WATCHMEN ON THE WALL … Honoring their commitment as “Watchmen on the Wall,” for their continuous service to Edgerton. Mayor Bob Day (right) presents a plaque to Joe Hinkle (left).
(PHOTOS BY BRIANNA BALOGH / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
WATCHMEN ON THE WALL … Honoring their commitment as “Watchmen on the Wall,” for their continuous service to Edgerton. Mayor Bob Day (right) presents a plaque to Don Buchs (left) with fellow recipient Joe Hinkle (center).
By: Brianna Balogh
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
Topics of discussion at the Edgerton Village Council meeting on July 16, 2025, included ongoing community projects, preparations for upcoming events, and a special recognition of long-serving public servants.
Mayor Bob Day called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m., leading the Pledge of Allegiance and a brief prayer. Fiscal Officer Denise Knecht then took roll call, confirming all members were present: Leslie VanAusdale, Jason Gruver, Pam Wampler, Lance Bowsher, Sharon Blinzler, and Chuck Wallace, as well as Administrative Assistant Amanda Knecht.
The first approval item was the meeting minutes from June 18. Bowsher made the motion to approve, seconded by VanAusdale. All members approved except Wallace, who was not present at the last meeting.
The meeting then moved to the introduction of summer interns. Administrator Fitzcharles commended their excellent work, noting that office administrative intern Casey Everetts attended the meeting, while the other four interns were participating in seven-on-seven football practice.
Fitzcharles highlighted various projects accomplished, including general office duties and attending local political events. Mayor Day added that she even helped with pulling weeds, praising Casey’s flexibility in her job duties.
Mayor Day jokingly suggested she give a speech, a suggestion Everetts charmingly declined, simply thanking the council and stating it was nice to meet everyone.
Mayor Day had no specific report, transitioning the meeting to the village administrator’s report. Fitzcharles provided several updates, starting with two thank-you cards received by the village.
One from Eric Gruver for the successful blood drive, mentioning “Every time I come home, I am reminded of how supportive of a community Edgerton is.”
The other card was received from Mainstreet Edgerton for assistance with the recent Truck Pull event. All village departments worked collaboratively to help make the event a success.
Continuing with events, Fitzcharles noted the upcoming Homecoming celebration on July 19, confirming that the street would be swept and sidewalks cleared in preparation for the parade.
She also reminded the council that the Clemmy Awards would take place on Friday at 7:00 p.m.
Nominees for Industry of the Year were Matcor Matsu and Edon Farmers Co-Op. Business of the Year nominees were Deitsch Sales and Service, Total Accounting Experts, High Speed Welding, Hickory Acres campground, Blackbeard’s Bay, K and M Transport, Jason Deitsch Collison and Customs, and Edgerton Village Market.
Lastly, nominees for Citizen of the Year included Etta Pence, Tom and Pat Deitsch, Rick Stiver, Scott Blue, Sany Wood, Jeremy Wright, a village electric department employee, Daniel Allomong, and Mayor Bob Day.
Recognizing another member of the village staff, Fitzcharles highlighted that Amanda Knecht recently completed a coveted Key Accounts certification from American Public Power.
The rigorous curriculum covered implementing a customer-focused key accounts program, developing representative competencies, and mastering advanced tools.
The course teaches how to identify, recruit, and maintain key industrial and commercial customers.
Starting back in February of 2024, Amanda Knecht dedicated several months to achieving this certification and will also be honored with an award at the 2025 Customer Connections conference.
Fitzcharles emphasized that the certification is highly sought after and very rare for an entity of Edgerton’s size to attain.
This will also require the council to sign off on an employment status change for Knecht, which was already approved in the wage plan.
Concluding her updates, Fitzcharles mentioned a community center construction meeting scheduled for the following morning to finalize plans.
She also noted the project was submitted through Efficiency Smart and Edgerton would be receiving a rebate once the project is completed and confirmed the closing on an acquired property on County Road 5 would occur on July 18.
Her final update was the completion of the disc golf course, with its grand opening slated for the following day, July 17.
Fiscal Officer Denise Knecht presented the financials, providing the June reports to the council. Knecht explained that the credit card review was not yet ready, as today was the cutoff day and it would be presented in August.
Before moving to resolutions, ordinances, and motions, Mayor Day invited two very special guests to be honored, Joe Hinkle and Don Buchs.
Day explained that both men dedicated several years to public service, with Joe Hinkle serving 25 years in the fire department and Don Buchs completing three terms as a council member, spanning 12 years.
Their community service, Day emphasized, did not stop there, as both men continue to serve their community to this day by keeping an eye on the little things, whether it be Hinkle in his golf cart or Buchs in his truck, informing them of several small items.
Day then presented them with a special “Watchmen on the Wall” award for their constant vigilance and dedication to the Edgerton community.
Hinkle briefly commented on his love for the community, having called Edgerton home for most of his life after originally hailing from Edon.
Buchs then thanked the council for the award and made several comments about the good group of people within the council and what a good job they are doing.
Police Chief Jacob did not have any updates for his report, so the agenda proceeded to three items within the resolutions, ordinances, and motions section.
The first was a motion to approve revenue receipt from the Ohio Department of Development and issue payment for an invoice to August Mack for the Edgerton Metals Brownfield remediation project.
Denise Knecht explained this was for $42,746.90, was the 23rd distribution, and the last three were covered by other funds, not requiring council approval. The motion was approved by all members.
Next was what would normally be a separate motion to pay the bills. VanAusdale questioned a $11,500 payment to Perry Excavating for the recent demolition of the Miller Park Shelter house.
Fitzcharles clarified that due to timing constraints, funding had to be shifted but emphasized this would not increase the price from what was originally quoted through Maumee Valley Planning.
Fitzcharles stated this was in an effort to make the money go further and meet construction deadlines. She also added that the funding for this project was included in a much larger group of projects.
Amanda Knecht addressed a question about picnic table purchases, explaining they were upgrades to replace disarrayed wooden tables with new, more weather-resistant metal tables that are easily movable.
Four tables have been replaced, with plans to replace 14 on a rotating basis. The village was also able to repurpose a few tables that had been damaged during shipping.
In the future, there will also be dog waste stations placed throughout Miller Park, which will be included in a grant application for benches and trash cans also being placed within the park.
This grant application included installation, a lesson learned from prior applications. The motion to approve was made by Wallace, seconded by Bowsher, and unanimously approved by the council.
The second motion involved reclassifying a village employee in the street and parks department who had completed their probationary period, requesting their classification as a regular full-time employee. VanAusdale made the motion, Blinzler seconded, and all members approved.
The final motion was to consider approval of an at-large Maple Grove Cemetery board seat. The board had advertised, received, and reviewed applicants, presenting the council with a recommendation to approve Scott Blue for the open seat.
Gruver moved to approve, seconded by Bowsher, and all members approved. Before moving to the council discussion, Fitzcharles warned of the upcoming release of the 2026 budget schedule.
The meeting then opened to council discussion. Wallace was the first to speak, inquiring about the state of the Miller Park pond.
Fitzcharles explained there is a proposal for improvements, but the pond is a unique and challenging situation, as it is not entirely village owned.
In fact, the pond has five separate owners, and the village likely owns the smallest portion, which complicates accessing funding for improvements when dealing with private property.
Regarding algae issues, she noted the difficulty in making improvements or adding chemicals due to photographic proof of individuals dumping items into the pond.
Mayor Day suggested that the first course of action would be to convene all landowners to discuss potential solutions. Fitzcharles also explained that the village has ceased stocking the pond based on advice that it is currently overpopulated.
Wallace emphasized that with the new community building, the pond could become an eyesore. Wallace’s second topic concerned the recent sprinklers placed uptown. He asked if an operation schedule could be communicated.
Day advised that while a set schedule would be difficult to achieve due to a community volunteer operating it, announcements would be made on the village Facebook page as soon as he is informed of the days.
When asked about moving the location, Fitzcharles believed the current placement at the town park was due to its fire hydrant connection directly to the water tower, which lowers the potential for contaminants.
It was also noted that a sprinkler is available at the town hall every day for local children.
Wallace’s final topic was a strong commendation for everyone who contributed to the baseball diamond upgrades.
He reported hearing many positive comments about the diamonds’ state and improvements during the recent Bulldog Bash. Fitzcharles added that a few more upgrades are planned for the fall, and an adult softball tournament would take place on the diamonds during homecoming weekend.
Day stated that residents with any concerns can call the office to ask rather than posting on social media.
Blinzler inquired about motorized bikes on sidewalks, particularly uptown. Day advised her to consult the police chief for legal information and assistance.
Bowsher then raised questions about the tree stump carving currently taking place outside the town hall.
He clarified he was not in disagreement with the carving itself, but inquired about the cost and the council’s lack of involvement in the process.
Day explained the ongoing process, mentioning several other potential spots that were not used, and cited an approximate cost of $3,500.
Bowsher reiterated that his concern was the lack of council notification, stating he would be more comfortable with council awareness of such projects.
Wallace asked if the design was chosen by the carver. Day responded that the carver aims to work with the material to create the best design.
Currently, an eagle is carved into the stump, with more details, specifically first responder insignia, to be added.
Day also stated they discussed potential ice carving or holding a live carving during homecoming, with the completed project then being auctioned off.
Day agreed that in the future, the council would be aware of and involved in these types of projects.
The last council member to speak was Gruver, who presented concerns about the fire pit slated for installation with the new community building.
His concerns stemmed from potential damage or injury if the building is rented for large parties like graduations and weddings, foreseeing unsupervised children, improper disposal of items in the fire pit, or the potential for it not being extinguished properly.
Fitzcharles advised that a meeting would be taking place the following day to address these concerns and that Gruver or any council member was welcome to attend.
Final questions on the community building concerned color choices. The requested colors were bronze, white, gray, and black.
Fitzcharles expressed hope for a model at the meeting to help visualize the completed building.
VanAusdale clarified that the rules commission meeting had been canceled. Fitzcharles verified this and informed them that the planning commission would be meeting next week.
With no other comments or discussion, VanAusdale moved to adjourn, seconded by Wampler. The council unanimously voted to adjourn at 6:27 p.m.