PHOTO BY AMY WENDT / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
SERVICE TO COMMUNITY … Rita McQuillin, the owner of Sam Mancino’s, was present as Mayor Grime recognized her commitment to the community by presenting her with an official proclamation.
By: Amy Wendt
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
amy@thevillagereporter.com
On Monday, June 1, the Archbold Village Council convened for its first regular meeting of the month with members Karla Ball, Chad Kern, Aaron Babcock, Kevin Eicher, Mike Evans and Gary Dominique around the table.
Mayor Brad Grime, Village Administrator Aaron Alt and Clerk Cassie Storrer were also on hand.
HONORING RITA McQUILLIN
Rita McQuillin, the owner of Sam Mancino’s, was present as the restaurant closed its doors following her retirement and 25 years of service to the village. To recognize her commitment to the community, the village presented McQuillin with an official proclamation.
Mayor Brad Grime asked McQuillin to step forward as he read the document.
“Whereas, for the past 25 years, Rita has faithfully served residents of the Village of Archbold through her ownership and operation of Sam Mancino’s Italian Food.
“And whereas, through her dedication, and hard work, and commitment to customer service, Rita has become a familiar and valued member of the Archbold business community.
“And whereas, Rita McQuillin has positively impacted countless residents, families, students, and visitors through her generosity, community involvement, and daily service to the village, and whereas, throughout her years of business ownership, Rita has provided employment, mentorship, and valuable work experience for many young adults in the community, helping shape future generations of workers and leaders.
“And whereas Rita concludes this chapter of service to the village of Archbold, it is fitting that the community recognize and express appreciation for her many years of dedication and contribution.”
The mayor shared that McQuillin will also receive a plaque from the village upon its completion.
“I am so humbled by this; thank you so much,” McQuillin said to the mayor, and then she offered a note of thanks to the community for years of patronage and support.
“I am so proud to be a part of this community, and thank you for allowing me to serve and thank you for loving me all the way through,” McQuillin added.
BILLS AND LEGISLATION
In routine matters, the council approved minutes from the May 18 meeting and authorized the payment of $512,935.42 in bills and payroll.
Before moving on to the next item on the agenda, Councilor Babcock inquired about the village’s payment to Flock.
Administrator Alt explained that the camera provider agreement is a two-year term and is set to automatically renew, noting that the village is currently in its first year of the contract.
He also clarified that the Law Enforcement Trust Fund, which accumulates revenue from property forfeitures and impound fees, is used to cover the expense.
Moving on to legislation, the council addressed Resolution 2026-22, which amends Resolution 2022-14 to expand the geographic boundaries of the Archbold Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) to incorporate territory accepted via Ordinances 2022-34, 2024-15, 2024-33 and 2025-30.
Alt explained that the CRA, which was originally established in 2022, was created to encourage residential development.
As additional territory was annexed into the village, the CRA boundaries should have been amended to include those newly annexed areas, but that step was overlooked.
This resolution corrects the oversight by expanding the CRA to cover all annexed properties. Alt emphasized that the resolution does not create any new tax assessments or TIFs.
Upon the suspension of the rules to pass the legislation as an emergency, Councilor Babcock moved to approve the resolution, Councilor Ball seconded, and all council members unanimously voted to approve the measure.
Addressing the second legislative item of the evening, council looked at Resolution 2026-23 authorizing the acceptance of a proposal from Pavement Technology, Inc. for Reclamite pavement preservation services through the Ohio Department of Transportation Cooperative Purchasing Program.
According to Alt, Reclamite is an asphalt treatment that restores oils and sealants lost from streets over time, helping protect from moisture damage, freeze-thaw cycles and deterioration.
The treatment is expected to extend pavement life by five to seven years and is intended as a preventive maintenance measure to protect recently rebuilt and repaved streets.
Following a vote to suspend the rules and pass on emergency, Councilor Evans offered a motion to approve, which was seconded by Councilor Dominique.
The resolution was unanimously approved by all council members.
FINANCE REPORT
Looking at the May 2026 Income Tax Report, Alt noted that numbers are up 2.45% over the same time in 2025, adding that he is “very pleased, very thankful” for the recent upturn.
Council also reviewed the May 18 Finance Committee minutes that reported an ITAC Final Review was held for Conagra and the economic development agreement is now completed.
DATA CENTER CONCERNS REVISITED
Mayor Grime then opened the floor to area landowner Susie Wyse, who shared that she had recently been made aware of the data center discussion in the community and she wished to address the council to share her thoughts on the matter.
Wyse explained that she was a longtime owner of 80 acres that was passed down through generations of family members and stated she is opposed to any potential development of a data center near the village.
Citing environmental concerns, including noise, she urged council to ensure that any major decisions going forward reflect the wishes and interests of the community.
Wyse added that she reviewed previous council meeting minutes that reflected that village officials had stated their opposition to a data center, discussed zoning protections and enacted a temporary moratorium on such developments in April.
Pointing out comments made by village officials outlined in earlier meeting minutes, she questioned whether those protections remain in place and whether the village’s position has changed.
Wyse asked for details about Iron Ridge Development’s other local projects, led by Austin Dunlap and Luke Boyers, after noting Mayor Grime’s previous praise for the firm in earlier meeting minutes.
She questioned the nature of these projects and whether any discussions had taken place outside public meetings.
Mayor Grime responded that he is appreciative of the work that Iron Ridge Development/Boyers Construction is doing on other projects within the community, including the construction of H&K Chevrolet south of town as well as the new housing development on the north side.
The mayor also reiterated that he, Administrator Alt and all of the council members do not support the development of a data center in the area.
“…We don’t want a data center. We’re not getting a data center. There’s been no data center approach the village.
“Luke Boyers Construction has never been contacted by a data center. We don’t want a data center…We’re on your side when it comes to that,” the mayor responded.
Wyse asked whether the council would extend the moratorium upon its expiration in October.
Councilor Kern responded that they will extend it if necessary; however, they hope to have the zoning amendments in place by that time so the moratorium will no longer be needed.
Wyse then asked for an update on the zoning amendment project, and Alt responded that they have been working with the attorneys and planning consultants; however, there is no preliminary draft yet.
Wyse asked again for clarification about projects that Iron Ridge Development is involved with in the village since it was her understanding that they do not own any properties within village limits.
Alt explained that Luke Boyers and Austin Dunlap represent both Iron Ridge Development (IR) and Boyers Construction, and that the two entities are connected; however, IR is the “development arm” of the company, and throughout the data center conversations, the names Iron Ridge and Boyers Construction have been used interchangeably.
It was explained that the references in the prior meeting were related to residential and economic development projects, not a data center proposal.
“It’s not going to happen,” Alt said, “I can trust the six elected officials, and this guy (referring to the mayor seated next to him) and my staff that we’re going to make sure.”
Alt also explained that when discussions about possible development opportunities first started, village staff reached out to consulting attorneys and planners to begin the process of strengthening current zoning regulations.
He stated that the village was already working on zoning protections before the public data center controversy escalated.
The administrator said that rumors and speculation about a possible data center project in the village escalated when non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) became part of the development discussions, leading some people to conclude that a data center was in the works.
Alt conceded that some steps in communicating with the public may have been missed, partly because the local developers were new to this type of development process.
He emphasized that the developers behind Iron Ridge are not a national company but rather two local residents who were looking for economic development opportunities in Archbold.
Wyse shared an example of how in another Ohio city, elected officials are not listening to residents’ concerns about data center development.
“I think the one thing I’m going to point this out,” Mayor Grime responded, “is that we have listened to everybody — even — I mean, we represent the Village of Archbold, but we welcome the German Township folk to come here and address this data center issue, and we listened to every one of them. We actually listened to them and acted on it.”
The mayor further explained that while it may take a while to get the zoning amendments completed, they are “plugging away at it,” and once that legislation is complete, “it will be presented to the public.
Alt added, “There’ll be a public review period when that’s ready to go before Planning Commission. And then Planning Commission will review it, and if Planning Commission doesn’t appreciate it…then we would have to go back and make some edits.”
Alt acknowledged there is public distrust surrounding the data center issue and local leaders, but he defended the integrity of village officials and said he would not compromise his personal integrity, reputation or family’s trust by participating in efforts to secretly advance a project that he believed would harm the community.
Alt also objected to the treatment of individuals involved in the discussions, saying that the owners of Iron Ridge Development were publicly targeted, had their photos widely shared online and even had personal information posted.
Alt noted that he himself received a warning from someone who suggested he should be concerned about his family’s safety, which he viewed as a serious threat.
COUNCIL COMMENTS AND UPCOMING MEETINGS
Moving into the Mayor and Council Comments segment of the session, Councilor Babcock thanked local businesses and residents, as their contributions have enabled the village to offer free public swimming for all guests during the 2026 summer pool season.
Looking at area development, Councilor Ball pointed out that progress is being made at the corner of South Defiance Street and Lafayette with the construction of the Casey’s convenience store and Taco Bell.
With no further regular business, the regular session adjourned.
The Police and Fire Committee met following the regular meeting and immediately entered into an executive session to “consider appointment, employment, promotion, and compensation of a public employee.”
The Archbold Planning Commission is slated to meet on Monday, June 8, at 5 p.m. to hold construction site plan reviews for the Fairlawn Haven and Miller Brothers projects.
On Monday, June 15, at 5:30 p.m., the Village Council will reconvene for its second regular meeting of June. Both meetings will be held in Council Chambers in the Municipal Building.