300,000 from the Children Services Fund to the Public Assistance Fund. A separate funding exchange with Williams County Job and Family Services was approved, followed by purchase orders and travel requests, before the board recessed at 9:11 a.m.
The meeting resumed at 9:15 a.m. for the Swan Creek hearing, with Lincoln Frey of the county engineer’s office presenting the proposed reevaluation. The work covers Swan Creek Main, Upper Swan Creek Main Tile, and branches 13, 16, 17, 18, and 18a. Frey explained that the proposal would combine related maintenance projects, update bases to reflect current costs, and reconsider how individual properties benefit from the drainage system.
The proposed combined maintenance base for Swan Creek Main is $69,943.60. Frey explained that the base helps determine each property’s share of maintenance costs rather than representing an immediate bill. Individual shares would consider land use, elevation, and the portion of the ditch used, with collections depending on maintenance needs.
The proposal also includes 15-foot grass buffer strips on each side of the open ditches to reduce erosion and provide maintenance access. Frey said the buffer and ditch acreage would be removed from taxable land. Grant assistance was being sought to help cover installation costs.
When public testimony opened at 9:31 a.m., members of the public questioned how costs would be divided, whether certain wooded properties contribute water to the ditches, and whether conservation practices should receive consideration. Questions also covered project mergers, watershed boundaries, existing buffer strips, and maintenance easements.
Frey explained that wooded land receives a lower benefit factor and that money collected for a particular ditch stays in its maintenance fund. He also said the easements already exist and that the buffer requirement is tied to state law. No changes were adopted, and landowners were encouraged to bring individual questions to the engineer’s office. The hearing ended at 10:33 a.m., followed by a recess.
During the work session, County Administrator Dennis Kennedy discussed sidewalk repair pricing in Pettisville and planned work on a county storage building. Commissioners also reviewed employee cost-of-living comparisons and an example involving a temporary break from employee health insurance premiums. No adjustment was selected as budget discussions continued.
Other updates covered farmland lease agreements undergoing legal review and a disputed Lucas County bill involving Toledo employees checking a county-owned booster pump station. County officials sought documentation and an explanation of the charges, noting that Fulton County owns and services the station. With no further items to attend to, commissioners moved to adjourn the meeting at 10:56 a.m.