Pape retires as New Bremen mayor

NEW BREMEN - Mayor Jeff Pape is entering his retirement with a long list of accomplishments after serving 16 years as mayor and eight years as a council member.

Pape, 62, recently attended his final council meeting, handing the gavel to newly elected mayor Robert Park.

"I've always believed that if anyone is going to make a difference in their town, they need to get involved," he said. "One way to do that is to become a council member, and that's what I did."

He served two terms on council and then stepped into the role of mayor, replacing Bob Klein.

"I went into the position with open eyes," Pape said, stressing he wanted a good working relationship with council.

He'd been involved in a lot of positive votes, but admitted to more negative votes being cast in the past.

Among the many projects completed during his tenure as mayor were the Lock One upgrade and Lockkeeper's House construction; new tennis and basketball courts; two new electric substations; new public works, police/EMS and electric department facilities; and the completion of Komminsk Legacy Park.

Pape said he takes the most pride in the completion of the Miami-Erie Canal towpath walkway from State Route 66 north to Lock Two Road.

Village administrator Chris Dicke, who was working for the state at the time, had told him about the availability of state grants for walking and bike paths.

"She said 'they build a lot of these things in Columbus, walkways, towpaths,'" Pape said.

After receiving the tip, Pape worked with village economic development director Angela Hamberg on the grant application. The village later was awarded funding to pave the towpath.

Pape chuckled when recounting the irony of one of the milestones during his tenure, the construction of the Lockkeeper's House along the Miami-Erie Canal. His father, Paul, was assistant fire chief when the old Lockkeeper's House, which had become an eyesore, was razed in a training fire.

"He helped to burn down the old Lockkeeper's House, and I was involved in the building of the new one that looked like the one they burned down," Pape said.

Village officials have brought new businesses to the Bunker Hill Industrial Park located on the west side of town. Among those during Pape's tenure were Safeway Packaging (now Opus Packaging), Visionmark and Brookside Laboratories.

Pape lauded Hamberg for spearheading efforts to attract new businesses to the village-owned 75-acre industrial park.

"If there is business out there, she does whatever she can to win the battle," Pape said of the keen competition in economic development. He noted Hamberg also has helped existing businesses.

The industrial park, he said, has helped the village diversify its industrial base.

"You don't want to have all your eggs in one basket, even though we have one very big egg in this town," he said referring to Crown Equipment Corp., which is by far the largest employer in the village, as well as Auglaize County.

Pape has worked for Crown for 40 years, starting in a job on the plant floor operating a saw. He has worked his way up the ladder with the company and is a senior manufacturing engineer.

Pape said he checked with company officials before pursuing the mayor's post, asking if his superiors objected to his serving in the position.

"They have been very supportive of me as mayor," he said.

Pape said while the village has progressed in recent years, challenges remain.

"The biggest challenge we face is we need housing in town," he said. "We're kind of stagnant."

Pape contended the village needs more "affordable housing" in the $300,000 range, including the cost of a lot, not the $400,000 to $500,000 price tag of many houses being built. With an aging population, many residents would like to sell their homes and move into condominiums, "but there aren't enough."

By stepping away from the mayor's post, Pape said he will have more time to spend with his wife, Kathy, attending auctions to buy vintage items from the 1950s and '60s, which they sell on Ebay and Facebook. Pape said he also will have more time to follow his grandkids' sporting events and take walks.

"Now I can schedule a walk and not worry about village business," he said.

Correction:

Bob Parker is the new mayor. The error was made in reporting.