WHERE’S THE MONEY? … At the Northwest Township board meeting on October 27, 2022, Northwest Water District Board member Mary Jo Gniewkowski had many questions for the present-day Northwest Township Trustees concerning decisions made over the years by other trustees, that involve the exchange of money between the two entities. (PHOTO BY REBECCA MILLER, STAFF)
By: Rebecca Miller
During the October 27, 2022 Northwest Township Trustee (NTT) meeting, Northwest Water District Board (NWWD) members Mary Jo Gniewkowski, Allen Stafford and Doug Crawford were present with a purpose.
When the trustees asked if anyone in the audience wanted to address them, Stafford said that they were there for that reason and Gniewkowski took the podium with a script.
She read the presentation to the trustees, Robert Kissinger II and Paul Green, as Steve Stamper was absent.
Their concern is based on research going back to 2002 and through the years to the present that show incorrect records about money between the Township and the Water District.
She began with a short history of how the water district was set up by the township under ORC 6119, making it a “standalone” entity.
As neither the water district or the trustees had enough income at the time, the Williams County Commissioners stepped in to help.
“In the setup of the Northwest Water District, the trustees had to make a financial plan to pay the bills until the Northwest Water District had the revenue from water usage to cover the bills,” she explained.
The trustee’s plan had been to ask the public for donations. She gave members, and Fiscal Officer Peggy Disbro, packets that contained proof of everything she shared in her presentation:
In 2002, the Northwest Township Trustees started setting up the Northwest Water District, making a contract with lawyer Stephen Hubbard from Defiance that stated that “the trustees were responsible for paying fees” which were $1,841.
“The trustees, when paying these fees, put the fees in the money owed by the Northwest Water District.”
Gniewkowski pointed out that as the NWWD was not the entity to have a contract with Mr. Hubbard, they should not be billed for this.
She quoted from Northwest Township Trustee meeting minutes throughout the presentation, informing trustees of several different times when money was granted to change hands, but there are no records of it being done in their bank statements from the times.
For example, a loan of $5,000 was approved by the township to the NWWD in June of 2002 but there is no record of it being received.
Another time, in July 2005, NTT approved loans of $2,000 and $2,800 but there are no records of NWWD board requesting the loans.
There were more situations such as these over the years, where money was recorded in one group’s minutes but with no record elsewhere.
There are even several entries where the township trustees transferred money from the water district account to township accounts from October through December of 2011 in the amount of $1,500.
She asked who was in charge of those accounts and why it was transferred as well as saying that the NWWD has no records of giving any money back to the township during that time frame.
“The Northwest Water District audit dated 2010-2011 states that a repayment schedule was never set up for repayment of this loan.”
There were many questions raised about the renewal of a loan as well, and the statement that there are no records of it being renewed or of approval being given to renew it in the township minutes.
She asked, “Where is this money? This loan was not renewed in the 2012-13 trustee meeting minutes, but your audit for 2012-13 shows the loan is still renewable annually. Which is correct?”
At that point, Gniewkowski said, “The Northwest Water District Board does not feel the owe funds back to the township that they did not request.”
“The tally sheet shows the amount the NWWD Board determined is the accurate amount. We are requesting an amendment to the agreement signed in 2017 to reflect the new amount to be paid back to the Northwest Township.”
She also stated that they are willing to give the township trustees up to three months (end of January 2023) to examine their own records and to show proof if they believe that more money is owed by the water district.
When she finished and asked for any questions, the only one was from Trustee Paul Green, concerning the bank records and Gniewkowski said there are bank records all the way back to 2002.
There were no further questions as the trustees looked over the packet.
It was determined that they will need to take some time to really dig into this request given by the water board and that they will do so and get back with the Northwest Water District Board as soon as they can.
Rebecca can be reached at rebecca@thevillagereporter.com