Mark Deidrick, Andrew Lake appointed to Pittsfield Township Board of Trustees

Lorain County Probate Judge James Walther on Monday appointed two new members to the Pittsfield Township Board of Trustees. Mark Deidrick, a former Pittsfield Township trustee who decided not to run for office again in 2023, was appointed to replace Walt Bredel. That term of office ends Dec. 31, 2027. Meanwhile, Andrew Lake was appointed to finish off the remainder of Forrest "Bud" Mohrman's term, which ends Dec. 31, 2025. He is a 13-year resident of the township, U.S. Army veteran and a married father of three, he said Monday. "I wanted to try and help out the township as best I can," Lake said. "I am here to learn." Both men took the oath of office and were sworn in Monday morning in Walther's courtroom. They joined incumbent Trustee Mark McConnell on the board. All three trustee seats will now be up for election in November 2025. Because Bredel served less than two years, which is half a trustee's elected term, his former seat now occupied by Deidrick must go up for re-election in 2025. Had Bredel served more than half his term, Deidrick would have served out the remainder through 2027. McConnell's and Lake's seats will be up for reelection in 2025 as scheduled. The new board met for the first time Monday night. McConnell was named chairman of the board, Deidrick was named vice chairman and representative to the Wellington Fire District, and Lake was named the board's representative to several other boards and commissions. With a quorum, which is the minimum number of board members required to conduct business, the board was able to discuss and vote on township business for the first time in a month. The board heard a presentation by Mark Hess of the township Board of Zoning Appeals. He is part of a volunteer group collecting information on a proposed annexation of 142 acres of township land by Oberlin. The city already owns the land, and hopes to build a high-tech industrial park on it in the future. McConnell said he couldn't be involved in discussions about the annexation because he has a conflict of interest. He has a contract to farm the land "so I have to abstain from any activity on this," he said. Township officials said they would continue to discuss whether to seek the services of a Columbus-based lawyer who can help them understand their legal rights. As it stands, state law is on the city's side and the township has no choice in whether the annexation goes through. The board assigned Lake to meet with the volunteers researching the annexation. The Lorain County Board of Commissioners has yet to vote on the matter, since Oberlin Law Director Jon Clark withdrew the annexation petition while there was only a single trustee. By unanimous vote, the board also voted to pay its bills — including a $66,000 bill for chip-and-seal road maintenance. McConnell said the contractor who did the work did "an extremely good job." Deidrick and Lake were among nine township residents who applied for the open jobs. Township residents Thomas Blinco III, Daniel Evrard, Katelyn Evrard, William Forthofer, Joshua Mack, Brady McCann and Michael L. Schmidt also submitted applications. Mohrman and Bredel resigned in mid-August without giving any reasons. Bredel would say only that trustees disagreed on "management style" and declined to be more specific. Mohrman also didn't give a reason for his decision, and didn't respond to requests for comment. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com.