PHOTO BY RENEA KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
LEWIS HILKERT … Commissioner Hilkert proudly served Williams County for 17 years as Commissioner; he is pictured here at his last commissioner meeting.
By: Renea Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
renea@thevillagereporter.com
Williams County Engineer Todd Roth met with the Williams County Commissioners on Thursday, December 19th to discuss the Alvordton sewer project.
The meeting was set up additionally to sign the notice of award however, the county is currently waiting on the Army Corp to do an environmental approval.
“What they’re telling us is you can’t sign the award notice until we’ve given you the environmental clearance,” said Roth.
This award notice is for the million dollars that the Army Corp has promised. The construction side of it is where the environmental part kicks in. The ETA Department of Development for the other funding is all cleared.
“Is this something you feel like you’re gonna need from us before the end of the year?” Is it an issue critical that we have this signed before the end of the year?” asked Commissioner Rummel.
It was stated that while it is not critical, it is urgent, and it would be beneficial to have it done so that things can move forward.
The bid for the project was given to Tom Levi from Bryan Excavating and the documents and signature for them are completed. The last and final step of this process is getting that environmental clearance.
“Our issue is this is our last session of the year, and we do have some travel and a couple of us out of town, but we do have up to the 27th that we can have at least two of us here,” stated Commissioner Westfall.
The commissioners agreed that if it had to be an emergency to sign the award notice, two of them would be there to do so.
Todd said he is hoping it does not come down to being an emergency, but with the end of the year and the chance of prices going up, he is afraid that someone will come back to him saying it cost more than they originally had planned out.
With that being said, the commissioners motioned to authorize the County Administrator Vond Hall to make the signature happen in their absence for the Alvordton sewer project for the bid.
Commissioner Hilkert was thanked by both Rummel and Westfall for his 17 years of service, stating that he will be missed.
Hilkert then stood up to talk about all the commissioner’s accomplishments since he had been in office.
The list of all those accomplishments include:
Courthouse
-New sidewalks, retaining walls and outdoor lighting installed around the Courthouse Square.
-Bell tower roof replacement, new gutters down spouts, ridge caps, and valleys, also rubber water proofing installed on each floor of the bell tower; cost $1.6 million.
-Energy efficient windows installed in courthouse in 202; cost $1.8 million.
Building Purchase and Expansion
-Purchased and renovated Miller’s New Market into Williams County Offices known as the East Annex. Total cost $4.6 Million, saving rent costs of $156,000 annually; borrowed $4 million – paid off in four years.
-Purchased former Quillen Window Building known as North Annex cost $1.5 million. Renovation improvements for the North Annex to house the maintenance department, auditor, treasurer, and recorder along with the records department additional costs estimated $1.2 million.
Sanitary Sewer Infrastructure Upgrades
-Williams Center; cost $1.5 million.
-Melburn cost; $1.2 million (borrowed $563,000).
-Norlick Place; cost $ .5 million
-Durham Estates; cost $ .5 million.
-Kunkle; cost $4.5 million.
-Alvordton in process anticipated completion 2025; cost $1.6 million.
-Hickory Hills to be bid out 2025.
-Hillside Country Living new roof was replaced on the entire structure in phases over the past 15 years completion 2024.
Financial Stability
-2007 Unappropriated Balance $ 3 million
-2024 Unappropriated Balance $ 11.2 million
-2021 Moody’s financial rating for Williams County (AA)
-2021 Refinanced Borrowed Funds for 10 years (rate 1.96% fixed)
Other projects included installing county wide MARCS radio communication System, and over $9 million in upgrades to Williams County Airport, county cost $450,000.
Commissioner Hilkert assisted Northwest Township and Northwest Water District with a (TIF) Tax Incentive Financing program, as a result bringing Loves Travel Plaza, Flying J Travel Plaza, the newly announced Seven/Eleven Travel Plaza, and other small businesses to Northwest Township. This has brought hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales tax over time to Williams County.
“The late James Bard talked to me when I ran for my first term as commissioner. He said Lew, whatever you do, please keep the county in sound fiscal condition. Thank you, Mr. Bard, for that advice,” Hilkert said.
“I have been told that when you get involved with an organization the goal is to leave the organization in better fiscal condition when you leave the organization than when you got involved.”
“I am pleased to report that the goal has been accomplished. It has been a pleasure to serve Williams County as commissioner. I wish the Williams County Board of Commissioners success in the future years. May God Bless Williams County,” he stated.
In other news, the commissioners approved the 2025 Budget with a reported total of $74,348,976.32.