By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
Traffic signals in Swanton on Airport Highway are almost completely repaired and should no longer be affected if the power goes out, according to reports at the most recent meeting of the Swanton Village Council.
Public Service Shop Foreman Zach Holdridge reported that the uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units in the affected signals have been replaced.
He said UPS units keep the backup batteries in the signals charged in case of power loss. According to Holdridge, the backup batteries still need to be replaced despite being replaced last year, because the malfunctioning of the UPS units means they weren’t kept charged appropriately, resulting in the batteries losing their ability to be properly charged.
Village Administrator Shannon Shulters said fried control boards were also replaced. Shulters added that they are working on rebidding the lane and signal change project for the intersection of South Main Street and Airport Highway due to the one received bid coming in at more than 150 percent higher than the original estimate.
She said the Ohio Department of Transportation is taking another look at the original estimate and trying to find a way to get the village more money for the work.
FIRE DEPARTMENT
Fire Chief Cuyler Kepling reported the Swanton Fire and Rescue Division responded to 1,379 total calls in 2025, a 2 percent increase over 2024.
Kepling said the number was aided by a surprise decline in calls during December, which saw 99 calls for service, a downward trend from the prior year after consistent increased numbers for several months.
Kepling also reported on a January 1 call, in which the department responded to a report of a suspicious order at Swan Creek Crossing.
He said responders discovered a hydrogen sulfide reading, leading to a Toledo hazmat callout. They were unable to find the source and the smell eventually dissipated, leading them to believe it was sewer gas due to dry pipes caused by ongoing drought conditions.
The department also responded to a structure fire at a pole barn on January 2, receiving assistance from the Delta, Providence, and Liberty Center departments.
Kepling said the department continues to see success in staffing improvements, now being able to staff five responders on both the day and night shifts the majority of the time, compared to five during the day and four at night in 2025.
PUBLIC SERVICE DEPARTMENT
Holdridge reported the department purchased three new fire hydrants, bringing the total number on hand to five. Holdridge said the plan is to replace four broken hydrants this year, as well as repair others.
“Between ordering fire hydrants and replacing the inventory that was used last week at the St. Richard’s Court water main break, we already spent about half of our water budget for the year,” he said, adding “fire hydrants are incredibly expensive.”
Holdridge also reported on electrical issues at Rotary Park, which burned up several Christmas decorations in December.
He said they will be attempting to completely revamp the electric infrastructure with all new parts, and that one individual has volunteered to donate his time to help complete the project.
The department has also implemented radios instead of the old system of just using cellphones, which he said was no longer viable. He said the radios are making much of their work – like plowing snow – easier.
Holdridge reported the department is now part of the SealMaster crack-sealing program, which he said will save the village tens of thousands of dollars every year in street repairs.
WASTEWATER PLANT ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Water Resource Recovery Facility Superintendent Joe Tillison reported he has been dealing with electrical issues at the plant, and that an 800-amp breaker will need to be purchased and installed at a cost of about $22,500 based on preliminary quotes.
The need for the addition comes from the fact that, when a generator was installed eight years ago, no main disconnect from Toledo Edison to the generator or the plant was ever installed.
“This was an unexpected cost, I don’t have that in my budget. It would pretty much wipe me completely out on my maintenance end of things,” Tillison said.
Because of the budget limitations and the fact that the breaker should have been included in the multimillion-dollar WRRF project, Fiscal Officer Holden Benfield recommended that the council approve an appropriation from the general fund to cover the cost.
Benfield said the project was funded through a $4 million loan and a $3 million grant, with the remainder of the costs paid out of the general fund, hence his recommendation that the money be transferred from that fund.
Council members agreed and approved the appropriation.
LEAD TESTING UPDATE
Mayor Neil Toeppe provided an update on lead testing in Swanton in the wake of lead-contaminated dust pollution in Delta during the demolition of the former Bunting Bearings property.
Toeppe said the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency also took samples at the Swanton water plant and did not discover any lead contamination.
He said the village also submits 40 samples twice a year, and those have all been coming back with “zero lead.”
“So far as we can tell from the EPA testing, we seem to be lead-free,” Toeppe said.
FORGOTTEN GRANTS
Benfield reported he has been looking into grants previously obtained by the village in 2022 that were lost track of during the transition to him from the former fiscal officer.
“The grant authorities have been reaching out to me regarding these projects that some of which I didn’t even know were open.
“So we’re trying to see what we can do and how much we can recover out of it,” Benfield said. He said one of the grants was for park pavilions and general park improvements through the state senator’s office in the amount of $100,000.
OTHER BUSINESS
Council members approved on an emergency basis a resolution to send the 1.5-mill replacement park levy to the Fulton County and Lucas County election boards for addition to the May 5 ballot.
The current 1.2-mill levy will no longer be collected after this year, regardless of the May vote. Council members approved on an emergency basis a resolution fixing an accounting issue with no net impact to the budget.
Council members approved the resignation of part-time police officer Marta Bersinger, effective Jan. 12.
Council members approved the change of Firefighter/EMT Dalton Richard from part-time to full-time, effective February 1, at an annual compensation rate of $61,216.80.
Council members approved the appointment of Student Intern Dylan Steiner to the position of part-time firefighter/EMT at an hourly rate of $21.68, after Steiner exceeded the requirements to be a student intern.
Council members approved the appointment of Avery Davis to the position of part-time firefighter/EMT at an hourly rate of $22.18.
Police Chief John Trejo gave his annual update for 2025, telling council members that officers responded to 4,642 total calls in 2025 and completed 680 combined hours of training.
The training volume is up from 476 in 2024 and 395 in 2023. Trejo also reported that all the officers recently completed CPR recertification.
The council ended regular business by going into an executive session for the purpose of discussing pending or potential legal matters as well as economic development opportunities. No action was expected as a result of the session.
The next regular meeting of the Swanton Village Council will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, February 9.