Mendon solicitor suddenly resigns

MENDON - Village solicitor Pete Van Arsdel declared he was resigning during a contentious village council meeting on Tuesday.

About a dozen residents attended the meeting to continue voicing complaints about the town's appearance to councilors.

Dozens of residents have attended the past few monthly meetings to voice their frustration, with many asserting councilors are not doing enough to resolve a problem they say has only gotten worse over the years. Van Arsdel had also drawn residents' ire.

Residents have complained for years about unsightly properties in town. Van Arsdel had said the first step residents can take is to file a complaint with the village, after which a warning letter is sent to the property owner from the village.

With no law agency of its own to enforce the village's zoning ordinances, Van Arsdel has said the only recourse is to file a complaint with Celina Municipal Court.

One meeting attendee on Tuesday said he heard "through the grapevine" that a recent warning letter sent to a violator was meaningless because it wasn't signed by village council members. Van Arsdel said it is unnecessary for councilors to do so.

"If you guys want to hire that guy to be your lawyer, go ahead," he said. "Don't bring it here if it's all hearsay and rumor… It (warning letters) does not have to be signed."

Later, another attendee who said it was his first time going to a council meeting asked what councilors, the mayor and Van Arsdel do.

"Because it sounds like you're not doing anything," the resident said, causing some members of the audience to laugh. Van Arsdel stood up. "You're getting awful defensive about it because you think we're bashing you."

"We're trying to fix this problem, you know, and I don't have to put up with this stuff," Van Arsdel said as he gathered his things. "I quit. I'll see you all later."

After the solicitor left, the previous attendee seemed remorseful and said he was only trying to ask a question.

"I wouldn't call that talking," said councilor Seth Seibert. "Now we're back to square zero."

The village in April established a complaint form residents can use to make official complaints against properties they believe violate zoning codes. Village fiscal officer Kristina Boroff said she had not received any complaints until Tuesday.

One resident suggested hiring Union and East Jefferson township zoning inspector Kyle Gray to enforce the village zoning codes. However, they did not know how much it would cost to hire him by the hour.

Another resident suggested reaching out to the Mercer County Health District about properties that could be considered a health nuisance. Mayor Terry Seibert also said he would direct Access Engineering to research if any grants are available to improve the town's appearance.

In other business, councilors approved a motion to purchase security cameras for the shelter house park if the cost is less than $1,000. The village received a small grant from the Mercer County Fairgrounds for park improvement, Boroff said.

The next village council meeting is 7 p.m. July 25 at the village hall.