Safety & Service Director Mark Wendling told the Committee of the Whole on Jan. 8 that Syntheca, the anaerobic-digester operator at the corner of Murray and Vine, has invested in the site and is operating while several building-code and zoning issues remain unresolved.

"They did report that to date, they have invested $70,000,000 into the site," Wendling said, adding that Syntheca reported 18 employees on-site, average wages of "$20 to $30 per hour," and that the operation is at about 60% capacity and expects to reach full capacity later this spring. Wendling said the village's zoning code requires Syntheca to appear before the Board of Zoning Appeals for conditional-use approval, at which time the village can impose conditions on operations.

Wendling also reported ongoing coordination with Roger Bacon over a parking-lot expansion that will require a zoning variance and said village staff met with company representatives to work through issues. He said the administration will continue monitoring concerns and working with the operator.

Separately, Wendling said the village held two public aggregation hearings (gas and electric) and will need two resolutions and a Public Utilities Commission of Ohio filing to proceed with an energy aggregation program; he also asked the council to approve submission of an application to the Ohio Public Works Commission for the 2026 state capital-improvement program.

Why it matters: Syntheca's local operations, code compliance, and future growth could affect neighborhood conditions and municipal permitting. The Board of Zoning Appeals' conditional-use process will be the primary venue to set operating conditions if the village determines they are required.

Next steps: staff said they expect to bring Syntheca-related zoning matters to the Board of Zoning Appeals in the spring and will continue monitoring compliance; council directed staff to continue working with the company and the administration at Roger Bacon on the parking-lot expansion.