MUTUAL AID … Mayor Bob Day (left) presents Dakota Burke and Jeremy Weber with awards for safety and for providing mutual aid during a storm-related power outage in Montpelier.
JUNIOR FIREFIGHTER … Mayor Bob Day (left) and Hailey Oliphant, the newly approved junior firefighter, smile with fire department members Brian Bowsher and Chuck Wallace.
By: Brianna Balogh
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
Prior to the official start of the Edgerton Village Council meeting, the council held a public hearing to consider a proposed zoning change. The proposed change would affect a parcel adjacent to 313 West Railroad Street.
The parcel, owned by Terry and Terri Fritch, seeks to be reclassified from R2—moderate density residential—to G2—general business. This would align with the neighboring property at 313 West Railroad Street, also owned by the Fritches.
The hearing was called to order at 5:24 p.m. with a roll call, and all council members were present. With no public or council discussion, it adjourned at 5:26 p.m.
A brief recess allowed several guests to arrive before the village council meeting was officially called to order at 5:30 p.m.
After reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, Mayor Bob Day led a brief prayer. Council began with roll call taken by Administrative Assistant Amanda Knecht.
Members present were Leslie VanAusdale, Jason Gruver, Pam Wampler, Chuck Wallace, Sharon Blinzler, and Lance Bowsher. Also in attendance were Village Administrator Dawn Fitzcharles, Administrative Assistant Amanda Knecht, and several guests in the audience.
The first order of business on the agenda was approval of the minutes from the previous meeting. With no discussion or revisions, Wallace made the motion for approval and was quickly seconded by VanAusdale. The motion was passed by all members except Bowsher, who abstained.
Mayor Day then took the floor to hand out some recent recognitions to the electric department. Representatives Jeremy Weber and Dakota Burke stepped forward to receive the awards. The first commendation was for their assistance with a Montpelier outage in March.
The AMP (American Municipal Power) board of trustees recognized the electric department for its exemplary and efficient efforts in restoring power during the storm-related outage.
Fitzcharles expanded on the mutual aid network, explaining that if a big event were to occur, the village would have access to additional resources from neighboring communities. The council approved this agreement many years ago.
In the future, the department would like to expand nationally through the American Public Power Association (APPA). She stated it would be a great opportunity to learn new skills and come in contact with scenarios they do not encounter every day.
The council approved participation in the APPA, but in order to participate currently, an update is required to policy, procedures, and the pay structure. When responding to a mutual aid call, the costs are recoverable.
Day also presented Weber and Burke with a safety award from the AMP conference that Day, Fitzcharles, and Fiscal Officer Knecht recently attended.
To accommodate a highlighted guest, an agenda item, a motion to hire a new junior firefighter—was moved forward on the agenda from the resolutions, ordinances, and motions section.
Fitzcharles explained that the program offers the opportunity for youth under 18 to engage in fire prevention and firefighting support activities that are outside of danger. Junior firefighters have the opportunity to learn from and work alongside certified firefighters.
Firefighter Brian Bowsher gave some further insight into incoming junior firefighter Hailey Oliphant. Bowsher stated that she is one of five junior firefighters and the first female to join.
He echoed Fitzcharles’ praise about it being a very successful program, highlighting one firefighter who had been through basic and Class 1 training. Bowsher hopes to see Oliphant and other youth continue to get involved in the fire department.
After Fitzcharles confirmed the monthly compensation of $25, the motion to hire Oliphant was moved by VanAusdale, seconded by Wampler, and approved by all council members.
When asked, Hailey stated that she has always wanted to help people in any way that she can, and when she heard about the junior fire department from her cousin, she was happy to sign up.
Business moved along to reports featuring Mayor Day, Administrator Fitzcharles, Administrative Assistant Knecht, and Police Chief Jacob.
Kicking off the report section was Day, with only two items to cover. Townwide trick-or-treat will be held on Saturday, Nov. 1, from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., with trunk-or-treat being held from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on the same day.
Administrative report followed by Fitzcharles, who had a small update and a financial health presentation. She started with an announcement and some stipulations on intermittent leaf pickup, which began the day before.
Due to the equipment being used, only leaves are to be out for pickup, not yard waste or pet waste. Day added walnuts, pinecones, and other similar debris to the list.
Following the leaf pickup discussion was a financial presentation on the village’s cash position, with figures dating from 2015. Fitzcharles stated the current cash balance of $9,952,950 has remained fairly steady and slightly growing over the last several years.
The dip, she explained, was due to capital project spending. She anticipates another dip due to several projects entering the construction and payment phases at the same time. She also anticipates a spend down to $8.5 million to $8.75 million, utilizing cash for investment in capital infrastructure.
The electric fund’s financial position as of Aug. 31 is $2,718,031. It has been relatively flat with a capital project encumbrance of $16,136. She anticipates spending around $55,000 to $60,000 additional to complete work on the transformer at the substation.
There will also be a presentation and a request to the council to obtain another vehicle. With additional positions, there is a need for a vehicle so that the larger bucket trucks will not be used.
Fitzcharles reported that currently, the monthly rates are close to the projection, with energy usage being down overall. Some months exceeded the forecasted usage, but others came in under.
These variations are caused by weather as well as industrial usage. Overall, the electric fund began with $2,706,072, with revenue and expenses at just over $2 million each, the margin sitting at $13,362.
So far this year, $79,519 has been spent on capital improvements. The rates are designed to recover the cost and fund capital improvements, with a yearly goal of $150,000.
Moving on to the water fund, which is exactly as forecasted. Currently, there is a capital encumbrance of $73,000. Year to date, the margin is negative $1,320.
The water and sewer fund may appear to be lagging, but several loan and grant sources cannot be utilized because the contract has not been awarded.
At the next council meeting, Fitzcharles hopes to bring the water treatment plant project for review and authorization to bid. Hopefully, that contract can be awarded by late November or early December. Then, in the first quarter of 2026, those funding sources can be used.
The plans were approved through the state of Ohio, and a meeting to finalize details with the engineer took place late last week. The project advertisement will run for two consecutive weeks.
Sewer currently has a cash balance of $662,226. Fitzcharles reminded the council of the property purchase neighboring the lagoons and explained the resulting spend down of some of that cash.
Currently, they have an encumbrance of $4,283. Margin is currently negative $139,385 on the year, and that is due to the property purchase. Total capital improvement was $200,321.
Fitzcharles clarified that you can spend down cash for capital improvements, but not for general operating and maintenance.
She continued, moving along to storm fund financials, which have a cash balance of $347,942 and no outstanding encumbrances at the moment.
There are plans for an additional $1,660 of capital. Some of the funds are being held due to other projects, such as drainage projects that are part of the larger ODOT project. The fund is performing as expected. All of the service charges are performing as projected.
The general fund is doing well with a cash balance of $3,291,103. The capital project encumbrance total is $1,154,376. A large part of that will go towards the community center. She anticipates spending down the cash balance slightly for that project.
In the general fund, expenses and revenues have exceeded collections in the miscellaneous and interest categories.
It looks like overall the fund is outperforming its target, but income tax collection is down about 3.79%. Fitzcharles does not see this as a concern. With different filling options, payment options are varied.
Currently $142,520 has been expended. Available in the first eight months, the revenue over expenses for capital improvement is $111,098.
When income tax allocation is received, 80% goes to the general fund and 20% to the capital improvement fund. The general fund is also used to transfer to the street and fire department funds when needed.
Income tax capital is at a cash balance of $595,359 with an encumbrance of $228,073. This is the fund that pays the debt service on the building, which is $90,585. The debt-free date is projected for 2027.
Fitzcharles shared all this information in preparation for conversations and planning for next year’s budget. She closed by informing the council that John Courtney would be in at the next meeting on October 15 to give results from the revenue requirement review that he conducts annually.
He has not visited in several years, but as the timeline for the reliability project at the electric department lined up with the review, it was a good opportunity for Courtney to present the review and offer recommendations for the reliability project. “Plus, he’s a nice guy,” Bowsher added.
The fiscal report presented by Administrative Assistant Knecht was brief, as Fiscal Officer Denise Knecht was out; the only update was the motion to pay the bills, since the September financials would be completed the following day. The motion to pay the bills was made by VanAusdale, seconded by Wampler, and approved by all.
Police Chief Jacobs was next, highlighting the tuition reimbursement, which would be discussed and voted on later in the meeting.
He updated that he was able to contact a company and should have new locks for the drug take-back box. When asked about locations, he stated it would be put out front of the station and open during business hours.
Next on the agenda were several resolutions, ordinances, and motions to discuss and approve. The first item, a motion to approve the EPD Police Academy Training Agreement, was presented at an earlier meeting by Chief Jacobs and sent to the council via email. Fitzcharles explained that this is done in other departments, such as fire and electric, but not historically within the police department.
The tuition reimbursement would see the village covering half the tuition for a part-time officer, defined as working a minimum of 20 hours per month, while also requiring a two-year commitment. For a full-time officer, the tuition would be fully covered, also requiring a two-year commitment.
Jacobs added that he believed the Sheriff’s Office was entertaining the idea as well. Both Blinzler and Gruver asked for clarification on a part-time officer moving to full-time.
Both Fitzcharles and Jacobs were in agreement that if a full-time position would become available, the additional two-year commitment would be required, essentially making a four-year commitment with the previous two years at part-time.
Day added that hopefully this will help create long-term stability. The program hopes to attract talent to the department, with Jacobs providing a bleak outlook on the future of part-time officers.
Wallace clarified that it aligns with the electric department, and Fitzcharles confirmed it aligns with both the electric and fire departments.
She also clarified that this is not general training, but an official certification, similar to CDL. The motion was made by Wallace and seconded by Blinzler. It was passed unanimously.
The next item, presented by Knecht, was a motion to approve and issue payment for the invoice to August Mack for the Edgerton Metals Brownfield Remediation Project.
This has been an ongoing project for the village and has seen significant movement on the cleanup of the old Edgerton Metals property.
Knecht explained that this is a procedure that, while not technically necessary since the revenue has been received, will follow the established protocol from past payment requests.
The requested payment of $29,224.27 would cover service through August 17. VanAusdale made the motion with Bowsher seconding. All members approved.
Following was a motion to accept the voluntary termination of Village Players’ lease. The Village Players leased a room in the upstairs of the building, and with the group disbanding, the lease was no longer needed.
Fitzcharles was informed that there may be interest from a similar group in the Woodburn, Indiana area. VanAusdale again proposed the motion, and Wampler seconded, with all members approving.
The final item to approve was Resolution 2025-13, which would allow the Village Administrator to apply for land and water conservation funding through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. These funds would be for the Edgerton Metals redevelopment.
Funding is available up to $1 million, and the funds can be used to pay up to 50% of the project costs. The motion was made by Bowsher. Gruver seconded the motion, and all other members approved.
Fitzcharles updated the council on recent applications for funding that would be used to install new bleachers and shades at Miller Park. The project will replace some existing bleachers and relocate others to Gearhart Park.
The proposed shade also provides a spectator barrier from foul balls and is designed specifically for ballparks. A park board meeting is tentatively scheduled for October 27 at 4:00 p.m. to finalize the 2026 recreational budget.
Fitzcharles encouraged council members, if they had not been, to go out and visit the park. The progress on the building is moving quickly.
She provided several updates on time frames: the roof is to begin the following week, the steel structure is to be done in the current week, underground work is to wrap up in two to four weeks, and the slab will then be poured.
Fitzcharles wrapped up with positive comments from the contractors and is pleased to see them patronizing the local businesses.
Both she and Day commended the speed, cooperation, and cleanliness of the crew. There had only been one minor incident with tampering with equipment, and the police mitigated that immediately.
Council discussion was the final item before adjournment. Bowsher just wanted to remind everyone of the many activities happening in town this Saturday and encouraged support for the transition at Rita’s, as those businesses are vital to the community. “No need to go out of town,” he stated.
Wallace inquired if some interns were still employed. Fitzcharles stated there was currently a school-to-work employee and an administrative intern.
Fitzcharles stated they were able to share all of the projects with the school board in support of the school-to-work program. Wallace stated that he was just curious about leaf pickup starting and the interns being gone, leaf pickup may not be as quick as anticipated.
VanAusdale clarified that the administrative intern would be staying. Gruver asked if it was a full-time position.
Knecht answered that this has historically been a six-month- to a year-long position, with the intern only working approximately 20 hours per week starting in mid-June of this year.
VanAusdale clarified that signatures were needed from council members before proposing the motion to adjourn. Wampler was quick to second. With all members approving, the meeting was adjourned at 6:24 p.m.