BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—According to a press release sent to all local media, Bucyrus City Council President Kurt Fankhauser is sounding the alarm over an escalating administrative backlog that includes potentially up to 100 committee meetings with incomplete or unapproved minutes.
A recently compiled report shows committee minutes outstanding for as long as 12 months, raising serious concerns as the 2024–2025 Council term enters its final three weeks. Fankhauser warns that leaving such extensive unfinished business for the incoming council could place the legislative body in a difficult and legally vulnerable position. Under Ohio law, meeting minutes must be completed and approved in a timely manner, and members of the public may request copies at any time under Ohio’s public records statutes.
Compounding the issue was the departure of Council Clerk Wise in July 2025, followed shortly by the resignation of Clerk Pro-Tem Dishon, which significantly contributed to the accumulation of incomplete minutes. In addition to the backlog of committee minutes, many regular and special council meeting minutes also remain outstanding.
Council President Fankhauser noted that he has been calling for additional staffing support in the Council Clerk’s Office for years—dating back to 2021, when he recommended hiring an additional part-time clerk to ease the heavy workload placed on the full-time clerk. The current backlog, he says, demonstrates the validity of those concerns.
“With nearly 100 committee meetings and additional regular and special meetings left without completed minutes, this backlog is almost unimaginable,” Fankhauser said. “It could take months to bring the records up to date—long after the current council has left office.”
As the council term draws to a close, the pressing question remains: What steps will the 2024–2025 Council take to address the extensive backlog of uncompleted minutes?