PHOTO BY BRENNA WHITE / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
ROAD WORK AHEAD — Center Township Trustees Matt Grube and Ryan Muehlfeld discuss the updated catch basin map and road maintenance efforts.
By: Brenna White
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
The Center Township Trustees met on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at the Center Township Hall with discussions ranging from neighborhood concerns in Oak Meadows to community cleanup efforts, township maintenance updates, and tornado siren repairs.
Chairman Matt Grube, Ryan Muehlfeld, Julie Davis, and Fiscal Officer Terry Collins were in attendance.
Trustees first opened the floor for public participation. Several residents from the Oak Meadows subdivision attended the meeting to discuss concerns surrounding the neighborhood. They expressed interest in forming a Homeowners Association (HOA).
Resident Robert led much of the discussion, explaining that residents hoped to restore Oak Meadows into what it once was. “I’m slowly starting to see a trend that if we don’t nip in the bud, it’s going to get worse and worse. That trend is, for lack of a better term, a degradation of what makes Oak Meadows ‘Oak Meadows.’”
He explained that trash, unruly neighbors, and multiple sheriff calls are the largest issues of concern.
Trustees explained that the township has little to no authority regarding the creation or enforcement of an HOA. The implementation of an HOA would largely need to be handled privately by residents of the subdivision, as it is a civil matter.
Officials advised residents that legal assistance would likely be necessary to begin drafting HOA policies. It would require a majority approval from Oak Meadows residents to continue moving forward.
Resident Robert also asked if it was possible to have an annual leaf pickup during the spring and fall. He noted that due to the forest nearby, large amounts of leaves clog gutters and the residents experience flooding. The Trustees advised the group to speak to the Williams County Engineer’s Office.
During the Zoning Report, presented by Todd Burkholder, a motion was approved to accept development costs for an online zoning map and a subscription charge to access the information.
The Sexton Hall report included six rentals, one burial, and three lots sold.
Trustees also heard a maintenance update from the newly hired maintenance director for Center Township. She reported that she plans to begin mowing township ditches as soon as possible while continuing cleanup efforts around township-owned buildings.
Under old business, Trustees revisited the township hall drinking fountain project first discussed during the April 7, 2026, meeting.
While the township had previously planned to purchase the fountain, costing more than $3,000, Muehlfeld announced that Johnson Supply has since agreed to donate the drinking fountain.
“We will have to purchase the bottle filler to mount on top of it for $579,” Muehlfeld said. An additional restocking fee of $340 is also required. “Hopefully sometime next week we will have the drinking fountain installed,” he added.
The Williams Center Community & Cemetery Association will be giving the Williams Center Community Building to Center Township.
The legalities are underway and the Trustees are expecting progress by the first of next week. A motion to accept the donation was approved.
The recent Williams Center cleanup was successful. “It went successful. We spent a lot of time on one property – helping some elderly people cleanup. But that’s what we were there to do,” commented Grube. The Trustees expressed interest in doing the event again next spring.
Several maintenance-related items were discussed during new business. An updated catch basin map, road maintenance efforts, and the use of a county-issued information tablet were covered.
The tornado sirens in Center Township underwent testing within the last week. “All of them worked except for the two that never work,” explained Grube.
While no formal actions were made, the Trustees discussed the possibility of removing or replacing the broken tornado sirens.
The next Center Township Trustee meeting will take place on May 19, 2026, at 8 p.m.
