PHOTO BY JESSE DAVIS / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
FAULTY FIRE ENGINE … Swanton Fire and Rescue Division Chief Cuyler Kepling, left, provides an update during the Swanton Village Council meeting on the myriad repairs required to the 13-month-old fire engine purchased for $1.45 million in 2024. Also pictured are council members David Pilliod (center left), John Schmidt (center right), and Deacon Dzierzawski (right).
By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
Damage to the Village of Swanton’s offices due to a January fire are believed to be too extensive to warrant rebuilding the structure.
That report came from Village Administrator Shannon Shulters during the most recent meeting of the Swanton Village Council.
Shulters said the structural engineer hired by the village estimated the cost of the damage at between $1.8 million and $2 million and told them it would be “foolish to rebuild” the existing building.
“It’s worse than we thought,” Mayor Neil Toeppe said.
Several council members brought up concerns regarding the building’s trusses, which were damaged in the fire and would need to be replaced.
Shulters said that despite her informing the insurance company of the dates and times of the village-hired structural and mechanical engineers’ inspections, they chose to send theirs the day prior to each.
Toeppe said the village-hired mechanical engineer was more extensive in his inspection than the one sent by the insurance company, pointing out that he took the covers off the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning units rather than only inspecting them from the outside.
He said the additional step turned up plastic that had been turned brittle by the heat and broken, as well as melted parts, leading to him recommending replacement of three and the cleaning of one, as opposed to the insurance company mechanical engineer, who only recommended replacing one and cleaning three.
Shulters also indicated the village-hired structural engineer made a more thorough inspection than that of the one sent by the insurance company.
The results of the inspections and estimate of damage in the millions, she said, justified her prior decision to turn down the initial offer of just $600,000 from the insurance company.
Toeppe said any action on rebuilding or building a new structure would not take place for 18 months or more.
Due to the extended time frame, council members and Shulters agreed the short-term lease for the village’s current office location on Turtle Creek Drive should be revisited.
Due to the initially limited expected length of occupancy, the current cost is more than $3,000 per month. Shulters also pointed out the building in which it is located is mostly empty, with only two other tenants.
Shulters further updated council members on equipment leasing struggles in the wake of the fire.
FIRE TRUCK REPAIRS
Swanton Fire and Rescue Division Chief Cuyler Kepling gave an update on continuing repairs needed for the new $1.45 million fire engine ordered in 2024 before being delivered and put into use just 13 months ago.
According to Kepling, maintenance and repair employees from The Sutphen Corporation — from whom the vehicle was purchased — have had to work on the vehicle five times in the last six months, and have traveled to Swanton to work on it several times as well as the vehicle now having been driven to their facility on several occasions.
Kepling said the village has had to pay $2,000 in travel costs each time the workers came to town as well as the cost of employee pay and fuel to drive it to Sutphen for repairs.
Much, but not all, of the work has been under warranty. He added that the repairs have driven up total maintenance costs for the department, which normally average around $3,000 per year but have already reached or exceeded $12,000 this year.
Each time the engine has been repaired recently, Kepling was told Sutphen was sure they had found the problem, only to find out later that they were wrong and more repairs were required.
In one case a control panel was replaced due to melting, and then the replacement melted a short time later, causing them to now believe there is a short somewhere in the electrical system.
Additionally, the lights on the ladder flash instead of staying on, causing Kepling to bar the vehicle from being used at night in cases where obstructions such as power lines are a concern due to it being a safety hazard.
The possibility of pursuing a more serious response from Sutphen, whether a replacement vehicle or other reimbursement, was said to be on the table and supported by Village Solicitor Kent Murphree, who was in attendance at the meeting.
During the current repairs to the engine, a ladder truck was also out of service for two days for repairs.
Kepling said the Providence Township Fire and Rescue loaned Swanton an engine, but pointed out they didn’t end up needing to use it.
Kepling also provided updates on several other department items. Kepling reported the involvement of a University of Toledo Medical Center doctor and a medical license now allows “seven-minute kits” to be carried on fire engines and in another department vehicle.
The kits include immediate life-or-death drugs such as epinephrine and narcan. He said the remaining fire trucks will soon be authorized to carry the kits as well, and said the whole process only cost $444, with an initial cost for the medication of $1,200. Kepling said most of the medications don’t expire until 2030.
Kepling reported the department responded to 108 calls for service in May, including 87 EMS calls and 21 fire-related calls.
Kepling reported roughly 50 students attended the department’s Safety Village event.
After an executive session at the end of the meeting, council members approved a planned $5,000 salary increase for Kepling.
FOOD TRUCK ORDINANCE
During a meeting of the council’s committee of the whole immediately prior to the regular council meeting, council members continued their discussion on the future of a proposed food truck ordinance.
Kepling provided a copy of Maumee’s food truck ordinance, which he recommended copying in large part.
Council members recommended a permit fee of $75, falling between other communities in the area including Oregon, which charges $35, and Archbold, which charges $100.
Kepling recommended the cost for operating without a permit be the same $75, plus the additional $75 to obtain a permit.
He said he will work with Shulters and Murphree to draft Swanton’s ordinance to be brought back to the council for approval.
CAT PROGRAM UPDATE
An update on the village’s trap-neuter/spay-vaccinate-return/rehome or “TNVR” stray cat program was delivered by council members Deacon Dzierzawski and Dianne Westhoven during the committee of the whole meeting.
Thus far, about 40 cats have been trapped and treated through the program, with 15 to 20 percent of them being rehomed and the remainder returned to their colonies from which they were trapped.
Dzierzawski said the cats have one ear clipped to mark that they have been treated, a process which does not harm or unnecessarily cause pain to the cats according to information he received from the Fulton County Humane Society, which runs the program on behalf of the village.
Dzierzawski also gave an update on proposed language in the written ordinance being developed, including that program staff be authorized to trap cats on properties where colonies are located with or without the resident’s approval.
RESERVOIR FUTURE
Council members discussed potential repairs to the village’s deep well and the possibility of digging a new reservoir during the committee of the whole meeting.
Councilman Noah Kreuz brought up the potential relining, saying now was a good time to look into grants for the work.
Councilman David Pilliod said the current reservoir is too shallow as it is, only being roughly 13 feet deep where a depth of 40 feet would provide more water, prevent the growth of plants on the bottom of the reservoir, and aid in chlorination efforts.
He added that the land adjacent to the current reservoir already purchased by the village was shown by engineers to be able to hold water if a new reservoir was dug there, and that digging it would yield millions of dollars worth of sand that could be sold by the village.
Dzierzawski pointed out the age of the current reservoir, saying it was dug in 1928 after the prior reservoir collapsed.
OTHER BUSINESS
Council members approved on second reading the elimination of the Downtown Design Review Board and reassignment of its duties regarding the Downtown Facade Grant Program to the village administrator and fiscal officer, and the elimination of the Tree Commission and reassignment of its duties to the Public Service Department and the village administrator.
Council members approved retroactively a transfer made by Shulters of $10,000 from contingency funds to cover engineering fees for the Crestwood Drive project.
The project is set to start at the end of June, with one lane of traffic maintained for resident access.
Council members Pilliod and John Schmidt were selected as members of the Community Reinvestment Area Housing Council.
Toeppe reported he had selected Ben Remer and Scott Drummond as his two appointees. The Planning Commission will name two additional appointees, followed by the housing council selecting an additional two members from the public.
Toeppe reported interviews for the second round of applicants for fiscal officer were beginning the following day.
Shulters, who has been serving in the role on an interim basis for the second time in four years, reported she was voluntarily taking additional financial training including on the accounting reporting system in order to improve her skills and ensure everything was being done correctly in the meantime.
After an executive session at the end of the meeting, council members voted to approve another monthly bonus of $3,000 for Shulters due to her double duty.
During the meeting of the committee of the whole, council members discussed potential implementation of a fee structure for long-term parking in village-owned lots due in part to the extensive use of the lot behind the village offices by commercial entities.
Shulters reported Shop Foreman of Public Service Zack Holdridge had been promoted to public service superintendent.
Shulters reported a quote was received to repair Airport Highway from Main Street to Ballas Chevrolet from substandard paving work done by the prior contractor, at an unexpectedly high $150,000 and not including remilling of the road.
She emailed the prior contractor to obtain an additional quote, calling it an opportunity for them to “redeem themselves.”
Council members also recommended reaching out to the Ohio Department of Transportation to see if it could be added to their planned repaving of Airport Highway from McCord Road to Main Street set for next summer, which could potentially greatly reduce the village’s costs.
Shulters reported the closure of Hallett Avenue for the second phase of a project there originally set to begin that day had been delayed to the following day, with one lane of traffic to be kept open except during work on the overpass.
She said the entire project was on track to be completed by the middle of August.
The public portion of the meeting ended with the council going into executive session for the purpose of discussing public employee matters, pending or potential legal matters, economic development opportunities, and contract discussions.
The next regular meeting of the Swanton Village Council will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, June 22, at The Venue on Main, 124 N. Main Street, preceded by a brief look at the fire-damaged village offices at 219 Chestnut Street at 6:30 p.m.