PHOTO BY JESSE DAVIS / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
SEWER TALK … Swanton Village Administrator Shannon Shulters (left) explains a sewer issue in the village while addressing village council members during their most recent meeting. Also pictured is Mayor Neil Toeppe (right).
By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
Storm runoff issues at a subdivision in Swanton led to an ordinance change as the village works to finish the last of its tasks to come into compliance with EPA requirements.
Under the requirements, the village has been separating its storm sewer (which collects rainwater) and its sanitary sewer (which collects wastewater), with just one remaining.
Village Administrator Shannon Shulters said that during the recent storms, rainwater got into the sanitary sewer at the West Ridge Drive subdivision and caused the sewer to back up into the basements of three homes.
According to Shulters, village employees performed a dye test trace where they were able to confirm the location where the rainwater was entering the sanitary sewer, on private property.
Shulters brought to council an ordinance making changes to the local regulations on sanitary sewers, stormwater inflow, and related issues in order for the village to be able to address the issue. She said the ordinance had not been updated since 1993, and not before that since it was implemented in 1970.
Mayor Neil Toeppe said the changes will also help the village maintain compliance with EPA regulations, which carry penalties should the village be found in violation.
Council members voted to pass the changes on an emergency basis, taking effect immediately.
COMMITTEE UPDATES
Council members provided updates on the village’s new stray cat management and parks committees.
Councilwoman Dianne Westhoven said the cat program had resulted in 19 cats being trapped so far since they began on March 25, with 18 being healthy enough for surgery and one getting treatment first.
An additional cat was trapped but escaped the trap. Of the 19, 11 were captured on Lincoln Avenue, four on Fairfield Drive, and three at a house on Dodge Street.
Councilwoman Pat Pilliod said the parks committee came up with several areas to focus on, with each committee member aiming to become a subject matter expert on one.
One of the goals is improving summer programs, with the potential of adding yoga and pilates, a summer painting class, and guitar lessons, with teachers paying the village a small fee to put on the courses.
Pilliod also said the committee discussed the park levy that will be on the upcoming May 5 election as well as attempts to get pricing for repaving park roads, resurfacing the basketball court, and maintenance of sports fields.
FINANCIAL UPDATES
Shulters gave an update on her efforts to manage the village’s finances in the absence of a fiscal officer. According to Shulters, there’s been “a lot of cleaning up” and “going backward more than forward,” but that things were starting to go smoother.
She reported one issue she discovered and is working to remedy where insurance payments, among other similar payments, were still being made on behalf of people who were no longer employed by the village.
Council members passed a series of retroactive approvals of appropriations made by Shulters in her efforts to clean up and manage several of the funds, including $50,000 in water and wastewater funds, roughly $64,668 to cover unfunded cybersecurity government mandates, and just under $3,000 in unneeded police motor vehicle funds.
In related activity, council members voted to make an offer of employment to fiscal officer applicant Joe Schroeder after an executive session at the end of regular business.
OTHER BUSINESS
Council members approved on an emergency basis the annexation of a pair of properties totaling just under 34 acres.
The properties were intended to be included with the previous annexation of 168 acres, but were delayed due to extenuating circumstances.
Council members approved on second reading an ordinance increasing the fee for street lighting $33 per property.
Upon the request of Councilman Noah Kreuz and with the support of other council members, Shulters will be increasing the fee in the final version from the $1 increase to a $5 increase, bringing the fee to $37.
Kreuz agreed to look into the possibility of First Energy carrying responsibility for lighting maintenance and the impact it would have on lighting fees for village residents following a request from a resident at the meeting.
Council members approved on second reading an ordinance increasing the fee for seasonal leaf collection by 50 cents to $15.50 per property. Shulters said the increase was an adjustment to cover the cost of brush pick-up service.
Council members approved on second reading a resolution authorizing the zoning inspector to provide written approval to the Fulton County Regional Planning Commission for lot split requests.
Council members approved a retroactive change of former fiscal officer Holden Benfield’s final date of employment to April 25 in order to cover his vacation and personal leave.
Shulters reported payment had been submitted on and the village now owned the former Elks building, and that she had submitted an application to the Fulton County Land Bank/Maumee Valley Planning Organization for funding of the demolition.
Council members voted to bring back from tabling an item on regulations regarding the parking of seasonal vehicles on residential lots before voting to postpone the second reading until the May 26 meeting.
The next regular meeting of the Swanton Village Council will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 11, at Ritter Hall, 124 N. Main Street, preceded by a meeting of the council’s committee of the whole at 6 p.m.
