PHOTO BY JESSE DAVIS / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
RED FLAGS … Former Swanton fiscal officer Holden Benfield shares his concerns for how the Swanton Village Council is conducting itself and its business during the council’s most recent meeting. His comments come in the wake of the recent announcement by Village Administrator and Interim Fiscal Officer Shannon Shulters that she will be resigning in the near future.
By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
Swanton’s former fiscal officer, the director of the local chamber of commerce, and a past council member each spoke in opposition to the behavior and direction of the Swanton Village Council during its most recent meeting.
The comments came after Village Administrator and Interim Fiscal Officer Shannon Shulters announced her resignation the prior week amid challenges on the job and ever-increasing responsibilities and demands on her time.
COUNCIL CRITICIZED OVER STAFFING LOSSES
Former Fiscal Officer Holden Benfield was the first to speak and had the harshest words for the council.
Benfield said that when he started working for the village in 2023, he “came into a fiscal nightmare” which he was only able to dig out of due to months of hard work, patience from the council, and support from the administration.
“I hope that will never happen again, but I cannot believe that if it did, that that support would exist with the current council.
“Both in my experience and in my opinion, if you found yourself in the same situation, pressure would mount, the fiscal officer wouldn’t have the time needed to learn the context or the job, and they would quit to seek a less stressful environment,” Benfield said.
He said it would become a cycle, and that while you “can’t forecast how long it will take to fill a role,” “you can estimate how attractive you are to incoming staff.” “If it were me, you are not,” he said.
Benfield called the current council “defunct,” and said he left the position in March “because I could see the downward spiral for what it was.”
He said he believed it isn’t worth raising concerns without also providing possible solutions, which led into his strongest words for council members both in critique and in recommendations.
Benfield said Councilman David Pilliod “repeatedly and unbendingly related situations to policies from the first half of the 1900s, the Reagan administration, and tried to advocate for reinstating council authority over things that are in direct contest with the [Ohio Revised Code] due to it being ‘how it was always done in the past.’”
He recommended Pilliod consider more modern ideas and look to other municipalities when considering legislation.
During Benfield’s comments, Pilliod repeatedly attempted to interrupt and question him and was reminded several times by both Benfield and Mayor Neil Toeppe that the public comment period of the meeting was for public comment only and not for a back-and-forth with council members.
He said Councilman Deacon Dzierzawski could not stop himself from talking over others, including himself during conversations on the budget, and that he requested a “burdensome” amount of information from village staff whose time was already at a premium.
Benfield also said Dzierzawski’s requests for the same information repeatedly, although worded differently, “made me feel as though you had not even read the things I had sent, except to find talking points for the next meeting.”
He recommended Dzierzawski take more time to consider his words before speaking, noting that “if you curtailed even half of your topics by slowing yourself down to fully understand what you’ve been provided, the conversation would be more productive.”
For Councilmen John Schmidt and Noah Kreuz, Benfield said the village needed a concrete plan, that it has “lost its sense of direction,” and that too much talking needed to be replaced with action.
“Only fighting won’t lead anywhere, compromise has to be made even if it amounts to a ‘ceasefire,’” Benfield said.
Benfield’s mildest words were for Councilwomen Dianne Westhoven and Pat Pilliod, whom he said should speak up and share more of their opinions, saying he thought they had good ideas.
“It seems as though in the past months, council has been governed by two or three people. I hope the both of you can remedy that,” he said.
Benfield closed by sharing his concern for the ability of the village to generate economic development in recently annexed property, the continued growth of the town, and residents’ property values.
After Benfield, Swanton Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Delray Busch shared a brief statement, in which she also questioned the effect of staffing losses on economic development, pointing out that businesses choosing where to locate look for stability.
“The recent resignation of Village Administrator Shannon Shulters follows the departure of Holden Benfield within the first six months of the new council taking office.
“The loss of two experienced employees in key leadership and financial positions within a short period raises understandable concerns about communication, internal support, continuity, and the future direction of village operations,” Busch said.
She called personnel matters “complex” and said “the public does not always see the full picture,” but that the chamber board was concerned how the turnover would affect businesses, residents, village employees, community partners, and future development.
“We are asking council to take this moment seriously and consider what steps are needed to strengthen communication, working relationships, and organizational support,” Busch said.
Busch was followed by former Councilwoman Samantha Disbrow, who shared her concerns about the interactions between council members and village staff.
“Over the past several months, I have become increasingly concerned about the relationship between this council and village staff.
“It is my understanding from what I’ve been told from employees, administration, heads of department, that staff members are spending an excessive amount of time responding to demands of an individual council member instead of focusing on serving the residents of Swanton,” Disbrow said.
She said there is a point where oversight becomes micromanagement which interferes with staff doing their jobs, explicitly identifying the individual in question as Dzierzawski.
“His approach has become counterproductive. In my opinion, the constant demands for information, involvement in administrative matters have created unnecessary strain on village operations.
“Whether you agree with his intentions or not, the results should concern everyone.
“If experienced employees are leaving or considering leaving because the work environment has become difficult, that should be a wake-up call for this council,” Disbrow said.
She said council members should focus on “setting policy and establishing priorities, not managing day-to-day operations.”
SHORT-TERM RENTAL BAN
Council members voted down a proposed ordinance banning the use of properties in R1, R2 and R3 residential zones for short-term rentals such as those offered through popular services Airbnb and Vrbo, partially due to an impassioned plea from a resident running several such rentals in the village.
Amanda Church said she has been a resident of the village for seven years and has restored multiple properties for that purpose, including several on Main Street.
She said she is the only person in the village currently offering short-term rentals in Swanton and that all of them are in residential districts.
In addition to asking the council reconsider the banning of short-term rentals in residential districts, she shared her disappointment that no one from the village contacted her about the proposed ordinance, which she heard about while in line at a local ice cream shop.
She agreed, however, that some kind of regulation was positive and needed. Church was joined by her attorney and several residents of properties neighboring her rentals in support of her request.
Council members also made their decision to at least temporarily stop pursuing an ordinance due to Ohio Senate Bill 104.
That bill, which is currently in committee according to Village Solicitor Kent Murphree, would take away from municipalities the authority to regulate short-term rentals in favor of state-level legislation.
SEASONAL VEHICLES
Council members approved on first reading a revised version of an ordinance regulating the storage of seasonal vehicles on residential properties.
The ordinance’s main goal is preventing residents from using such vehicles as permanent living spaces, among other concerns.
Kreuz said the original wording was “too prohibitive,” having previously called it an overstepping of the village’s authority.
The new version includes more carve-outs for reasonable use, such as connection to water and electrical service for preparatory purposes.
Dzierzawski asked that the proposed ordinance be further revised to allow people to stay in the vehicles for up to 30 days to allow for such situations as visiting family who may not want to stay in a hotel.
OTHER BUSINESS
Council members approved on an emergency basis an ordinance regulating the use of e-bikes, including where different classes of e-bikes can and cannot be used in the village.
Police Chief John Trejo agreed to research the possibility of licensing the bikes and requiring colored stickers indicating the class of the bike.
Council members approved on an emergency basis an additional $114,534.65 to cover additional paving on Hallett Avenue.
Council members approved on second reading an ordinance codifying the village’s trap, neuter/spay, vaccinate, return/rehome, or “TNVR” program, designed to manage the village’s stray cat population.
Council members approved on second reading an ordinance standardizing and applying to all ordinance violations fines and penalties in order to give the village more options to address such issues.
Council members approved on second reading an ordinance requiring a fee of $200 per vehicle per month for commercial vehicles to be left on certain village parking lots.
Council members approved on second reading an updated version of an ordinance regulating mobile food vendors.
Council members approved on first reading an ordinance barring commercial soliciting in the village. The ordinance allows for soliciting by community groups like scouts, school children, nonprofits and political canvassers.
At the request of council, a stipulation will be added requiring the village and police department to be notified when authorized solicitors plan to be active.
Council members approved the transfer of $26,000 from the general fund to the water treatment fund to cover several attachments for a new backhoe.
The transfer will more than cover the cost, and the $26,000 in funding was generated through the sale of the old backhoe.
Council members approved the transfer of $10,000 from water operations to water distribution to cover bills.
Council members approved the resignation of part-time firefighter/paramedic Josh Anderson, effective July 31. Anderson works full-time for another department and, with overtime hours there as well, no longer has time to devote to Swanton’s department.
Council members approved shifting part-time EMT McKenna Messenger to full-time firefighter/EMT.
Messenger will graduate from paramedic school in the coming weeks, is nearing completion of her level one fire training, and is set to begin level two fire training soon.
Council members requested a representative from Buckeye Pumps be asked to attend a council meeting to answer questions on ongoing pump issues after one of the village’s high-service pumps failed to start on July 9 due to a drive issue.
The business also delayed planned delivery of a new high-service pump and motor from July 10 to July 23 due to parts backorders.
Council members set Halloween trick-or-treating for 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 31.
Police Chief John Trejo reported the police department responded to 349 calls for service in June.
Fire and Rescue Division Chief Kepling reported his department responded to 120 calls for service in June, bringing the total calls for the first half of the year to 671.
Patricia Pilliod reported Swanton’s pickleball group has offered to reseal the pickleball courts, purchase nets and poles, and expand to six total courts, all at their own expense with no cost to the village.
Dzierzawski reported on the village’s trap, neuter/spay, vaccinate, return/rehome, or “TNVR” program, stating 59 cats have been trapped so far.
The next regular meeting of the Swanton Village Council will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, August 10, at The Venue on Main, 124 N. Main Street, to be preceded by a meeting of the council’s committee of the whole at 6 p.m.