By: Brenna White
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
The Williams County Port Authority met for its scheduled meeting on Monday, July 28, 2025, at noon in the Port Authority Conference Room located at the WEDCO Building in Bryan, Ohio.
The meeting opened with a roll call, with Chair David Newcomer, Vice Chair Dawn Fitzcharles, Secretary Ashley Epling, Sean Rupp, and Bill Martin in attendance.
Fitzcharles joined the meeting over the phone and provided clarifying input on the ongoing mapping issues Williams County faces.
Discussion began with a detailed review of the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) platform and its use in gathering and updating community mapping data.
The board noted that after even minimal research, the ESRI system used for Williams County is outdated – some places still show information from 10 to 15 years old.
The board emphasized the importance of adequate mapping of each community’s assets and parcels.
The platform, part of the Neighborhood Opportunity Index and used by both the U.S. Census Bureau and the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA), is expected to play a crucial role in the Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP) process. The QAP process directly involves funding received from the state and federal levels.
The Bryan Senior Living Project, underway by the Port Authority, will receive funding from OHFA, with its official application due in full by February 2026. With hopes of construction beginning in June of 2026, the board finds itself with a tight deadline to act.
Concerns were raised about inaccurate or outdated data related to the libraries, public spaces, and agency facilities in the Williams County community.
Fitzcharles notes that in Edgerton, the police station is routed to a park, and how this may be dangerous for visitors looking for police help.
Fitzcharles reiterated that these inaccuracies could result in lower scores when parcels are reviewed for state or federal funding.
“We’re still struggling with the adequate mapping of each community’s assets,” she commented. Fitzcharles said that many places in the county are mapped inaccurately, which directly affects how much supplemental money is received.
She continued with a “public plea,” and asked locals to help verify their information across multiple platforms, including Google Maps, Apple Maps, and other mapping tools, as well as through community reports.
The Port Authority Board plans to take an in-depth look into solving this issue. When reaching out to the ESRI officials, they stated that an “expected duration of error,” and this applies to many rural areas around the country.
The board also discussed updates to the QAP through OHFA. Provisions given to rural communities are often overlooked, especially if their data is outdated, such as Williams County.
One technical amendment, introduced in the 2025 QAP plan, proposes removing allocation caps, called a “rural set-aside.”
This ensures that nearly half of the credits for new general-occupancy and senior developments go to rural counties, not just big cities and suburbs.
However, with the newly introduced plan for 2026 and the following years, it is not included in the QAP’s current planning stages. It’s important to note that these standards are still being worked on by their committee and are subject to change.
“We’ve been left behind. They’re going to do it again unless we make a lot of noise!” Martin said, “Don’t write off rural communities!”
Northwest Ohio has lost financial opportunity in the past due to this kind of grading. It takes a combination of correctly mapped population, businesses, and community services to qualify for QAP.
The Port Authority touched on improvements made to their current housing projects. The 402 Empire Street project will be hosting its first open house on August 1, 2025, from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Members of the board will be present to answer any questions from the community. The project at 408 Clear Fork Drive, Pioneer, has been roofed, and 891 Bryan Street, Bryan, is having the last of its slab poured. The Edgerton Satcher Street duplex is expecting framing next week.
An executive session was held following the agenda at 12:37 p.m., to consider the purchase of property.