By: Brianna Balogh
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
A regular meeting of Pioneer Village Council was held on April 14th, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. Mayor Kidston called the meeting to order. Roll call was taken with members Dean Frisbie, Bryan Gendron, Ben Fiser, Joe Nickloy, and Trever West present and councilor Al Fiser absent.
A motion to approve the agenda was made by Fiser, seconded by West, and approved by all members present.
The minutes from the March 10th regular council meeting were presented. A motion to approve the minutes was made by West, seconded by Gendron, and approved by the council.
The financial report for March 2025 was presented to the council. A motion to approve was made by Nickloy, seconded by Gendron, and approved by all present.
Upon a motion by Nickloy, seconded by Fiser, the council approved placing the bills in the claims order and issuing an order from the treasury for payment.
Chief Livengood presented the police report statistics for March. The second page showed an overall breakdown of incidents taken care of. In total, there were 50 reports taken. The chief also presented the Deployment Summary. Livengood reported on K-9 Vader and how well he has been performing in his training.
Livengood also discussed the annual nuisance violation process, noting that his team will be addressing these throughout the village, including the new ordinance on grass and weeds.
Nickloy inquired about the vehicle issues, and West asked if anything could be done regarding the vehicle nuisance if it is registered. Livengood outlined the process for handling those situations.
Frisbie asked about where things stand with the portable speed limit sign and West asked if the one on State Street was working well. Livengood stated the portable speed limit sign would be coming soon and he would provide a report on this in the future to give the council a better understanding of the benefit.
Mayor Kidston invited Fire Chief Swank to speak. Chief Swank discussed his monthly report in which he stated they had 28 calls since the previous council meeting.
The chief stated that their department would be hosting the County Fire Chiefs’ meeting on April 30th. Chief Swank gave an update on the MARCS radios. Updates and programming will be completed on all but one radio this week as they are still waiting for a mobile ID for one radio.
Administrator Anthony Burnett thanked Brooke Kimberly and the volunteers and donors for the hard work and efforts put toward the Pioneer Easter Egg Hunt. It was good weather, a large crowd, and a lot of donations. He added that the event saw a great turnout and displayed strength in the community.
Next, Burnett addressed the need for an additional change order for the Cedar Street project in the amount of $638.10. The change is necessary due to the discovery of a couple of existing clay drainage tiles that needed to be connected to the new system. Fiser made a motion to approve the change order to Bryan Excavating for $638.10 which was seconded by Nickloy and approved by all present.
Burnett discussed the ordinance on the agenda accepting the bid for Power Construction Group for the Kexon Substation.
He stated after reviewing the bid and trusting the engineers and attorneys, it’s recommended to award the bid to Power Construction Group. There were four bids in total.
An annexation agreement came before the council for approval allowing the construction of a power pole line to get electricity to the site ensuring everything is in place to begin moving equipment.
The new ordinance for tall grass and weeds took effect on April 15th. A notice was placed in the newspaper and notices have been put up to make residents aware.
If anyone sees anything that needs to be addressed, they should let Burnett or Livengood know, and violation notices can be issued.
The cemetery cleanup took place on April 15th, when decorations, flowers, blankets, and other items were removed. Efforts were made to use discretion when deciding which items to leave behind.
Burnett discussed upgrading technology. He stated that after a discussion with Livengood and Mittelstaedt, it makes sense to move forward with a two-year process for full replacement across the village starting with two new servers for administration this year.
This should be half the cost of what was budgeted originally. Once on a cycle, the administration would be provided updates every four years, with year five focused on police, water, and electric. In year seven, updates would again be made to the servers.
Burnett gave an update on the Cedar Street project. They are expected to finish the underground infrastructure this week. They hope to begin removing the sub-grade by the end of the month and plan to have the asphalt laid by June 1st. After that, they will work on grading and seeding.
In the Splash Pad Project update, it was noted that crews will begin moving dirt since the Easter Egg Hunt has passed.
Burnett presented printed maps showing that the Williams County Port Authority had acquired two lots on Clear Fork Drive and inquired about what the village was willing to offer for the build.
There are tap fees for water and sewer, temporary power, and fees for installing permanent power to the house, along with permit fees. The house is being built in partnership with the American Legion.
The Legion is donating to the house with the hope that it will go to a veteran, but there is no guarantee.
Water and sewer taps are generally $500 each, but the cost depends on the location and any additional materials needed. Temporary electric service is usually not charged, but it is metered and billed based on usage.
Once the house is built, depending on the location of the meter and breaker panel, a $200-$250 meter base may need to be purchased, though a standard one is free.
Additional costs include trenching and wire. If water taps are already in place, the inspection fee is $50, with the same fee applying for sewer taps.
Mayor Kidston asked for a motion to waive fees for the Port Authority for the two lots on Clear Fork Drive. The motion to accept was made by Frisbie, seconded by West, and approved by all present.
Burnett discussed the Cogswell property noting Phase 2 has finally been conducted. They were on-site last week to complete the boring and collect samples, and the village is now waiting on the results.
Fiscal Officer Mittlesteadt shared that a couple of donations were received in March. One was from the American Legion in the amount of $2,913.00 for flags, and another was a $100 donation from Dean Frisbie and his wife for the splash pad. A motion to accept the donations was made by Fiser, seconded by West, and approved by all present.
Mittelstaedt informed the council that the street assessment for the first year of 2024 had been received, totaling $95,000. The mayor added that this amount covers all the streets that have been built.
When a street is constructed, property owners have the option to either pay the assessment upfront or spread the cost over 20 years through their property taxes. The total reflects those ongoing payments.
In the summer recreation update, Mittelstaedt explained that in 2024 the village donated back to organizations that worked concessions.
For example, if the junior class signs up for three spring ball games, they will get $150. For three summer ball games, they receive $200 plus an additional $50 for each additional game.
Mittelstaedt asked for a motion to continue the same arrangement for 2025. A motion was made by Gendron, seconded by West, to approve donating $150 or $200, depending on the games, to community organizations that volunteer to work the concession stands. The motion was approved by all present.
Mittelstaedt explained that the Medical Mutual invoice was slightly higher this time because four employees had never been added to the Life Insurance and AD&D coverage. This happened because they had opted out of medical insurance, and the life insurance enrollment is part of that same paperwork.
The issue has now been corrected and backdated, resulting in an additional $235 on the current invoice. Going forward, it will add about $22 per month.
Retail liquor permit renewals for businesses in the community were discussed. A notice regarding this was included in the meeting packet. The council needed to make a motion stating they had no objection to the current businesses renewing their liquor licenses.
A motion to approve liquor sales in the Village of Pioneer was made by Fiser and seconded by Nickloy. The motion was approved by all present.
Lastly, Mittelstaedt reviewed the details of the amended appropriations ordinance included in the meeting packet. She explained that $1,200 for mosquito spray had originally been budgeted under the street fund, but per the auditors, it needs to be paid from the general fund. Additionally, there are state auditor fees totaling $3,800.
The Ohio Plan insurance premium came in higher than expected, requiring an additional appropriation of $2,900. There is also a $340 expense for TPA services related to Workers’ Compensation. Finally, a $1,300 invoice for flags was received, which will need to be appropriated, with the understanding that donations will cover that cost.
The final appropriations discussed were for the Cedar Street Project in the amount of $1,329,000 and a $910 permit renewal for the sewer. The mayor suggested holding a finance meeting to review the Cedar Street Project and determine where funds can be drawn from to complete it.
The mayor feels the village is in good shape financially from the standpoint of being able to pay for everything.
Mayor Kidston asked the council if they had anything further to discuss. He then thanked the group that organized the Easter Egg Event. He added that it’s a lot of hard work and he thanked the sponsors who donated.
The council addressed the following legislation:
-Ordinance 10-2025 AN ORDINANCE TO APPROVE THE MARCH 2025 REPLACEMENT PAGES TO THE PIONEER CODIFIED ORDINANCES AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
Motion to suspend the rules by Nickloy, seconded by B. Fiser. Motion to approve by Gendron, seconded by Nickloy. Mayor Kidston asked attorney Thompson to explain. Thompson stated it’s the annual re-codification.
It adopts everything that the state has changed over the course of the year and puts it into the municipal code, and then any ordinances that the village adopted also replace pages for Pioneer’s codified ordinances. Approved by all present.
-Ordinance 11-2025 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE APPROPRIATIONS FOR 2025 AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
A motion to suspend the rules was made by Fiser and seconded by West. A motion to approve the ordinance followed, also made by Fiser and seconded by West. Both motions were approved by all present.
-Ordinance 12-2025 AN ORDINANCE ACCEPTING THE BID OF POWER CONSTRUCTION GROUP, LLC FOR THE PIONEER NORTH SUBSTATION PROJECT; AUTHORIZING THE VILLAGE ADMINISTRATOR TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH POWER CONSTRUCTION GROUP, LLC; AUTHORIZING THE VILLAGE ADMINISTRATOR TO SIGN ALL OTHER AGREEMENTS, DOCUMENTS AND CERTIFICATIONS NECESSARY TO EFFECTUATE THE AGREEMENT; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
A motion to suspend the rules was made by Nickloy and seconded by Fiser. A motion to approve was made by Gendron and seconded by B. Fiser. Mayor Kidston stated that this is the final piece of the substation.
The materials have been on hand for a couple of years, and it’s now time to proceed with installation. The AMP loan will be used to cover the cost, and the USDA PACE loan will also come into play once the loan documents are received. Although the village has been given the green light by USDA, the loan documents have not yet arrived.
The hope is that this will happen soon, allowing the project to move forward with the solar field. The motion was approved by all present.
-Resolution 103-2025 RESOLUTION CREATING THE “K-9 UNIT” FUND FOR RECEIVING AND DISBURSING FUNDS RELATED TO THE PIONEER POLICE DEPARTMENT K-9 UNIT PROGRAM AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
A motion to suspend the rules was made by Gendron and seconded by B. Fiser. A motion to approve was made by Gendron and seconded by Nickloy.
Mittelstaedt explained that this fund needed approval from the council and then approval from the state auditors, as stated by the auditor. The motion was approved by all present.
-Resolution 104-2025 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING PARTICIPATION IN THE ODOT ROAD SALT CONTRACTS AWARDED IN 2025.
A motion to pass was made by Fiser and seconded by Frisbie. Mittelstaedt explained that every year, the village purchases salt from ODOT in preparation for winter, typically around 75-100 tons. The motion was approved by all present.
-Resolution 105-2025 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE VILLAGE ADMINISTRATOR TO ENTER INTO A PRE-ANNEXATION AGREEMENT WITH ECKLEY ENTERPRISES, LLC AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
A motion to suspend the rules was made by B. Fiser and seconded by West. The motion was approved by all present.
-Resolution 105-2025 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE VILLAGE ADMINISTRATOR TO ENTER INTO A PRE-ANNEXATION AGREEMENT WITH ECKLEY ENTERPRISES, LLC AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
A motion to pass was made by West and seconded by Fiser. The mayor explained that the village would enter into an agreement with the proper annexation papers, which have already been filed with the county commissioners. The process will take about six months.
The agreement will provide him with power, and he has agreed to annex and hopes that everything will proceed smoothly. The motion was approved by all present.
-Ordinance 5-2025 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE APPROPRIATIONS FOR ORDINANCE 4-2025 AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
A motion to suspend the rules was made by Nickloy and seconded by Gendron. The motion was approved by all present.
-Ordinance 5-2025 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE APPROPRIATIONS FOR ORDINANCE 4-2025 AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
A motion to pass was made by West and seconded by Gendron. Mittelstaedt explained that this appropriation was needed to fix the Kexon Capital Fund.
An error had been made where an amount was subtracted instead of added to the appropriations, so it needed to be reapproved. The motion was approved by all present.
Fiser then made a motion to enter into an executive session to discuss property disposition and potential acquisition. The motion was seconded by West and approved by all present.