PHOTO BY BRENNA WHITE / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
PAYING THE BILLS … The Jefferson Township Trustees review the payment of purchase orders during their March 16, 2026, meeting.
By: Brenna White
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
The Jefferson Township Trustees met on March 16, 2026, to discuss ongoing progress on the Selwyn Drive resurfacing project, including updated cost estimates and potential changes to the project’s scope.
Trustees Austin Poynter, Scott Oberlin, Brian Batterson, and Fiscal Officer Linda Beck were in attendance. Trustee Brian Batterson provided background on a proposal he had previously presented to the Holiday City Village Council.
He explained that Selwyn Drive has long been in need of significant improvement.
The township has been pursuing funding through the TID Program, or the Transportation Improvement District Program, which offers grants of up to $500,000.
The program targets infrastructure projects aimed at improving access to employment centers. In this case, the project is centered on improving access to the Wieland Chase brass facility.
If awarded, the grant would cover a substantial portion of the project. It is expected to include grinding and repaving the roadway, along with potential drainage improvements and the addition of a pedestrian walkway.
Holiday City and Jefferson Township are both covering the 10%, so Jefferson would not have the whole $50,000. They shared that they are estimating to cover about $28,000 at this time
During the meeting, the trustees reviewed a revised project estimate. The estimated cost of the project jumped from $330,000 to more than $500,000. Officials noted that these figures are not final quotes.
Additional discussion followed after a recent communication with Pioneer Mayor Ed Kidston, who owns property along a tile and easement roadway connected to Selwyn Drive.
After reviewing the township’s proposed plans, which included installing perforated tile along the roadway, Kidston submitted his own plan for review instead. It included the addition of a new drainage line.
Kidston expressed concerns regarding possible contamination issues and shared intentions to eventually fill in a pond located on the property.
While trustees acknowledged the input, they noted that the request introduces more complexity to a project that has already expanded beyond its original focus.
Trustees expressed some confusion over the added drainage components, emphasizing that the primary goal remains the resurfacing of Selwyn Drive.
“The only problem is they won’t give us a grant to just grind and pave it,” Chairman Poynter said.
Batterson stated that the final grant application must be submitted by March 20, 2026. If approved, construction could begin as early as August or September of this year.
The trustees also approved the purchase of a new backhoe with auxiliary hydraulics. No trade-in of existing equipment is currently planned.
A letter was received from Advanced Demolition regarding roadway damage. The company denied any responsibility for the damage, stating that the roadway is considered open to public use by commercial and heavy vehicles.
The trustees then signed four purchase orders and paid bills. Two fire runs were reported, with response provided by the Montpelier Fire Department.
With no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:09 p.m.
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