SHINING BRIGHT … Mayor Bob Day highlighted the newly upgraded water tower lighting as a standout in his latest report.
By: Brianna Balogh
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
Edgerton Village Council met on Wednesday, August 6. Mayor Robert Day called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m., starting with the Pledge of Allegiance. Day then led a brief prayer before Fiscal Officer Denise Knecht took roll call.
Members present were Jason Gruver, Lance Bowsher, Pan Wampler, and Sharon Blinzler, with Chuck Wallace arriving a few minutes late. Leslie VanAusdale was absent.
Also in attendance were Village Administrator Dawn Fitzcharles, Administrative Assistant Amanda Knecht, and Police Chief Ken Jacobs.
First on the agenda was the approval of the minutes from the previous meeting. The motion was made by Bowsher and was seconded by Gruver, with all council members quickly approving.
The mayor’s report followed, with Day starting by introducing Law Director Reed Rothenbuhler. Rothenbuhler and his family were invited to the council chambers prior to the meeting for dinner.
Rothenbuhler introduced his wife, Lisa, and three daughters, ranging from one to nine months. Day thanked Rothenbuhler for all he contributes to the community.
During the meeting, young Gigi could be seen belly-crawling across the floor, putting a smile on quite a few faces and delighting the young family.
Day continued by thanking the interns who worked for multiple village departments over the summer. Day stated, “I’m one who loves the little things, and I think the little things add up to a lot.”
It was these so-called little things that the interns were tasked with completing so as not to pull other employees off other projects. Examples of the little things included items such as painting sign poles and fences at the little league diamond.
Day followed with an update on the water towers, stating that lighting had finally been installed. He even said that when coming out of Butler, Indiana, you can start to see the faint glow of the water towers.
Day finished with a mention of the recent groundbreaking held for the community building at Miller Park. He was sure to mention all the work Administrator Fitzcharles and the other office personnel put into this project, stating that turning “no’s” into “yeses” was their specialty.
It’s nice to put a shovel in the ground, but oftentimes the background work goes unnoticed, and Day was sure to highlight that.
Fitzcharles then delivered her report, starting with the tree planting project, which kicked off that day. Fitzcharles was pleasantly surprised by the size of the trees, noting they had expected trunks two to three inches in diameter but received trees five to six inches thick.
The tree planting project will continue through the following week. Once planted, mulch will be placed around them, tree wraps installed, watering bags, and they will be placed into the watering schedule.
Fitzcharles informed the board she would not be available for the meeting scheduled for August 20. She suggested August 18, but both Blinzler and Wampler would be absent. With no clear date, Fitzcharles stated she would get back with the council on a date for the August meeting.
Fiscal Officer Knecht followed, starting off by handing out the credit card review from June 16 through July 15.
She stated that the convenience of the credit card has really increased its usage from what they had anticipated years ago. But, as pointed out by Knecht, the world has changed as well, and the credit card makes tracking easier.
Next was the financial report from July, also handed out to the council for review. The final item of the report was a motion to pay the bills, made by Wallace and seconded by Blinzler. The motion passed unanimously.
Police Chief Jacobs had a few items to report on personnel issues. First was a resignation from Officer Christian Storck, who has accepted a position with the Defiance City Police Department.
Jacobs stated it only made sense, as that is where Storck grew up and currently resides. To that effect, Officer Ashley Plotts would be interested in moving from part-time to full-time. Plotts currently serves as a part-time officer and brings several specific skills and training to the force.
She is a certified School Resource Officer (SRO), LEADS (Law Enforcement Against Drugs and Violence) instructor, and previously served in leadership as a sergeant.
Officer Plotts has already begun talks with both St. Mary’s and Edgerton Local Elementary to bring the LEADS program to both schools sometime in the fall.
Next on the agenda were reports from the Planning Commission and the Tree Commission. Fitzcharles delivered updates from both meetings to the council.
From the planning commission meeting held on July 23, the commission reviewed and approved a variance for Clarksville Road regarding the distance a structure can be placed from a property line.
The second update was a requested rezoning of property on 313 West River Street. Currently zoned as R2, heavy residential, the property owners are requesting a rezone to C2, general business.
Fitzcharles explained that the planning commission has approved the request and is now forwarding it to the council. A public hearing will need to be scheduled within 60 days. To accommodate this timeline, October 10 was suggested on the same night as a village council meeting.
The motion to approve was made by Gruver and seconded by Wampler. All members approved, clarifying that the meeting would take place at 5:15 to allow for public comments or concerns.
The Tree Commission met on July 24 and discussed the start of the tree project, with an expected 58 trees to be planted throughout the community. Also discussed was a concern with a sweetgum tree on the property of Jamie and Angela Goebel.
It was requested by the owners to remove the tree and replace it with an approved species at their own expense. The Tree Commission approved this request.
Fitzcharles ended the report by asking Wallace for an update on a tree auction held in Toledo discussed in the meeting. Wallace stated they would begin cataloging the trees available soon and would update them when the catalog is available.
Business moved along to resolutions, motions, and ordinances. First up was to accept the resignation of Officer Christian Storck, effective August 8. As stated earlier by Chief Jacobs, Storck had accepted a position in Defiance.
Fitzcharles read a statement from Storck where he thanked the team for the experience and for welcoming him during his time with Edgerton. Bowsher motioned to approve, with Blinzler seconding, and the item was approved by all members.
The next item, also discussed earlier, was the reclassification of Officer Ashley Plotts to full-time, starting on August 25.
Fitzcharles again pointed out the several qualifications and special training Plotts brings to the position, adding she has been trained in conducting forensic interviews regarding children. The motion made by Wampler and seconded by Gruver was approved by all members.
Personnel reclassification continues with electric employee Jeremy Wright, who successfully completed his Line Worker 3 qualifications. Wright would be reclassified as a probationary Line Worker 3.
He provided the council with all his test scores and hours completed from recent hands-on training in Columbus. After completion of his probationary period, Wright would then continue his career path, working towards his Line Worker 4 classification as a journeyman.
The effective date of July 28 reflects the date he successfully completed the program. Wallace motioned to approve, Wampler seconded, and all members approved.
Fitzcharles pointed out how impressed she has been with all the village employees, continuing to work towards furthering their careers and qualifications.
The next two motions were to accept donations from Edgerton Development Foundation and the Bryan Area Foundation. Each group donated $25,000, totaling $50,000 for the community center project at Miller Park. This brings the total donation amount to almost $470,000.
Fitzcharles shared a proclamation from Ohio Senator John Husted on the Community Center, for providing a lasting impact and commending the local leaders on their exceptional service and dedication.
The motion to approve the donation from Edgerton Development Foundation was made by Gruver, and Blinzler made the motion to accept the donation from the Bryan Area Foundation. Both motions were approved unanimously.
The last item on the agenda prior to council discussion was Ordinance 1157 for appropriations adjustments.
As explained by Fitzcharles, normally, the training performed at the Fire Academy in Bryan is covered by a grant. In the past, after training was complete, the Bryan Fire Training Academy would apply for a grant to cover several departments in the region training as a group.
They were informed this year that each department must apply separately, and the applications would not open until December or after. This left approximately $5000 owed for recent fire training.
Fitzcharles was sure to clarify this was not a change or increase to the budget; it was a transfer from the capital outlay fund to cover the unexpected expense of the training. Gruver made the motion to approve, seconded by Bowsher, and approved by all.
The last item before adjournment was a council discussion where each member was given the opportunity to speak. Gruver was the first to offer a statement of appreciation to both organizations for their generous donation to the community building.
Second was a big thank you to everyone involved in the disc golf course. Gruver stated, “There’s a lot of buzz about what a great course it is and a lot of activity out there.”
With the other council members having no items for discussion, Wallace was the final member to speak, asking about the recent painting phase of the street project.
His first question was regarding the ‘islands’ downtown, asking if there were going to be some sort of reflectors or paint applied to help visibility at night.
With them coming farther into the street, people are not used to them being there, and he can see a high potential for a vehicle to strike them and potentially flip.
Fitzcharles stated that RRFB (Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons) would be installed, which are reflective and light up, allowing for maximum visibility.
Secondly, Wallace questioned cars still parking on the side of the street, even after the white lines have now been painted, particularly down by the corner of the school.
Again, Fitzcharles stated that ODOT had decided to separate the project into two phases, and the second phase would provide more parking to the north, hopefully eliminating parking in front along the main road. She clarified that those are no parking zones.
Blinzler asked about State Route 6 and if, since the white lines have been applied, there was going to be a turn lane. Day stated it had been discussed, but the semi-truck turning radius was the reason one was not allowable.
Fitzcharles added that location, as well as beside the State Bank, had often been treated as a turning lane but was never a legal turn lane.
Fitzcharles summarized by stating that the narrowing of the lanes through town, as well as the ‘islands’ in downtown, were all an effort to slow down traffic traveling through town.
With no other questions or discussion, Gruver made the motion to adjourn, which was quickly seconded by Wallace and approved by all, officially adjourning the meeting at 6:08 p.m.