(PHOTO BY AMY WENDT / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
INTERSECTION OPTIONS … Assistant Village Administrator Aaron Alt speaks to council about possible safety measures at the State Route 2/Township Road 24 intersection.
By: Amy Wendt
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
amy@thevillagereporter.com
Archbold Village Council met on Monday, August 19 with council members Aaron Babcock, Vaughn Bentz, Karla Ball, Kevin Eicher, Chad Kern, and Gary Dominique on hand. Mayor Brad Grime, Village Administrator Donna Dettling, and Assistant Village Administrator Aaron Alt were in attendance representing the village’s admin team.
Addressing a light agenda, council accepted the minutes from the August 5 meeting and approved the payment of $1,234,416.54 for employee payroll and bills.
Before council for consideration were the Street and Sidewalk meeting minutes and Capital Planning Work Session minutes from August 5.
The Park Board meeting minutes from August 16 were also up for review with Councilor Chad Kern, liaison to the Park Board, noting that the pool is officially closed while the splash pad will remain open “as long as the weather holds.”
With no legislative items to address, Councilor Kern initiated a discussion on speed limit changes within the village by sharing that he spoke with two residents about the possibility of adding sidewalks to Short-Buehrer Road next year.
These individuals expressed concerns about the current 40 mph speed limit, noting the “tremendous” increase in semi-truck traffic over the past few months due to other road construction in town.
Kern suggested that council consider lowering the speed limit to 35 mph in that area before sidewalks are installed.
Alt pointed out that the Streets and Sidewalks Committee is planning to review speed limits throughout the village.
The committee will consider speed limit changes, starting with the most critical locations, and then evaluate where other reductions might be necessary. He suggested Short-Buehrer Road might be an area for the committee to look into.
Talks then shifted to the intersection of State Route 2 and Township Road 24, a known trouble spot due to frequent accidents.
While the village has secured a grant to build a single-lane roundabout, construction isn’t set to begin until 2027. As a result of continued stop sign violations at the intersection, community members have voiced concerns on social media.
The village has been considering safety measures such as improving visibility at the intersection, a four-way stop, and speed limit reductions. Because State Route 2 is a state highway, the village has limited authority over speed limit changes.
The village recently removed the “Welcome to Archbold” sign from the south side of State Route 2, increasing visibility for motorists traveling north on Township Road 24.
Mayor Grime noted that the Archbold Police Department plans to increase patrols in the area, issuing tickets to stop sign violators.
Alt noted that the village spoke with ODOT and DGL Consulting about conducting a speed study at the location, however, he expressed that a study may not result in lowering the speed limit to the desired outcome of 35 mph since it is a state highway.
In a previous safety study by DGL, the firm noted that a traffic light was not deemed necessary at the intersection according to the state, but a temporary safety measure like a four-way stop may be considered.
Alt suggested that council could revisit this option before committing to a $4,000 speed study that might not lead to a change in the speed limit.
“A lot of the accidents are because people are blowing the stop sign north and south,” added Alt. Councilor Kern commented, “I think we need to see why each accident happened and determine how we want to go.”
“I’ve always been for the four-way stop not only for the safety, but it would also help with the traffic north and south the study proved,” Councilor Vaughn Bentz added.
Alt went on to shed light on multiple factors the village is taking into consideration when planning for the roundabout.
“There’s a lot of steps that need to happen. But as we go through this process, I think we’ll see bits and pieces occurring along the way.” Alt also added that the issue will be brought to the Street and Sidewalk committee in the very near future.
Monday’s meeting also included updates from the Water and Wastewater Departments. The floor was first opened to the village’s Water Department Superintendent Scott Schultz who introduced Luke Grime. Grime, who has been with the department for five years, recently passed his Class III exam.
“He’s been quite a good asset. We decided to promote him to Assistant Superintendent,” Schultz added.
Wastewater Department Superintendent Mike Short was also on hand with two of his employees: Colton Soles and Mason Siegel.
Short shared that Soles, after six years with the department, received his Class II EPA certification two weeks ago.
Introductions were then made between council and the newest member of the Wastewater Department, Mason Siegel.
Siegel, a 2024 Archbold High School graduate began as summer help before recently being hired on with the department as a full-time employee.
German Township Trustee Brad Short took a moment to update Council on a Township Road 24 improvement project.
Work on the road between County Road E and County Road F was supposed to begin the week of August 12 however Short advised that Gerken Paving is “behind schedule” and a new start date is not yet known. Once work begins, traffic will be maintained, and the road should not see a complete closure.
While Archbold Village Council meetings are normally held on Mondays, the next council meeting is set for Tuesday, September 3, 2024, at 5:30p due to the Labor Day holiday.