Swanton Township welcomes public comments
Swanton Township residents took advantage of a new policy adopted by township trustees on Jan. 13: allowing public comments during the meeting and having those comments included in the official minutes that will be posted on the website.
Previously, comments were only permitted after the meeting and were not included in the minutes, said Fiscal Officer Mindy Curry.
New trustees Bill Anderson and Matt Beil, along with Trustee Mike Nowicki, voted unanimously
to add public comments to the agenda. Questions should be directed to the board, with a limit
of three minutes.
Colleen Baird, Kim Middleton, Mona Weiss and Patty Zalewski were among several dozen residents who attended the meeting, and they addressed the board with a variety of questions.
Middleton, who until Dec. 31 served as the zoning inspector, spoke about her concerns regarding Arrowhead Lake Mobile Home Park, including blight, use of a mobile home for the park office, a need for ditch clearing and tree removal, and missed deadlines with the Ohio EPA. She suggested the township look at adopting a maintenance section to the zoning code to hold commercial properties accountable for the condition of their properties.
Zalewski asked that policies – such as public records requests, records retention, cemetery
rules and zoning – be placed on the website.
“We will be updating the website and getting more information on there, including calendars,” Nowicki said, adding that it would include resolutions and changes being considered.
The village of Swanton recently posted a statement asking Toledo Edison to do a better job at restoring service, and Zalewski asked if the township would join in that proclamation by the village.
“We’re all losing power. I’ve never lost so much power in one year’s time,” she said. “It’s detrimental, especially in the winter time.”
Anderson encouraged residents to contact their state representatives to ask for help, as Toledo Edison is taking longer to respond.
Weiss asked about the trustees’ decision to hold off on making two payments, for $319.50 and $624.60, to the law firm of Shumaker, Loop and Kendrick. Curry said she is seeking information on what the bills are regarding since the prior administration did not leave details.
Weiss also asked about how to get notices of special meetings, and learned these will be posted on the website. Baird suggested using signage to post at locations that are being considered for zoning changes, in order to alert residents to look to the website for information. While posting a sign is not required, Nowicki said trustees would take it under consideration.
During the meeting, the trustees also:
-Heard that Nowicki administered the oath of office to Anderson and Beil on Jan. 2.
-Named Nowicki as chair and Beil as vice chair for 2026.
-Assigned trustee areas of responsibility. Nowicki will oversee zoning, internal finance and audit, and represent the township on the health district’s advisory council and the county’s 911 Regional Council of Governments committee. Anderson will handle roads and cemetery. Beil will serve on the Northwest Advanced Energy Board and the Toledo Express Airport Joint Economic Development District (TEA-JEDD).
-Passed a series of resolutions on financials, monthly payments, check signing and public records retention, as well as cemetery rules and fees. The zoning fees will remain unchanged for 2026.
-Acknowledged the cancellation of the Dec. 23, 2025 meeting.
-Learned that the fiscal officer and trustees will attend Ohio Township Association training in
early February.
-Verified the Ohio Department of Transportation’s certification of mileage in the township at
21.997 miles, down from 22.12 miles due to the annexation of land on Scott Road.
-Heard that the four bridges in the township are rated “good” and “very good” by the Lucas County
Engineer.
-Approved holding just one meeting a month, on the second Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., with the understanding that an additional meeting could be scheduled if required. Zoning meetings will be held quarterly, in January, April, July and October, on the second Tuesday at 6:45 p.m.
-Learned that Zoning Commission member Roger Thompson, whose term was set to expire on
April 10, has submitted his resignation. Zoning Inspector Kim Middleton turned in her
resignation effective Dec. 31, 2025. The trustees will be seeking to fill both positions.
-Heard that the 44 “no parking” signs placed on Girdham Road in Oak Openings last year have been removed, as they were never officially approved.
