(PHOTO BY AMY WENDT / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
WITH GRATITUDE … Mayor Brad Grime reads the inscription on a plaque presented to former Village Administrator Donna Dettling who will continue to serve the village in an administrative advisory role until she retires in February 2025.
By: Amy Wendt
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
amy@thevillagereporter.com
With village offices closed on Labor Day, Archbold Village Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday, September 3 at the Scout Cabin in Ruihley Park.
Councilors Chad Kern, Kevin Eicher, Karla Ball, Vaughn Bentz, and Aaron Babcock took their places at the table while Councilor Gary Dominique was absent.
Also on hand were Mayor Brad Grime and newly appointed Village Administrator Aaron Alt on behalf of the village staff.
Alt officially took over as village administrator on September 1 replacing Donna Dettling who will now be serving in an administrative advisory role until her retirement in February 2025.
With no public participation matters to address, council got down to business by approving meeting minutes from August 19 and also gave the green light to payment of $651,705.27 in bills and payroll.
Addressing its first legislative item, council adopted Resolution 2024-40 which amended the Employee Pay Plan Manual, Park and Recreation Department Staffing Structure. Before passing the item, Alt offered additional clarification on the matter.
“So, as most of you are aware, we had a little bit of housekeeping to do to more clearly define roles, especially with maintenance and supervisory and where that falls.”
Moving on to the next piece of legislation, council approved Ordinance 2024-41, vacating a portion of Parkview Court in the Parkfield Addition of the village.
The approximately 3-acre piece of property is located behind the Archbold High School football practice field.
According to Alt, years ago, a right-away was created at the location with the owner intending to build a subdivision. Since that time, those construction plans have been abandoned by the owner and the Archbold School District will be purchasing the property with the intent to eventually build a new middle school building.
In the next matter before council, Alt reported that a waterline break recently occurred in the line that travels along State Route 66 North, to State Route 2 and continuing east toward Sauder Village. This break resulted in a water outage for Elmira and Burlington.
The waterline, originally installed by Erie Sauder many years ago, has seen multiple breaks over time. The village engineer and water superintendent have identified deteriorating soil conditions around the line as a contributing factor.
As a result, the village will seek funding from the Ohio Public Works Commission to address soil issues and replace the waterline.
After declaring an emergency, council passed Resolution 2024-42 authorizing the village administrator to prepare and submit an application to participate in the Ohio Public Works Commission State Capital Improvement program and/or local transportation program(s). The legislation also allows the VA to execute any contracts as required to obtain funds for the project.
Alt noted that the most recent waterline break occurred in the early morning hours and the issue was communicated to those affected through the Live Archbold app.
He emphasized the importance of Archbold area residents downloading the mobile app to stay informed about waterline breaks, road closures, train crossing blockages, and other time-sensitive village news. Instructions to download the Live Archbold app can be found on the village’s website.
Council then reviewed the Finance Committee minutes from August 19 and the park board minutes from August 16.
Also before council was the August 2024 Income Tax Receipt report with Alt noting that year-to-date withholding is up 2.24%, and an overall increase of 12.72%. However, for the month of August, withholdings are down due to a reduction in local employment.
With all legislation addressed, the floor was opened to Council members for additional matters. Councilor Vaughn Bentz shared that residents have been inquiring about a completion date for the sidewalks around the municipal building.
Alt provided a brief construction update and noted that he hopes the area will see the sidewalks finished up within the next couple of weeks.
Before wrapping up the meeting, Mayor Grime presented former Village Administrator Donna Dettling with a plaque as a token of gratitude for her service to the village.
Dettling held the post of Assistant Village Administrator from 1995-2001 and then served as Village Administrator since 2015 before handing the reins to Aaron Alt on the 1st of September.
Reading the plaque inscription, the mayor shared, “With our greatest appreciation to Donna Dettling for your selfless and dedicated years of service to the Village of Archbold, you have our gratitude. Our community is a better place because of you.”
Archbold Village Council will convene for its next regular meeting on Monday, September 16, 2024.
LIVE ARCHBOLD APP … Village officials emphasized the importance of Archbold area residents utilizing the Live Archbold mobile app (available for both iPhone and Android devices) to stay informed on waterline breaks, road closures, train crossing blockages, and other important village news.
