County awards CDBG projects

Under the Allocation Program, the county had $154,000 that it could split between up to two projects, with three applying. Originally, the county had been informed it would have $147,000 to use.

“I personally think we should fund Edgerton with the full amount,” said Williams County Commissioner Terry Rummel.

That project is a rehabilitation of Oak Street to replace the road. It will be the third and final phase of a plan to improve that area of the village. It is estimated to cost $143,000.

“It’s over what they’re asking, but I wouldn’t waste my time reducing it by that little bit amount,” Rummel said, referring to the award amount.

Edgerton Village Administrator Dawn Fitzcharles said this phase will finish a project that dates back to 2017.

“It was determined that Edgerton had an infrastructure issue impacting the residents of Oak Street that stifled the personal investment to properties in that area,” Fitzcharles said.

The properties in the area were defined to be in a slum or blighted area, and the village began a five-year program to invest in that area and promote development.

Previous phases included a sewer improvement project and installation of sidewalks.

Currently, there are plans for two new residences, as well as a third by the end of the year. Two other residences in the area have also been remodeled to like new condition, and Fitzcharles said volunteer groups through Life Changing Church have helped others with remodeling projects.

“A true community effort and plan,” Fitzcharles said. “We are pleased with the considerable increase in personal investment to properties in the project area that has occurred since 2018.”

Other applicants were Pioneer for a soil erosion program and Montpelier to demolish a former church building.

Rummel added Pioneer has been heavily funded through the program in recent years by the commissioners, while Edgerton struggles to get funding due to certain criteria. He also said Montpelier could apply for funding through the county land bank to demolish the church building.

“There’s a second round of funding coming out, and I think that second set of funding is going to take care of that building,” Rummel said. “They’ve already utilized the land bank money a lot anyway, so I think Montpelier is going to be covered through a different source.”

He added Pioneer could reapply next year.

“I think it’s a good project, there’s no reason to not look at it next year, but because Edgerton has been trying to get this project done, that’s how I’m looking at it and voting,” Rummel said.

Commissioners Lew Hilkert and Bart Westfall agreed.

“Especially with the land bank, they’ve been active in Montpelier already, taking care of the cleanups in the downtown, I think that will be a nice project,” Westfall said.

“Knowing there are other funds for Montpelier to tap into, and also looking at Pioneer, some of that soil erosion has been taken care of, this would be another phase of it,” Hilkert said. “This would give, as Terry mentioned, the Village of Edgerton an opportunity to take advantage of some money they couldn’t normally get.”

In the Critical Infrastructure Program, which has $470,000 available, the commissioners chose to fund the water tower rehabilitation project in Stryker. Only one project could be chosen, while four submitted proposals.

The Stryker project is estimated at $418,000 and would repaint the inside of the tower, where paint is currently flaking off. During the proposals, Stryker officials also mentioned they could provide some funding for the project as well.

“My opinion is, because of the potential contamination in the water supply at Stryker, I would consider going with that project, as we don’t want something to happen similar to what happened in Flint, Michigan,” Hilkert said.

“I think that is critical,” Westfall said while agreeing with Hilkert. “That is part of their consumer water within the village limits that they use every day.”

Rummel abstained on this vote due to having a potential conflict with one of the other project proposals.

The decisions by the commissioners will be sent to Maumee Valley Planning Organization, which will send them on to the state.