Fulton County Ohio Media

In a letter addressed to all Delta residents and business partners titled “Delta Village Council’s Commitment to a Discrimination Free Community,” Mayor Frank Wilton reaffirmed the Village’s promise to handle any and all racial discrimination behavior that falls within their jurisdiction in an appropriate manner.  The letter, which was read aloud by Mayor Wilton at the March 15^th Village Council meeting, stated: 

Over the past few months, you have likely heard the administration of the Village has been confronted with an issue directly related to racially motivated comments being made in public.  It is also clear that the community wants and deserves to know the elected and appointed leaders of Delta take this very seriously.

At the conclusion of an outside investigation, it was confirmed that employees of the Village were directly involved in the incident or aware and failed to address the situation.  As a result, one employee was terminated and two others disciplined for their inaction.  Since then, all employees have been scheduled to participate in discrimination and harassment training, with supervisory staff participating in additional classes focused on the handling of such situations.

We commit to our residents, business partners and individuals who work or visit in Delta, that this community will not accept this type of behavior from our employees or its leaders.  We ask each of you to assist us in promoting Delta’s motto as being truly “The Community of Opportunity”.

The letter was signed by Mayor Wilton and Mike Tanner, President of the Village Council.

At the March 15^th Delta Village Council meeting, Mayor Frank Wilton gave his “State of the Village” Address to the Council and others in attendance.  The Address read as follows:

As we look back on a very difficult 2020 and the unprecedented affects of the COVID-19 pandemic, we must maintain a positive outlook, continuing our efforts as individuals and as a community to remain healthy.

With all the hardships and negative impacts our country and community has endured, there are still many positive aspects within the Village that we must be encouraged by and proud of.   In a time when our national economy is considered flat, Delta continues to recognize the benefits of new industrial and commercial growth.  This is evidenced by an increase in the 2020 income tax revenues, up two percent over 2019 totaling $1,161,719.  In comparison, our income tax revenue in 2015 was $939,372.

Long needed Village projects benefiting from these monies this year are the street resurfacing program with Wood Street being scheduled for new asphalt.  Another project for 2021 will be the change in traffic patterns on Monroe Street to address the growing concerns over the safety of drivers attempting to enter on to Main Street with limited visibility and increased traffic volumes.  Monroe Street will become one-way north bound between Main Street and Palmwood.  Taking advantage of the unused traffic lane, angled parking will be created along the west side of the street in this block adding 12 new spaces.  When incorporating the Village resurfacing projects with the ODOT project which entails resurfacing of Main Street the entire way through town that will include S. Madison Street to the bridge spanning Bad Creek, a significant portion of our surface infrastructure will be new by the end of the year.

In addition to streets, other projects include additional funds being made available for sidewalk improvements.  The Village administration plans to be proactive this year identifying and prioritizing unsafe walks, working with property owners to assist in the repair and replacement of these pedestrian pathways.  The administration will finalize the review and creation of a comprehensive asset management program identifying needed improvements and updates in water treatment and distribution systems.  When complete, this plan will provide a guide where investments should be focused to enhance the integrity of our water system.

The newest corporate partner adding career opportunities within the Village is Nova Steel & Tube LLC, a Montreal, Canada based firm who has purchased and annexed 67 acres of land to the Village, starting site improvements for the construction of a 400,000 square foot manufacturing complex.  When complete, 100 new jobs will be created.  Production at the facility is expected to begin in 2022.

The possibility of connecting the Wabash Cannonball Bike Trail safely into Downtown Delta has continued possibilities as Delta has been invited to submit a grant application to the Ohio Department of Transportation for funding specifically for projects such as this.  The project name has been identified as “Connect Delta”.  We are excited to be one of 81 communities in the state vying for a portion of the $11 million dollars targeted for such an endeavor.

Having been more than 10 years since water and sewer rates were last increased, Council has taken action to raise rates over the next five years with increases of two percent annually.  These increases are required to cover mounting costs of doing business and providing these utilities. 

Being thrust into the position of Mayor earlier this year, I am committed to unifying this community and our elected leadership.  We all should be very proud of what we have accomplished while being very optimistic about the future of Delta.  The remainder of 2021 will hopefully be one of healing while returning to the life we are all anxious to get back to.  Only best wishes for the year ahead.

Pictured:  Delta Mayor Frank Wilton reads the “State of the Village” Address to Council.

At the most recent Swanton Village Council meeting, Finance Director Jennifer Harkey presented the 2021 Permanent Budget which included major changes made to the Village’s budgeting process to increase accuracy and transparency.  As explained in the 57-page report which can be found on the Village’s website, “The Permanent Budget is the culmination of the 2021 Capital Improvement Plan and Financial Forecast (CIP) approved by Council on October 15, 2020, the Temporary Budget approved by Council on November 23, 2020 and revisions as necessary.  In addition to the proposed current year budget, four years of historical data are provided The CIP provided current year and four years of forecasted financial data.”

Ms. Harkey thanked the Council for trusting in her to “move the Finance Office forward” in making the necessary changes.  “I mentioned when I presented the Temporary Budget that I had a grander vision of the budget and I’m excited about the progress I made beginning with the 2019 Budget,” she said.  “The new funds, the CIP, the historical data, the forecasting and then this year the graphs and charts and I’m excited to see it come together.   This is what the Village really needed.  With the budget and the CIP put together we know where we’ve been and where we are going, we can identify our shortfalls, our strengths, our weaknesses and this gives us the tools to analyze the data and make good decisions.”

The new numbers also show the financial impact of the pandemic in 2020 was much less than previously estimated.  “The Village will continue to monitor and, if necessary, revise revenues negatively affected by the pandemic,” said Ms. Harkey.  “Overall, the financial health of the Village is stable.  However, as discussed previously, it will be a challenge to maintain the level of services provided by Governmental Funds as costs continue to rise at a faster rate than revenues increase.”

Ms. Harkey received high praise from all members of Council as well as Mayor Neil Toeppe and Administrator Rosanna Hoelzle.  Mayor Toeppe asked to have recognition of her efforts entered into the minutes.

In New Business, Council extended the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) which had expired on 12/21/20 to 3/31/21.  The FFCRA requires that employers provide paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave.  Currently, there are two Village employees on this leave.

Council approved the First Reading of Resolution 2021-XX, authorizing the Village Administrator to submit an application to participate in the Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) State Capital Improvement and/or Local Transportation Improvement Program(s) and to enter into any agreement for Crestwood Road improvements.

In General Updates, water shut-offs, more than likely, will begin again on April 5, 2021.  Brush pick ups begin in early April.  A Public Hearing is set for April, 2021 to hear Valleywood Golf Club’s appeal to the Village’s storm water service charge.  Another Public Hearing is set for April 26, 2021, to hear Fortemeyer Greenhouse’s appeal on the same issue.

Collin Loeffler has been hired as a part-time Public Service Seasonal employee in the Public Service Division.  He will be paid an hourly rate of $12.00, up to 20 hours per week pending a clear employment drug screen and background check effective March 29 to November 5, 2021.

The next Council meeting will take place in the Swanton Village Council Chambers at 7:00 PM on Monday, March 22, 2021.  The Committee of the Whole will begin at 6:00 PM followed by the Public Service meeting at approximately 6:15 PM.

Pictured:  Finance Director Jennifer Harkey presents budget to Council

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The Swanton Village Council listened to a presentation given by Rudy Ruiz, the Executive Director of Resource Management Consultants (RCM), on Workshop, Training and Coaching for the Continuous Organizational Improvement of the Swanton Fire & Rescue Division (SFRD) during the March 8^th Council meeting.  Mr. Ruiz, who is also the Fire Chief of the City of Perrysburg, laid out several different options for improvement, following RCM evaluations, with a heavy focus on personnel development and improving internal problem solving through communication and training to better serve the Swanton community.

During a “discovery” meeting held with Mr. Ruiz, Mayor Neil Toeppe, Administrator Rosanna Hoelzle and Fire Chief Anthony Schaffer the week prior to the presentation, several areas were identified as needing attention.  “Those things are improved team communication, improved teamwork and collaboration, strengths and weaknesses of leaders, increased effectiveness of leaders, communication issues among co-workers, improve the ability to connect with a team, group or audience and also develop a succession plan,” said Chief Ruiz.

He explained that his company offered “packages” of training modules that may or may not fit the specific issues within the SFRD but that they also customized packages to fit the specific needs of a department.  “We also offer grant writing opportunities,” Mr. Ruiz added.  “I have been a grant reviewer since 2006 and I know exactly what the grant reviewers are looking for.  Since I’ve been doing that, we have raised over 16 million dollars for area fire departments throughout the country.”  The only payment he asked for in return for writing the grant was that he would be awarded the contract if the grant was approved.  When asked how much of an estimated $11,000 grant he thought he would be successful in getting approved, Mr. Ruiz said, “I’ll get all of it,” and added it would take approximately three to four months for a decision.  Finance Director Jennifer Harkey then informed Council that the $11,000 cost had been placed into the budget even though the actual cost to taxpayers might be zero.

One concern voiced by Council member Mike Rochelle in doing an evaluation was not knowing how the SFRD would be structured in the future if it were to become part of a fire district with other area departments.  Mr. Ruiz said his company has experience with a very similar situation involving the Northwood and Rossford Fire Departments.

Typically, the amount of time required for the entire process is about one year, but Mr. Ruiz would hope to complete everything within six months.  He also said this would include department evaluations.  “It has to include an evaluation process,” said the Perrysburg Chief.  “It would have zero value for me to come in, do the job and leave without knowing how things are going to end up.  I have to consistently evaluate.”

The Council agreed to move forward with proposed legislation in the form of an Emergency Resolution with one stipulation.  With the possibility of the grant funding ranging from zero dollars to a fully funded $11,000, Mr. Rochelle recommended that the Resolution be amended to include verbiage that it would be re-evaluated if the funding was less than 100%.

Later in the meeting, the amended version of Emergency Resolution 2021-XX, authorizing the submission and support of an application to FEMA for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant was unanimously approved.

Pictured:  Rudy Ruiz, Executive Director of Resource Management Consultants, presents before Council.

During the Committee of the Whole portion of the March 8^th Swanton Village Council meeting, Council President Craig Rose recommended the authorizing Village Administrator Rosanna Hoelzle to look into hiring a communications company to help with public relations related to recent events and comments that have appeared on local television news reports and on Facebook postings.

“I like the idea of hiring a communications company to handle things we’re going to need to handle,” said Mr. Rose.  “We’re going to have this company come in and write our PR for us.  They’re going to respond to lies and misinformation that’s out there right now and they’re going to be our voice because it’s not appropriate for any of us to singularly respond to some of those juvenile (comments) left on platforms like Facebook and things like that. We’ve got an answer for that and that’s what we’re going to do instead of doing it ourselves.”

Mr. Rose then solicited a response from the other Council members.  Kathy Kreuz, Anthony Stuart and Diane Westhoven agreed it was the right step to take.  Councilman Dave Pilliod disagreed saying, “The less said the better.”  “Not any more,” responded Mr. Rose.  He then added that there would be more discussion on the issue in an executive session.

Councilwoman Westhoven asked Ms. Hoelzle if she thought it would be beneficial to pursue this course of action.  “There have obviously been some things going on in the news lately and I think it would help to have that,” said Ms. Hoelzle.  “We don’t know what is going to happen in the next couple of weeks here, especially with some of the things going on.  So, I can see the benefit of it.  I do see the benefit of having somebody help.”  She related a brief conversation she had with a company that specializes in that type of work and felt confident they were capable of helping but no other details were discussed.

“The biggest thing for me is that I think a lot of times there are things that are put in the media,” remarked Ms. Westhoven.  For example, some of the stuff that has just recently put on television and it always seems to be like some of the things on Facebook and there is a one-sided portrayal of what the facts are if there is anything factual in it.”  She went on to say that she believed it would be best if the Village employed a company that could provide guidance and help it navigate through the current situation.

Ms. Hoelzle was then tasked with reaching out to that same company for more information, including cost, to allow the Council to make a final decision.  The name of the company was not divulged nor were any of the incidents or events discussed in any detail such as names of individuals involved, Village departments involved or Village locations.

The Committee of the Whole also recommended utilizing a third party, such as Employer’s Association to assist with a review of the Village’s Human Resource (HR) Policy and Procedures.  This company has been used by the Village in the past for multiple trainings and HR related topics.

Pictured:  Council President Craig Rose

Fresh from finishing her four-year high school basketball career by helping her team reach the OHSAA Regional Tournament for the second time in three years, Brooklyn Green of the Delta Lady Panthers, has signed a National Letter of Intent to continue her education and basketball career at Owens Community College (OCC).  Brooklyn considered offers from other schools in the area but decided OCC offered the best overall package of financial aid and educational choices. 

“A goal of mine has always been to graduate debt free,” she explained.  “I’ve gotten a lot of offers (to play basketball) but to decide this gives me the best of both worlds.”  Owens has a program with the University of Toledo which will allow Brooklyn to enroll in both schools and get her degree at a fraction of the cost of a typical four-year university.

Playing basketball at the next level while earning a college education will definitely be a challenge for Brooklyn but she has put in the work to be fully prepared for both.  Academically, she is ranked first in her class with a 4.0 GPA, is a member of the National Honor Society and is very active in several student organizations. 

Athletically, Brooklyn is equally accomplished as a four-year letter winner in volleyball as well as basketball.  Her basketball accolades include being named the NWOAL’s Player of the Year for the past two years, First-Team All-District twice and Special Mention All-Ohio once and recently joined a very exclusive club when she broke the 1,000-point career scoring barrier.

In Brooklyn’s career, the Lady Panthers have won almost 80% of their games with a 77-20 record and have captured two NWOAL Championships and two District titles.  She has had the good fortune of playing alongside very talented players over the years including four other starting seniors this past season.

“It’s been nice coming up with all five of us.  We’ve been playing together since third or fourth grade and in the Mini-Panther Basketball Camps,” said Brooklyn.  “Then coming into high school we had great influences like Abby Freeman and Maddie Mattimore. And watching our older sisters like Brigan Wymer and my sister play and watching all their accomplishments influenced us all.”

To Brooklyn’s point, she and her fellow seniors, Ella Ford, Reagan Rouleau, Braelyn Wymer and Brooklyn Wymer were inspired to add to the legacy of the Lady Panthers basketball program under head coach Ryan Ripke.  “It’s been a team effort and you don’t win without talent,” remarked Coach Ripke.  “I believe they are the winningest class in school history.  They have definitely left their mark on Delta High School.”

In joining the Owens Express women’s basketball team, Brooklyn will become part of another highly successful program.  In the 2018-2019 season, just prior to devastating impact the pandemic had on the sports world, the Express finished as runners-up in the National Junior College Athletic Association Tournament.

In the OCC classrooms, Brooklyn plans to study Human Resource Management and Marketing.  On the court, with Owens located in Toledo and the Express playing in the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC), her family and friends will have many opportunities to watch her compete without having to travel long distances.

Pictured:  Front Row (L to R) – Delta Coach Ryan Ripke, Brooklyn Green, OCC Coach Stephen Perry.  Back Row (L to R) – Braelyn Wymer, Rich Green, Kim Green, Brooklyn Wymer.

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Despite trailing for most of the game, the Archbold Blue Streaks managed to grab the lead late in the third quarter and extended it to six points with under four minutes remaining.  However, the Ottawa-Glandorf Titans were able capitalize on several late turnovers and retake the lead with under two minutes on the clock and hang on for a 52-48 victory in the OHSAA DIII Regional Semi-final held in the Elida High School Field House.  The Archbold loss brings a very successful season to an end.  A season which saw the Blue Streaks capture NWOAL, Sectional and District Championships while compiling a 21-5 overall record.

The Streaks scored the first two points of the contest but saw the Titans run off nine straight points to take a seven-point lead at the 3:23 mark.     The Titans used a tight full-court press forcing Archbold to work hard to get the ball across half court.  From there the O-G defense dropped into a two-three zone and had their quick guards put a lot of pressure on the Streaks outside shooting while clogging up the key inside.  Archbold managed to stay relatively close by scoring when given the few opportunities for open shots but still only managed to shoot 39% for the half and trailed 24-19.

Out of the break, DJ Newman hit his first three shots, including one from long distance that tied the score at 29-all with 5:35 to go in the third.  The Streaks also were able to get the ball down low to Ashton Kammeyer who found scoring success while battling the Titan’s 6’7” forward Owen Nichols.  The teams then traded baskets the rest of the quarter and entered the final frame knotted at 37 points each.

Kammeyer dropped in two short baskets to start the fourth and give Archbold a four-point advantage and later Austin Roth drained his second three-pointer of the night to give the Streaks their biggest lead of the game, 44-38, with 3:56 showing on the game clock.  Just 15 seconds later O-G began their comeback with a triple to start an 11-0 run, giving a them a five-point lead the Streaks were unable to overcome.  Archbold did pull off a steal and score to get within 50-48 with 9.6 second left but had to send the Titans to the foul line again where they put the game away with two more free throws.

Both teams shot the ball relatively well with The Streaks making 19 out of 38 from the field for 50.0% and the Titans hitting 18 of 33 for 54.5%.  The difference in the game came at the foul line where Archbold took nine shots and made six while O-G took 17 shots and made 12.

Kammeyer led the Streaks with 18 points and four rebounds and Newman put in 15 and also had four rebounds.  Alex Roth had seven points and Austin Roth added six.  Nichols took scoring honors for the Titans with 22 points and pulled down nine rebounds.  Blevins added 13 points.  Ottawa-Glandorf now moves on to face the Johnstown-Monroe Johnnies on Saturday night with the winner advancing to the state finals.

Pictured:  Ashton Kammeyer scores the first two of his 18 points.

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