PHOTO BY RENEA KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
UPDATES … The commissioners review a PowerPoint from ODOT about future projects during their Thursday meeting.
By: Renea Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
renea@thevillagereporter.com
The Fulton County Commissioners addressed a broad range of county business across their April 7 and April 9 meetings, with topics including senior center matters, airport funding, maintenance projects, fair participation, personnel changes and the welcoming of a newly appointed commissioner.
APRIL 7 MEETING
The April 7 meeting was held with commissioners Joe Short and Jeff Rupp present. During that session, the board approved the minutes from its previous meeting, the agenda, payment of bills, appropriation requests for various departments, a satisfaction of mortgage for the CHJP program tied to L. Mull, and purchase orders and travel requests.
Commissioners also approved legal notices, plans and advertisements for bids for the county’s 2026 asphalt resurfacing program as well as the 2026 seal coat and cold mix program.
SENIOR CENTER AND AIRPORT
Also during the April 7 meeting, commissioners reviewed a final determination from the Ohio Department of Taxation involving the Fulton County Senior Center property.
The determination found that 4.859 acres covered by a 50-year ground lease qualified for exemption from taxation for tax year 2025, while the balance of the property would remain on the tax list.
The board also reviewed senior center policy updates and approved an application through the Area Office on Aging for Older Americans Act Home and Community Based Services funding for program years 2027 through 2030.
Airport-related matters were also handled. Commissioners rescinded an earlier airport improvement matching grant agreement after learning the prior version was no longer valid, then approved a corrected agreement with the Ohio Department of Transportation Office of Aviation.
APRIL 9 MEETING
When commissioners met again on April 9, Short and Rupp were joined by newly appointed Commissioner Ronald Jacob, “RJ” Lumbrezer, who officially began serving that day following the retirement of Commissioner Jon Rupp.
The meeting then moved into regular business, with commissioners approving the minutes from the April 7 session and the agenda as presented.
Under old business, the board reviewed correspondence from Fulton County Juvenile Court correcting a stenographer’s error in its 2025 annual report.
The corrected figure showed 145 youths charged with delinquency in 2025 rather than 162.
Commissioners also reviewed dog warden reports for the weeks ending March 14 and March 21, the 2025 annual report for the Microfilm and Record Center, and the county investment report.
In new business, the board approved another round of appropriation requests for various departments, approved specifications and authorized advertisements for lawn maintenance proposals, and approved specifications for the Robert Fulton roof project and authorized advertisement for bids.
Commissioners also took a previously tabled resolution off the table and did not approve a contract with the Fulton County Fair for 2026 merchant space for the commissioner’s office.
It was noted that the number of hours needed to man the merchant space was just not feasible, and having a spot does not benefit them.
The board also accepted the resignation of a Job and Family Services employee and approved the posting of an open Child Support Case Coordinator position to fill the vacancy.
INVESTMENT UPDATE
Later in the meeting, Scott Gruber of CMT provided an investment update, telling commissioners that market conditions have remained highly volatile in recent weeks, driven largely by uncertainty surrounding interest rates, inflation, energy prices and conflict overseas.
Gruber said those day-to-day swings have affected not only the bond market, but also the stock market, and have complicated expectations for future Federal Reserve action.
Despite that uncertainty, Gruber said the county’s investment strategy remains steady. He explained that the county has spent the past several years working to lock in stronger rates further out, and that approach has proven valuable.
Rather than making any major shift, he said the focus remains on staying well-diversified and maintaining balance across the one- to five-year range, so the county remains protected if market conditions change.
Gruber said inflation continues to run above the Federal Reserve’s long-term target, while consumer spending has remained relatively strong.
He also noted that the job market has shown little major movement, describing it as more of a no-hire, no-fire environment in which employers are not aggressively expanding but are also not making widespread cuts.
He added that recent movement in the yield curve has created opportunities for the county, as longer-term investments are now offering rates above current cash yields.
According to Gruber, the average yield on the county’s security portfolio currently stands at 3.75 percent, and he said the county remains in a good cash position following tax collection season.
That discussion also led to a broader conversation on property tax uncertainty. County officials said one of the biggest unknowns remains what may happen with property tax-related proposals later this year.
Treasurer staff noted that Fulton County is currently seeing more delinquent parcels and more unpaid dollars than at the same point last year, though the county remains in a far better position than many larger counties across Ohio.
Officials also discussed how other states have approached property tax relief and what challenges could emerge if Ohio were ever to pursue major changes.
ODOT DISTRICT 2 UPDATE
The meeting also included an update from ODOT District 2, where officials introduced members of the district team and shared details on restructuring within the department. They said Defiance County has now officially been moved into District 2, a change that became effective earlier that week.
ODOT officials said the shift made sense geographically and regionally and noted that it increases the district to 390 employees, about $200 million in construction work and a $60 million operating budget.
District officials also reviewed maintenance operations in Fulton County, noting there are no chip seal projects planned locally this season, though neighboring Defiance and Williams counties do have some scheduled.
They said ODOT continues to offer brine to local governments at cost and encouraged any interested villages or townships to reach out.
They also said local governments can again participate in ODOT’s salt contract so they can purchase salt at the same price as the state.
LOCAL ROAD AND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
Fulton County-specific maintenance plans were also outlined, including a culvert replacement on U.S. 20 west of Assumption expected to require a five-day closure beginning April 20.
ODOT also expects to replace two smaller culverts on State Route 2 near County Road 16 west of Wauseon, along with drainage work on State Route 64 north of County Road K and another safety-related drainage improvement project on State Route 120 west of Metamora.
In addition, pavement repairs are planned in sections of U.S. 20 from Fayette toward the Williams County line and on State Route 66 between Archbold and Fayette.
Officials also highlighted several current and upcoming construction projects. They said work is continuing on the State Route 109 bridge over Bear Creek, which is expected to close for 90 days beginning July 6.
A project on U.S. 20 west of Delta was also discussed, though officials said timing there remains uncertain due to bidding complications and supply lead times.
ODOT representatives also reported that work on the interchange project at County Road 17 and U.S. 24 is progressing, with hopes of opening that improvement by August. Another large U.S. 24 project near State Route 108 is now underway and is expected to continue through fall 2028.
ROUNDABOUTS
The ODOT team also spent time discussing the growing use of roundabouts, saying they continue to show strong safety benefits by reducing conflict points, serious injury crashes and fatalities.
Officials said Fulton County’s first roundabout is expected at U.S. 20 and State Route 109, with preliminary work likely beginning later this year and full closures not expected until next spring.
Another roundabout is planned at State Route 108 and County Road D next year, with additional roundabouts also planned in later years at State Route 2 and Township Road 24, and at State Route 109 and County Road D.
Commissioners responded positively to the roundabout discussion, with local officials noting that at least some of the proposed intersections have long been safety concerns and that many nearby residents have been supportive of efforts to improve them.
With nothing further, the meeting was adjourned at 10:18 a.m. The next regular meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at 9:00 a.m.