PHOTO BY BRENNA WHITE / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
DITCH DISCUSSION … Engineer Todd Roth reports his recommendations for courses of action regarding the Ebersole Ditch #744 Petition.
By: Brenna White
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
The Williams County Commissioners convened for a regular session on October 23, 2025, addressing several key matters, including a land transfer benefiting the Wabash Cannonball Trail, an increase in a community corrections grant, and the dismissal of a ditch petition.
The meeting was called to order, with Vice President Scott Lirot and Bart Westfall in attendance. Terry Rummel joined via Zoom call; however, he refrained from participating in any motions.
A budget hearing was first held with Judge Rhonda Fisher and Court Administrator Kim Coller. Several items were requested for the 2026 budget, including: a fully funded magistrate for Judge Fisher, 3% wage increase for employees, and health insurance for an employee who previously waived coverage.
The commissioner board will make the final budget delegations on December 18, 2025, as they review all departments’ necessities.
Next, the board approved the minutes from the October 16, 2025, meeting and the agenda as presented. The payment of bills was passed without discussion.
Transfer appropriations were approved on behalf of the Board of Developmental Disabilities, Clerk of Courts (Legal and Title), Commissioners’ Office, Department of Aging, Engineer’s Office, and the Veteran Services’ Office.
An addendum to the existing Community-Based Corrections Subsidy Grant Agreement was approved. The original agreement, approved on June 10, 2025, provided $185,732 in grant funds.
The addendum, submitted by Tonya Justice of the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio, approved an increase of $13,676. This brings the new total grant amount to $199,408.
The commissioners moved forward to authorize the Williams County Prosecutor’s Office to dispose of a forfeited motor vehicle: a 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The vehicle’s fair market value is less than $5,000 and is not needed for public use.
The prosecutor may sell the vehicle by private sale, donate it to a nonprofit, or sell/donate it to the federal government, state, or a public subdivision. Any funds generated from a sale must be placed in the Prosecutor’s Law Enforcement Trust Fund.
A transfer and exchange of land with the Village of West Unity to benefit the Wabash Cannonball Trail. Following a meeting with the Williams County Engineer, Todd Roth, the Board agreed to transfer a total of 0.757 acres to the Village of West Unity.
This includes Tract 1 (0.374 acres) and Tract 3 (0.001 acres) from one parcel, and Tract 4 (0.382 acres) from a separate parcel.
In exchange, the county will receive 0.195 acres from the Village of West Unity (Tract 2). The village had previously passed its own resolution authorizing the transfer and reserving an easement.
A bid opening was held at 9:30 a.m. for the North Annex Renovation. The pre-bid estimate was $1.45 million, and a total of three bids were presented. Three addenda were additionally acknowledged by each company.
KCS Contracting submitted a bid for $1,540,677, Rupp-Rosebrock Inc. submitted a bid for $1,704,185, and Siebenaler Construction submitted a bid for $1,339,950. Design team Garmann Miller will review the options and return with their decision to the Commissioners.
In the matter of County Ditch #744, petitioned by Sidney Ebersole, the commissioners adopted a resolution to dismiss the petition.
After holding the scheduled public hearing, reviewing the petition, and confirming the proper legal notice had been given to all affected landowners, the board also noted that the county had made an actual view of the proposed improvement. They also considered the protection of environmentally significant areas.
Rummel could not participate in the hearing due to a conflict of interest, so Brian Davis stepped in.
Engineer Roth submitted two recommended courses of action. The first: ORC 6151.14, which states, “Commissioners have the authority to remove from a river, watercourse, or creek, within the county, drift, timber, piling, or other obstruction deposited by nature at a single location that obstructs to any extent the free flow of the water or endangers a county or township road. The expenses of the removal may be paid from county funds.”
The second option was to put the ditch into permanent county maintenance and maintain the ditch on a county-supervision level. “We do not have construction planned,” reiterated Roth. “There is no project, other than the removal of said obstruction.”
Ebersole filed the petition due to a natural obstruction, a beaver dam, located on neighboring Justin Thompson’s property.
The dam obstructed water flow throughout the creek, damaging crops and allowing beavers to find other locations to live. They requested county help from the drain commission to limit further stream damage.
In response, 33 people submitted verbal objections that were not in favor of the petition. Testimony was held for all parties participating in the public hearing.
Ebersole explained that they had beavers on their property and were experiencing crop damage themselves. Justin Thompson stated he wished to have his crops yield before any major work was done, and that they needed to focus on removing the beavers before the dam.
Thompson continued to explain that he had broken the dam three separate times, but since the beavers were not removed, they rebuilt each time.
Ebersoles went on to express concern about the backflow of water flooding roadways nearby.
After a long discussion, with both sides being heard, the board resolved to set aside its former order dated April 11, 2024, which had been in favor of the improvement, and the petition was subsequently dismissed.
Unanimously, the commissioners opted for the one-time county inspection for the removal of natural deposits in the ditch.
“I make a motion to go with the ORC 6151.14 to see if we can resolve issues,” said Lirot. “If it doesn’t, maybe we can go another avenue.
“We didn’t know that the 6151.14 was even an option for us all, and that might be an option for us at this point, in which we can all get along with.”
Westfall stated, “I am going to second that because fixing one side of this is not going to solve the problem. All it’s going to do is push it down to the next landowners.
“Until we can come up with a plan to completely cure this ditch, I don’t think we are going to solve the problem. But now that we are aware of it, we are going to stay on it, to make sure it stays open.”
The commissioners adjourned their meeting at 11:13 a.m.