By Sandi Latimer
Staff Writer
Honoree Bill Lotz turns to join the crowd after speaking with long-time friends who were unable to join the outdoors crowd for the ceremony honoring Lotz for his long public service career by naming a street at the landfill in his honor.
Trucks hauling trash to the landfill at the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) will be making a left turn off State Route 665 onto Bill Lotz Way.
It’s not a new route, but the road now has a name – that of Bill Lotz, a long-time Grove City and Jackson Township public servant, and, of course, a member of the SWACO Board of Trustees.
More than 50 friends and neighbors of the Lotz family turned out under sunny skies on Sept. 12, to pay tribute to Lotz by naming the road, which goes north as well as south, in honor of Lotz.
“I’ve served with him for 10 years on the board,” said Kenneth Wilson, chairman of the SWACO board. “He was environmentally centered and used it in many decisions we made. He was considered an authority when we made land purchases.”
Lotz was appointed to the SWACO board in 1998 and as the program for the day noted “he represented the interests of the residents in the Solid Waste District as an adjoining property owner to the Franklin County Sanitary Landfill.”
He also served as director of planning and zoning for the city of Grove City and retired after 23 years. He then served as a Jackson Township trustee.
Grove City Mayor Richard “Ike” Stage paid tribute to Lotz, his family and his many years as a public servant.
“Being a public servant isn’t easy, and being an elected official is even more difficult,” Stage said.
Although the south end of the newly named street dead ends into the landfill and the north end also dead ends, Stage said, “We don’t want any more dead-end streets.”
Stage said Lotz was special to all, and to Grove City and “we were blessed to have him a part of the city.”
Jackson Township trustee Steve Bowshier, who served many years with Lotz, said he thought of Bill as an authority.
“He never shied away from public service,” he said.
Bowshier added that as a trustee, “I relied upon Bill, his experience – a skill I didn’t have.”
And then he quipped that “with all the things named for Bill Lotz, Jackson Township is not changing its name,” which brought laughter from the audience which included trustees chair David Burris and Township Administrator Mike Lilly.
Wilson then presented Lotz with a framed commemorative sign that read Bill Lotz Way.
“It’s quite an honor and the highlight of my career,” Lotz said. “Every time I did something, I did it for you,” he told the crowd that included many friends and people he used to work with.
