Hartland residents press board after registered offender moves into 4 Winds subdivision

Dozens of residents of the 4 Winds subdivision told the Village of Hartland Village Board on Sept. 22, 2025, that they feel unsafe after a registered sex offender moved into a home in their neighborhood.

The comments came during the meeting’s public-comment period, when speakers described children’s bike riding routes near the house and asked the board for more transparency and safety measures. “The decision has had a direct and frightening impact on my family,” resident Amy Witt said. “Our children’s safety should come before any other consideration.”

Residents asked the board to tighten the village’s residency restrictions for registered offenders and to increase police visibility at school travel times. Bill Knauss, who said he lives on Hollyhock Lane in the Fort Wayne subdivision, referenced the village ordinance that governs residency restrictions and asked the board to “relook at these rules and please retighten them.” Several other speakers, including Heather Boundy, Chris Luth, Nicole Weller and Greg…