Waterville Council donates $1,000 to Save the Bridge group seeking to halt demolition

The City of Waterville Council approved a $1,000 donation to the Save the Bridge Association, a 501(c)(3) group that has been collecting signatures and donations to preserve a local bridge slated for demolition by the Ohio Department of Transportation.

Group members Dave Webber and Barb Bruno addressed council during public comment and described a series of outreach events and fundraising efforts. Webber said volunteers collected nearly 600 petition signatures and more than $777 in donations during recent local festivals. He asked the council to consider financial support for the group’s exploratory and administrative costs.

Council discussed the request and one councilmember suggested using any city contribution as a matching signal to help the group raise additional private donations. Mayor (speaking) encouraged the council to make a modest contribution to help the nonprofit cover early administrative costs and to demonstrate local support.

A motion to contribute $1,000 to the Save the Bridge Association was moved and seconded; council adopted the donation by voice vote with no recorded opposition. The association said it will publish a public ledger of donations and expenditures and that the $1,000 would help cover administrative and early grant-seeking work.

Why it matters: The donation is an early, symbolic contribution to a local preservation effort; the Save the Bridge Association said it will continue fundraising and volunteer recruitment. Council’s action does not change any state or ODOT process related to the bridge but provides local fiscal support to the nonprofit’s organizing activities.

Sources and context: Comments and funding figures were provided in the meeting during public comment by Dave Webber and Barb Bruno, members of Save the Bridge.