By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
Swanton Mayor Neil Toeppe thanked residents during the most recent Swanton Village Council meeting for their participation in the recent election, while simultaneously praising the candidates.
“Too often, our residents are not presented with choices at the ballot box, but this year was different,” Toeppe said.
“We had six dedicated residents step forward, each offering their time, experience, and concern for the well-being of our village. I commend their commitment to our community and their willingness to serve.”
Toeppe said new council members Pat and David Pilliod, as well as incumbent Noah Kreuz, will likely be sworn in on January 1, 2026, while incumbent Patrick Messenger – who only won reelection by two votes – will be sworn in after certification has been received from the board of elections.
“This election reminds us of two important things,” Toeppe said. “First, the value of having choices, a sign of a healthy, engaged community.
“The second, that every single vote counts. One seat may be decided by two votes, and there was only an eight-vote spread among the final three candidates.”
HALLOWEEN UPDATES
Both Police Chief John Trejo and Fire and Rescue Division Chief Cuyler Kepling gave updates on the success of the Halloween Hoopla and trick-or-treating festivities overall.
Trejo said his department prepared extra bags for the children at the Hoopla and ran out within about 45 minutes, adding that they plan to double down on it next year.
He said he and some of the officers also parked at Eastern District Court to hand out candy and went through all but one of the six bags of Costco candy.
Kepling reported similar success at the Hoopla. “We do 60 dozen donuts, 15 gallons of apple cider, and 10 gallons of hot chocolate, and that was about an hour and 15 minutes, and we were out. Very good this year,” Kepling said.
He said 720 donuts seems to be the appropriate amount, but attempts to increase that number end up with them having a lot of them left over at the end. He pointed out that all the donuts are from Kroger, whose staff makes them fresh that day. “They put in some hard work for us,” he said.
Kepling said that in the last five to 10 years, department staff have not gone out into the community during trick or treating, with a bowl of candy kept at the station. Of that, he said they usually only hand out three to four pieces by the end of the night.
“[This year] we took four trucks, spread them through town, and seemed to be very well received. We look forward to continuing that in the future,” he said.
OTHER BUSINESS
Council members voted to pass on second reading changes to the village’s Community Reinvestment Area provisions.
Finalized information on the changes, as well as what will be included in the ordinance and what will be included in the policy rules adopted separately from the ordinance, will be presented at the next meeting before final passage of the measure.
Changes will also include the creation of a housing council, which will serve in an advisory capacity to the council on matters related to the CRA.
Council members voted to pass on first reading an ordinance increasing the required deposit on fire hydrant meter usage from $2,000 to $5,000 and an increase in fees from $10 per 1,000 gallons to $30, with an additional five cents per additional gallon.
Changes will also be implemented to the policy for payment of the deposit by check to ensure the checks are not automatically voided by age.
Council members voted to pass on an emergency basis an ordinance approving the rezoning of a pair of parcels on Munson Road from B3 central business to R1 single-family residential, following a vote by the Swanton Planning Commission recommending its approval.
The item was passed as an emergency due to the property owner already having parties interested in purchasing the lots to build homes.
Council members approved on first reading an ordinance including temporary appropriations for current and other expenditures for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2026.
Village Administrator Shannon Shulters reported the council will soon be presented with an item regarding language for the renewal and increase of the park levy to appear on the May 2026 ballot.
The levy, which is set to expire, currently raises approximately $72,000 annually, which she said barely covers maintenance of existing park property.
Shulters reported that a proposed mobile food vendor ordinance, updates to the village employee handbook, a 2026 meeting calendar, and a calendar of board and commission seats set to expire in 2026 will be presented at the next council meeting.
Fiscal Officer Holden Benfield reported that, in an audit he completed of January 2022 through January 2023, he discovered several instances of insufficient documentation for the federal I-9 form.
The issues were not on the employee side; instead, they were due to the formal fiscal officer not filling out the employer section of the paperwork. Benfield said he has been working to update and correct the documentation.
Trejo reported the police department responded to 432 calls for service in October.
Kepling reported the fire and rescue division responded to 125 calls for service in October, including 95 EMS calls and 30 fire calls, one of which was for a working structure fire at Worthington Steel, providing mutual aid to Delta.
The next regular meeting of the Swanton Village Council will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, November 24, at 219 Chestnut Street.