Village of Leipsic Mayor
Village of Leipsic
State of the Village 2026
Members of the Village Council, Village Employees, and citizens of the Village of Leipsic, I am pleased to share with you the 2026 State of the Village.
Over the course of 2025, our village has worked on projects to improve, enhance and prepare our community for the future.
If you have had the opportunity to enjoy Bennett Park this past summer and fall, you may have noticed some updates. We utilized the Land & Water Conservation Fund matching funds grant that we received through ODNR to make the park more functional and enjoyable. The park entrance from State Street was paved, curbs and gutters installed and new signage was placed to welcome visitors. Additionally, we paved the northern end of the lot and added a new parking lot between the village storage building and the track. New restrooms have been added between the track and softball field, and the backstop was replaced at the Cale Frankart field. A new shelter house has been constructed, and new playground equipment completed the upgrades. We hope you enjoy these changes and look forward to seeing you at the track and diamonds this year!
Another project that was undertaken was the building of the new lift station on the north side by Poet. This lift station adds capacity for servicing our existing industries and positions us well for any potential future industry.
We have continued our commitment to improving our village streets and in 2025 we were able to pave the following:
- 7th Street
- 2nd Street
- Grove Street
- Portions of Mathias and 5th Streets
- Patty Lane
Our exceptional village employees continue to go the extra mile for the Village. During the year they completed tiling at the City Park ball diamond which resulted in better drainage. They also remodeled the Street Garage office which has enabled more efficient usage of the available space and painted the Water Treatment Plant. To assist in water line repairs and excavation as well as catch basin clean outs, the Village bought a used Vac Truck.
Our Volunteer Fire Department responded to 89 calls this past year which included structure fires, motor vehicle accidents, and hazardous conditions calls. Our volunteers also completed 134 hours of training and completed all National Fire Protection Agency (NPFA) required testing for the pumps, hoses, ladders and SCBA’s. Additionally, they spent 202 hours of time doing regular equipment checks and ensuring the stations are well maintained. The department was able to purchase turn out gear for new firefighters and replaced expired gear, a new body for the brush truck, and also hydraulic extraction tools.
The police department reported that for 2025 the department maintained consistent levels of activity across traffic enforcement, incident response, and criminal investigations. Traffic stops were the most frequent officer-initiated activity while citations, accidents, and domestic-related charges remained low and stable. Thank you to all our first responders for your excellent work!
As I mentioned, we have hard-working and caring employees in our Village. I want to welcome new employees, Kyle Croninger to our street and maintenance department, and Chase Proctor to our wastewater department. Kyle’s expertise with rebuilding motors and generator repair has saved the Village money and I would like to thank him for his dedication. We have had several employees that have taken their water and wastewater tests and we appreciate their efforts to increase their skills and knowledge. I would also like to welcome our new Village Administrator, Kevin Siferd, and look forward to working with him. We have been blessed to have fantastic employees and I’d like to congratulate and thank them for their service as well as the following who have retired from Village service: Eric Steingass, Leo Ellerbrock, Tom Plassman, and Lee Beck. It has been a pleasure working with each of you and we thank you for taking such great care of our Village and people through the years.
This past year we welcomed a new business to our downtown, the Leipsic Laundry, and we are glad to have them as part of our community. I want to thank the Leipsic Chamber of Commerce for organizing the third annual Taste & Tunes and want to thank the local businesses for sponsoring the entertainment. The food has been delicious and it is nice to see people enjoying each other’s company while supporting our local businesses. We look forward to another summer of music and fun downtown. Our Chamber of Commerce and the Fire Department collaborated for another successful reverse auction. Proceeds from the auction have enabled the Chamber to have events such as Taste & Tunes and the Fall Festival and the Fire Department to purchase needed equipment. I want to thank our community for their support of these organizations.
As we start the new year, we have a few projects that we are continuing to make progress on. We are carrying on our efforts to plan for a new water treatment plant and await information from the EPA on our pilot study. Buckeye Park will soon be featuring new playground equipment which will be more user friendly, safer for the children, and inclusive for those of differing abilities. I want to thank our Village and local donors for making the new playground equipment a reality.
We were awarded a $1.8 million ODOT TAP Grant for sidewalk, curb and gutters, and bike trail in 2025. In 2026, we will be working on the engineering phase with projections to start construction in 2028. This grant will provide curbs and gutters, sidewalks and a bike trail which will allow for better connectivity throughout parts of the village as well as to Bennett Park.
The Village is also in the process of applying for an ODOT Systemic Safety Grant worth $700,000. If awarded, the grant will provide funds for improved pedestrian crossings and pedestrian controlled flashing beacons which will provide additional safety for residents and visitors. If funded, this project would be implemented in 2029.
The Village assisted three businesses with applying for a downtown revitalization grant and grant monies totaling $250,000 was awarded and were divided between those businesses. These monies are used to improve building elements such as roofs, facades, windows, etc. that the businesses are located in.
We remain on pace for street pavement this year and have the following streets on the books for repaving:
- Finish Mathias St.
- Broadway from SR 65 to Eastom
- Parking lot at Bennett Park
As I reflect on this past year, I would like to thank all the village employees and the council for their contributions, collaborative spirit, and efforts to make this year successful. We had a great 2025 and look forward to carrying that momentum into 2026.
Rick Recker
Mayor of Leipsic
