Fort mayor tells couple property will be annexed despite their opposition

FORT RECOVERY - Mayor Roger Broerman on Monday night let a couple know that village officials have their mind set on annexing the family's property.

Also, village council members at their regular meeting learned the park board had commended lifeguard Hallory Leuthold for lifesaving actions over the summer.

Dillan and Paige Schulze again attended the village council meeting to ask officials to exlude their Sharpsburg Road property from a proposed annexation.

"There is an annexation procedure that's going to be started here that is going to incorporate basically everybody east of 49," Diller said at an August council meeting. "That includes, right now, 12 different property owners."

Some property owners in the area want to tap into village utility services. The annexation request, which will go before the Mercer County commissioners, includes the support of at least seven of the 12 property owners, Diller has said.

Not all property owners, though, want to be annexed into the village. Over the past few months, the Schulzes and Lavern and Jane Weitzel adamantly opposed the annexation of their properties on Sharpsburg Road.

Diller has said that if the Schulzes were exempted from the annexation, their property would create an unincorporated island within Fort Recovery and set a precedent for future annexations, Diller said.

"We're not going to change and you're not going to change," Broerman told the couple on Monday night.

Everyone will have to see what happens when the annexation request goes before the Mercer County commissioners, Broerman said.

"We're not going to say, 'OK, yeah, we decided we're not going to annex you.' That's ain't going to happen," Broerman said. "We're not going to change our minds at this time."

"I don't know how else I can convey to you guys that I can't afford to live there if I get annexed. I just straight up can't afford it," Dillan Schulze said in reference to increased property taxes.

Broerman said he knows the Schulzes are in a tough situation.

"I think that the council agrees with me. We're just going to go through the channel (with commissioners) and see where it falls," Broerman said.

Paige Schulze asked for a grandfather clause that would automatically annex their property once they sell the land.

"That way any island that would be created would eventually disappear," she said.

"I just don't understand the necessity for us to be in," Dillan Schulze added. "And so because of potential paperwork now I got to put a for sale sign on my yard tonight? I don't get it."

"Well, I just don't think we're going to change our mind," Broerman said. "I'm sorry but, I hate to be hard-nosed, but that's what we decided, and I don't think anybody here wants to change their minds. I think we're just going to go through it."

Also on Monday night, village administrator Randy Diller said the park board recently presented a commendation plaque to Leuthold.

"On the evening of June 11, 2015, Hallory was performing her duties as a lifeguard. When completing her scans of her designated area of the pool, she took note of a young boy bobbing in the water as many six-year-olds do," a village press release states. "On her return scan she spotted the young boy submerged to the bottom of the pool and immediately followed her training and took all the proper steps and retrieved the young boy from the water and brought him to the deck."

"Upon making sure that 911 was called, she along with assistant pool manger Elizabeth Hipple placed the swimmer in the HAINES position and once no spinal injuries could be assumed and noticing slow gurgling breathing, proceeded with back blows until the patient was able to remove the water and breathe more normally," the news release states. "During these actions, Hallory remained calm and followed her training to take all the proper actions to ensure that a tragedy was averted."