MILLBURY – Lake Township plans to hire a firm to develop a correct zoning map.

Lake Township residents for years have been complaining about what they call “spot zoning” as the trustees continue to approve rezoning requests based on what they call incorrect maps.

Chairwoman Melanie Bowen-Greenwald said at the March 20 township trustees meeting that Wood County Planning Commission Director Dave Steiner suggested the township hire someone to go back through all the records, make sure all zoning changes were recorded, and correct the maps.

The township is accepting bids from local agencies to do the work, she said.

Whoever is hired will go back to June 2010, when the township administration building was destroyed by a tornado, and check every record, she said.

“If they weren’t recorded, they’re not on the maps,” Bowen-Greenwald said about past rezoning approvals.

She warned the project was going to be lengthy and costly as every zoning and board meeting minutes would have to be reviewed and compared to what was recorded with the county.

“So, we can put this issue to bed,” Bowen-Greenwald said.

“This is a monumental job and it’s not going to be cheap,” she said. “I want it done and I want it done correctly.

“Whatever it costs, it has to be done,” she stated.

The township is using a map from 2004, which is the same one used by the county’s planning commission.

Residents argue it isn’t official since the trustees never approved it.

Paul Lambecht, Woodville Road, said if that was map that was used for a recent court decision, trustees lied to the judge.

Several of the areas on the map that were presented as businesses to the court are houses, he said.

On July 18, the trustees voted 2-1 to reject a request from Hillabrand Holdings to rezone 33.3 acres on Walbridge Road from Residential 2 to Business 3.

The company filed a lawsuit and trustees agreed earlier this month to a court-approved consent agreement to allow approximately 5-7 acres to be rezoned B-3 with the remaining staying R-2.

Trustee Richard Welling pointed out that legal counsel at a recent hearing stated that if the maps are inaccurate, that had no bearing on the magistrate’s decision.

“We are working on it,” Bowen-Greenwald promised.

Jennifer Zam, Walbridge, asked who was responsible for recording the zoning changes.

Bowen-Greenwald said nothing has been recorded since Vicki Schwamberger left as fiscal officer in 2022.

It’s the fiscal officer’s responsibility to do the recording, according to Ohio Revised Code, she said.

Schwamberger was a very good record keeper, Welling said, and mistakes were made after she left office.

Buddy Ritson was elected to replace Schwamberger, and he held that position until he resigned in December in order to run for seat on the board of trustees.

When Zam asked if it was Ritson’s fault, trustees declined to comment.

“Things were not done, and I think we need to fix it,” said Bowen-Greenwald, who defeated Ritson for the trustee’s seat.

There appears to be an issue with accountability, Zam said. Where’s the oversight, who’s accountable, she asked.

“There has to be accountability if you want people to trust you with decisions being made, and because you are elected officials, we are allowed to ask for that accountability,” Zam said.

Township Administrator Mark Hummer, who is also the police chief, said it was his opinion records should be checked back to 2004, which was the last time the map was officially done.

He said the township has had six zoning inspectors since he has been there.

“We’re trying to fix the issue,” he said.

The township will soon get another zoning inspector.

Mike Hossler turned in his resignation effective March 19. He had been zoning inspector since at least 2021.

“It’s been quite a struggle for us,” said Bailey Road resident Joe Zemenski, whose referendum to keep a storage facility off land zoned residential near his home, was approved on March 19.

He said he appreciated the trustees looking into the issue, and that “it’s cheaper than lawsuits.”

“We’re all neighbors and we’re supposed to get along,” Zemenski said. “We do appreciate everybody who voted for or against. Everybody got to speak their mind.”

Also at the meeting, trustees:

• Agreed to advertise the position of zoning inspector.

Hummer will serve as interim zoning inspector and Vickie Fry, who works in the township’s administration office, will serve as interim zoning assistant.

• Were told the fire department had 27 runs and EMS 170 in February, the busiest February on record, fire Chief Barrett Dorner said.

Fifty-eight percent of runs were in the township, he said.

• Agreed to contract with Perfect Sweep Inc., Toledo, for 19 miles of curbed street sweeping for May, July and October. The village will pay $3,450 and be reimbursed $395.84 from Millbury for their 2.18 miles of road.

• Agreed to pay W.W. Williams Toledo $1,454.39 for an emergency water leak repair on rescue Unit 26.

• Agreed to renew the annual policies, procedures and training subscription with Lexipol LLC, Frisco, Texas, for $4,465.47.

• Approved payment of $12,631.55 to ESO Solutions Inc., Dallas, Texas, for reporting and personnel software for the fire department.

• Accepted the resignations of Ryan Camargo and Aiden Yoon from the fire department.