The Stryker Village Council held their meeting on Monday August 19th. The meeting began at 6:00 p.m. with a prayer followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
Mayor Beck then turned the floor over to Ashley Epling, the executive director of the Williams County Economic Development Corporation.
Epling provided an overview of WEDCO’s current activities, stating that the organization is actively progressing.
WEDCO is presently engaged in eight distinct economic development projects, including several potential expansions.
Additionally, there is one company considering relocating from Indiana to Williams County, as well as another company that is deciding between expanding in Williams County or Indiana.
Epling’s job is to attract and keep businesses countywide and partner with local entities like Stryker. She identified workforce issues and securing a large amount of electricity for potential businesses as her biggest challenges.
She also mentioned that meeting the substantial demand for electricity from data centers interested in locating in Ohio is an ongoing challenge.
Epling talked about how WEDCO is involved in the annual Elevate and Explore program at Bryan High School. She said that the program is a way to help grow the local workforce by connecting junior and senior high school students with 46 local businesses. Last year, students got to learn about potential job opportunities in the county.
The floor was then turned over to Frank Fugate of WODA Cooper Companies Inc. In a closed executive session meeting back in July, Fugate discussed with the council his interest in purchasing the property behind Dollar General.
WODA is interested in purchasing land to build an affordable housing development. The development would feature 50 apartments, including one, two, and three-bedroom units. Rent would be based on income and range from $450 to $1,440 a month for one and two-bedroom apartments.
About 5% of those apartments will be handicapped accessible. Amanda Ater, the company’s senior regional manager, also discussed their intention to implement strict policies and rules regarding the maintenance and upkeep of the apartments.
Mayor Beck noted that this project is still in the early phases and no official agreement has been set in place.
Council approved the minutes from the previous meeting and the financial report. They also passed Resolution #08-2024-3 to prepare and submit an application to the Ohio Public Works Commission.
In addition, council approved the 2nd reading of Ordinance #2007-13, and the 1st readings of Ordinance #2024-08 and Ordinance #2024-09.
With nothing else left to discuss council adjourned for the evening. The next regular meeting is scheduled for September 16th at 6:00 p.m.