PHOTO BY BRENNA WHITE / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
SALE TIME … TJ Zimmerman of the Carlin Company hosted the auction for a Center Township property on March 3, 2026.
By: Brenna White
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
Center Township held its regular meeting on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, to host a live auction for a two-building property within the township.
Located at 3619 CR 9, Bryan, the property consists of an estimated 3,500 square feet between the two buildings. The trustees requested a minimum bid of $55,000 for the property. Six initial bids were submitted in total, ranging from $55,000 to $60,000.
TJ Zimmerman of the Carlin Company served as the bid caller. Mike Shaffer of the firm Newcomer, Shaffer, Spangler and Breiniger will be handling the title work.
After a short auction, the land was awarded to Tom Gearhart at a price of $65,000.
During the regular session, Trustees Julie Davis, Ryan Muehlfeld and Matt Grube were in attendance, along with Fiscal Officer Terry Collins.
A bid of $77,354.20 was received for an annual chip and seal project within the township. It was noted to be around $2,000 less than the previous year. A double chip on CR 8 is planned for 2026 and 2027.
“That’s roughly 1.2 miles extra that we are going to do this year and next year,” Muehlfeld said. “Just to combat the extra traffic that’s on the road.”
A springtime “community clean-up” is being planned for Melbern and Williams Center. “If it’s cold, I don’t know how many people would get involved,” said Grube.
The trustees opted to wait and see how the weather is on April 7, 2026, and decide then.
Davis reported several lights that need replacing, including a fixture in Oak Meadows. “I called Northwest Electric and gave them the information they needed,” she added.
The light is expected to be fixed within the week. A light outage on the Center Township lit sign was reported as well.
A bid was received from Archbold Equipment for a ditch mower upgrade. “It’s the same exact model, just three years newer,” stated Muehlfeld. A cost of $10,150 for the upgrade was noted in the bid.
The township routinely trades in their mowers because they use their equipment heavily in the summertime.
“It shows its wear for being three years old,” Muehlfeld added. A motion to approve the bid and obtain the replacement was approved.
A last motion to pay the bills was accepted. With no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:01 p.m.
The next Center Township meeting is scheduled for March 24, 2026, at 7:00 p.m.