PORT AUTHORITY REPRESENTATIVE … Visitor Sean Rupp, of the Williams County Port Authority (WCPA), sharing WCPA goals. (PHOTO BY ANNA WOZNIAK, STAFF)
By: Anna Wozniak
Pioneer Village Council met April 4, 2023 at 7 p.m. at the Pioneer Community Center.
Present were Council members Ben Fiser, Bill Turner, Randy Cochran, Will Cable, and Trevor West. Councilor Traci Filson was absent.
Also present were Pioneer Fiscal Officer Elizabeth Kidston, Mayor Edward Kidston, Village Administrator Alan Fiser, and solicitor Tom Thompson.
For the 105 minutes that council was in session, one visitor was greeted, five reports were heard, and passed were one ordinance and one resolution.
The Williams County Port Authority was greeted by council after the pledge of allegiance, approval of the current agenda, and approval of the minutes of both the March 6 and March 28 meetings.
Sean Rupp and Dawn Fitzcharles presented Council with the entire background of the Port Authority, and after 40 minutes of discussion, Mayor Kidston expressed interest in partnering with the Port Authority in ways similar to how Montpelier and Bryan have been.
The financial reports and bills were then approved before Chief Tim Livengood gave the police department report, where he shared the progress on the Safety Committee, body camera grant, and K-9 project funding.
The fire department is still working on getting more portable radios for their firefighters. Alan Fiser gave the administrator’s report, detailing how April 21-22 is large trash day.
Elizabeth Kidston shared that Family Dollar is reapplying for their liquor permit, and related that if any council member had an objection to this renewal that they had the opportunity to do so then. There were no objections. There is also a records meeting set up.
Councilor Ben Fiser shared that he is hard at work updating the village’s website.
Then passed were Ordinance 4-2023, which was an amendment due to finding a great candidate for a clerk position, and Resolution 101-2023, which allowed for Pioneer to participate in the ODOT road salt bidding program.
Council adjourned at 8:45 p.m., after the mayor expressed interest in finding solutions to the issue of needing a larger police station and official council chambers.
Anna can be reached at anna@thevillagereporter.com
