Fulton County Ohio Media

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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With the sudden resignation of Delta Mayor Bob Gilbert and the subsequent appointment of Council President Frank Wilton to the Mayor’s position, Mr. Wilton’s Council seat became vacant and had to be filled.  The Village advertised to fill the vacancy and received three applications.  At the March 1^st Council meeting, an executive session was held to discuss the candidates and, ultimately, Frank Wilton was selected to serve the remainder of Mr. Wilton’s term which will expire on December 31, 2021.

According to Mayor Wilton, the selection will make it easier for the Council to quickly resume activities as normal because of Mr. Thomas’s recent experience, having served on Council as late as 2019.  Delta Law Director Kevin Heban swore in Mr. Thomas immediately after the vote was taken.

In Old Business, Ordinance 21-04, directing the Finance Director to transfer funds from Fund 208 (Fire Fund) to the General Fund was approved on its Third Reading.  Ordinance 21-05, authorizing the Village Administrator to dispose of certain real estate not needed for any municipal purpose passed on its Second Reading.

In New Business, Resolution 21-03, endorsing the Joint Solid Waste Management Plan update for the Solid Waste District of Defiance, Paulding and Williams Counties was approved on its First Reading.

The first floor of Memorial Hall is undergoing remodeling including the Council chambers.  The Mayor and all Council members will remain facing away from the South and West walls but are now situated on a raised platform.  The Law Director, Village Administrator and Fiscal Officer are now seated opposite from the Council.  A new wall has been placed on the North side of the room to decrease the overall size.

The next meeting will take place on Monday, march 15, 2021 at 5:30 PM in Memorial Hall.

The Swanton Village Council makes many decisions every year on how and what to spend tax payer money on as entrusted wards of the Village’s financial well-being.  Recently, two spending proposal issues have been discussed that makes me question if all those decisions are made in the best interest of the citizens of Swanton or if personal agendas cloud some of the thinking behind some of the choices.

A proposal was made to audit and update the Village’s Zoning Codes for an estimated price of $50,000.  Zoning Codes are necessary in that they play a large role in how the Village is managed and they need to be audited periodically to insure they are current, especially with advances in technology such as solar panels and wind mills becoming available for residents’ use on their property.  The Council voted unanimously to move ahead with this proposal.

The second proposal was to have was an organizational evaluation study by the Ohio Fire Chiefs Association (OFCA) of the Swanton Fire & Rescue Department (SFRD).  Councilwoman Kathy Kreuz asked Mayor Toeppe to address the issue during a Council meeting. “In looking at the fire service, the quality of the fire service employees, firefighters, EMTs, paramedics is excellent,” commented the Mayor. “The issue is, how do we look at ourselves going forward?  Do we have the right amount of equipment, the right amount of training, the right policies in place, do we have the proper configuration of equipment, all those sorts of things?  So, we asked the Fire Chiefs Association to take a look at the fire department’s policy operation and put together a plan or understanding of where we are and where we need to be going forward.”  Mayor Toeppe said the study was similar to the one conducted several years ago by the Ohio Police Chiefs Association on the Swanton Police Department to make sure it was structured properly to prepare for the future and the cost of the study would be $15,000.

This proposal has been tabled twice during meetings to this date and is meeting resistance mainly from two Council members, Mike Rochelle and Craig Rose.  Councilman Rochelle questioned what the study would look at with the possibility of the formation of a fire district that would include the fire departments of other municipalities. He said he was hesitant to spend $50,000 on a study with too many unknowns about the future status of local fire protection. “I’m a little hesitant. I think it’s a great idea to know and understand where we are at today but I think there are a lot of things going on that I don’t know if that money is well spent,” said Mr. Rochelle. When it was explained to Mr. Rochelle that the cost of the study was $15,000 and not $50,000, he responded that his opinion did not change based on the dollars. “I don’t care if it’s $15 or $150 or $150,000,” he countered. “Do we know what our fire department is going to look like in five or ten years? If we do, then it’s money well spent.”

Mr. Rochelle did not explain how to predict the future five or ten years out nor did he explain why knowing the SFRD’s insufficiencies in any area and working to correct those would not be beneficial.  What struck me as odd was that Mr. Rochelle said there were “too many unknowns” to justify spending money on a full top-to-bottom evaluation that would help identify many of those unknowns.

Councilman Rose questioned SFRD Chief Anthony Schaffer as to why he was not the one to recognize and implement all changes and he also minimized the significance of the study when he said, “Fifteen thousand dollars is a hard pill to swallow for a suggestion here or there.”  Chief Schaffer said the study went beyond the scope of his position.

I believe, if there is not enough funding for the Zoning Code update and the SFRD Organizational Study, the Council should prioritize the one that impacts the health and safety of the community and deals with life and death situations before one that does not demand real urgency.  If there is funding for both why keep resisting?  To me the answer is obvious.  The SFRD study was proposed by the Mayor and the Zoning Code update was not. 

Is this just a coincidence?  Not at all.  The rejection of the study fits into a well-documented pattern of resistance and obstructionism Mayor Toeppe has faced with his proposals from the Swanton Village Council since he took office some 14 months ago with the loudest voices almost exclusively belonging to Mr. Rose and Mr. Rochelle.  Virtually every Village-enhancing proposal put forth by the Mayor including economic development, easing the tax burden on residents, working on retaining qualified firefighters and police officers, creating more transparency in Village government and others has run into a wall of obstructionism built by Council members.  What is the reason for this and how does this help our town?  Does the Council have issues with the Mayor or the work he is trying to accomplish?

In the current standoff, ask yourself this question.  If you had to choose only one, would you have the Village spend $50,000 to make sure all the fences in Swanton did not exceed the allowable height and no one has a shed too large?  Or would you rather have them spend $15,000 to have the security of knowing the Swanton Fire and Rescue Department had the maximum capability to keep your house from burning to the ground or meeting your medical emergency needs.  Better yet, ask your Village Council members what is going on between them and Mayor Toeppe.  If you are not happy with the answer, ask again in November.

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