PHOTO BY BRENNA WHITE / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
REDD GRANT UPDATE … Fiscal Officer Beth Rediger updates the Stryker Village Council on the ongoing REDD applications — if awarded, the proposed project could bring over 100 new homes to Stryker.
By: Brenna White
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
Stryker Village Council met on Monday, May 18, 2026, to provide grant application updates, discuss the stray cat population, and pass a resolution outlining a new trash service for Stryker residents.
Mayor Joe Beck, Council President Vicki Cameron, Shawna Leupp, Kenny Williams, Sean Ingram, and Rebecca Miller were in attendance. Administrator Alan Riegsecker and Fiscal Officer Beth Rediger were also present.
Council suspended and approved an emergency resolution authorizing a refuse and recycling contract with ARS, a trash service company located in Archbold. This provides trash pick-up to all Stryker residents.
The agreement includes weekly trash collection, biweekly recycling pickup, and monthly large-item collection. The contract is set to officially begin October 1, 2026, and continue for a period of five years.
Under the agreement, village utility customers would pay $11.20 per month for trash service and $4 per month for recycling services, totaling $15.20 per month.
Officials noted that this rate would help cover fuel surcharges, annual large-item pickup and compost dumpster services available to residents.
Fiscal Officer Rediger announced she is applying for the second round of Residential Economic Development District (REDD) grant funding, with applications opening up once again on May 15.
The REDD grant is designed to support counties, townships, and municipalities in Ohio by providing grants for housing development projects. It aims to fill the gap of housing shortages in workforce-dense areas.
To apply, municipalities must be within 25 miles of a major workforce development. For Stryker, they are within range of two factories, including First Quality Tissue located in Defiance and Blue Star in Delta.
Stryker is the only village within Williams County that is eligible for the REDD grant.
The State of Ohio will be releasing $10,000,000 in funds for applicable projects. A range of $250,000 to $2,500,000 is allotted for each applied area.
After first applying in January 2026, Rediger stated that she will be strengthening their application for the second round. Letters of support have been sent by County Commissioners, WEDCO, and the Williams County Port Authority. Local businesses will also be sending letters of support.
“We are planning on reapplying this next week,” Rediger said. “This is for housing on the south property.”
The Village of Stryker’s plan outlines a five-year strategy to bring over 100 new homes to Stryker — substantially increasing the residential area of the village. The town has 34.48 acres set aside on the southeast side of town.
100 houses in a Planned Unit Development (PUD) were outlined, with engineering prints already made up for the proposition.
They consist of four different plots, which would be created in succession of each other. A third and final reading of an ordinance regarding animals running at large was approved.
This directly involves any owned animals, such as dogs or chickens, running loose within the village. Any resident in violation of the new ordinance may face a minor misdemeanor charge.
Police Chief Steve Mendez also brought up concerns with overpopulation with stray cats. He noted receiving several complaints from several residents where they had litters of stray kittens born in their yard.
Rediger noted that several years ago they partnered with the Williams County Humane Society for a trap-neuter-return (TNR) program. After too much demand, the Humane Society stopped the program and the village has not participated in any since. Chief Mendez stated he will look into other potential programs to address the growing problem.
The village met with an engineer for a pre-construction meeting on May 14 to discuss the Stryker Water Tower project.
Crews will begin construction on June 20, with estimates that it will take five to six weeks for total completion of the tower portion.
The electric panel portion of the project will take longer. It can take up to four to six months to build the panels.
Council also received information regarding several upcoming community programs, including a summer lunch program hosted through the Northwestern Ohio Community Action Commission (NOCAC) and the Stryker United Methodist Church.
The program will provide free lunches for children ages 1-18, beginning June 3, 2026. Meals will be served Monday through Friday from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Additionally, Sue Buehrer updated the Council on the Stryker Depot and the “Mini Museum” expansion. May and June will have extended visiting hours.
The depot will be open Thursday afternoons from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., along with Select Sunday openings connected to the Yellowstone Trail tourism efforts and Fulton County events.
With no further business, the meeting adjourned at 6:44 p.m. The next Stryker Village Council meeting is scheduled for June 8, 2026.
A Judiciary Committee meeting is scheduled for 5:00 p.m., with the regular council meeting set for 6:00 p.m. directly afterwards.