PHOTO BY BRIANNA BALOGH / THEVILLAGE REPORTER
PERSONNEL ACHIEVEMENTS … Jeremy Wright (right) is recognized by council member Lance Bowsher (standing in for Mayor Bob Day) for his recent certification from Northwest Lineman College.
By: Brianna Balogh
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
On Wednesday, December 3, Edgerton Village Council convened for a meeting celebrating several employee accomplishments and covering multiple ordinances.
The meeting kicked off at 5:30 p.m. with council member Lance Bowsher, filling in for Mayor Bob Day, leading the Pledge of Allegiance. Fiscal Officer Denise Knecht then took roll call with present members being Pam Wampler, Leslie VanAusdale, Jason Gruver, and Sharon Blinzler.
Council member Chuck Wallace arrived slightly late at 5:36 p.m. Village Administrator Dawn Fitzcharles and Administrative Assistant Amanda Knecht were also present.
The first order of business was approval of the meeting minutes from November 19, with VanAusdale making the motion to approve. Gruver seconded, and all present members approved.
Next was a congratulatory announcement. Jeremey Wright was recognized for his completion of the Power Delivery Program through the Northwest Lineman College. His mentor, Troy Nihart, was also recognized for the extra time and effort he provided.
With Mayor Day being absent, the mayor’s report was skipped and Fitzcharles continued with the administrator’s report.
Fitzcharles reported disappointing news that the Santa parade was canceled the previous Saturday due to weather. Fitzcharles assured that a little snow would not deter Santa, with a rescheduled date of Saturday, December 6. Santa will be welcomed and escorted by the Fire Department to the Studio at 144 North Michigan Avenue. Pictures with Santa will be available from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This event is being put on by Mainstreet Edgerton.
Next on the report is notification of an upcoming Park Board meeting on Wednesday, December 10. Fitzcharles also provided two notable pieces of information to the council, the first being a renewal from the Ohio EPA for the compost facility on County Road 5.
Receiving a class 4 rating, the facility will continue to allow yard and agricultural waste. Second is the public water system license, valid through January 30, 2027.
The final item of the report was to solicit council feedback regarding new computers for the upcoming term. Gruver commented that the current type is sufficient and whatever is the most economical would be ideal as they only use them for basic functions like email and document reviews.
Fiscal Officer Knecht began with the November financial reports, which had been provided to the board. After passing around the acknowledgment to be signed, Knecht continued with a notification of unclaimed funds transfer.
The transfer did not need action from the council, but Knecht wanted to provide the information of a $264.02 transfer to the unclaimed fund.
The last item in the fiscal officer’s report was the recent December loan payment, which now leaves two principal and three interest payments remaining. The remaining total of $185,000 is expected to be paid off in June 2027.
Fitzcharles added that she would like to have a discussion on the goals for the town hall facility in the near future.
The meeting agenda then moved into resolutions, ordinances, and motions. The first was a motion to consider a Police Department employment status change for Sergeant Kelly Kunesh.
Sergeant Kunesh was promoted to sergeant on June 2, 2025, and has completed the probationary period. Fitzcharles added he has also completed several supervisory training courses and stated he is “great to work with.”
The motion to approve was made by VanAusdale and seconded by Gruver. The motion passed unanimously.
The second item was also an approval for an employment change within the fire department. Fitzcharles explained Shaun Murphy has been a longtime member of the fire department, starting as a junior firefighter.
After graduating from Edgerton High School in 2024, Murphy has completed the volunteer, Firefighter I, and Firefighter II programs. Murphy is eligible to be removed from probation on December 1.
Fitzcharles commended his extremely strong work ethic. Gruver made the motion, Wampler seconded, and all members approved.
Ordinances 1161 and 1162 were both presented for a second reading and passed quickly.
Ordinance 1161, establishing the permanent appropriations for 2026, was motioned by Bowsher and seconded by Wampler.
Ordinance 1162 establishing the salaries and wages for the employees of the village, was motioned by Wampler and seconded by VanAusdale. Both ordinances were approved by all members.
Ordinance 1163 followed, which was an annual ordinance related to housekeeping. Fitzcharles explained the supplements to the 2025 annual appropriations, which details had been provided to the board.
This annual action resulted in a reduction this year of about $2.55 million across multiple accounts. Pointing out one increase, Fitzcharles explained that the cost originally was planned for 2026 but was incurred in 2025.
When questioned by Gruver, Fitzcharles further detailed this was related to the ODOT project. Originally laid out over four years, this specific part of the project was completed ahead of schedule.
Gruver then made the motion to approve and was seconded by VanAusdale. Again, the motion was passed unanimously.
The last motion was to pay the bills, which VanAusdale quickly moved and Wampler seconded. The motion was passed by all members.
The final item before adjournment was Council Discussion. While no discussion was presented, Gruver did commend the village employees on the recent snow removal efforts.
Blinzler added she was appreciative and liked the way Fitzcharles had explained the process in a recent social media post.
Fiscal Officer Knecht added that it was very educational. Fitzcharles explained that in past years it had been quite chaotic and logistically difficult but is now streamlined.
She also commended the employees for taking pride in their work and striving to do the best job they could, which really makes a big difference.
VanAusdale then made the motion to adjourn at 5:51. Wampler seconded and all members approved.