ASHLAND – In a surprise reception Thursday, City of Ashland officials and employees and other community leaders applauded outgoing mayor Duane Fishpaw for his service.
Fishpaw’s 11-month tenure as mayor began in January when Glen Stewart resigned mid-term. Matt Miller, elected in November, will take the job in January.
City engineer Shane Kremser read a list of the city’s accomplishments in the past year under Fishpaw’s leadership.
Ashland has acquired properties for prospective development, negotiated a donation of land for a future satellite fire station, negotiated the sale of business park land for construction of one new manufacturing facility and expansion of another, negotiated tax incentives for businesses looking to invest in the community, furthered plans to expand utilities to the east side of Interstate 71, facilitated investment in the city’s downtown and implemented the first year of new income tax funds for street rehabilitation and safety service personnel.
“And yes, under mayor Fishpaw’s tenure, the City of Ashland finally has a Chipotle,” Kremser joked.
“While these are significant accomplishments, there are certain human qualities that also define your leadership — your kind demeanor, your generosity, your honesty and integrity, your dedication to the public, your selflessness, your appreciation for your employees and your ability to work with other community leaders for the benefit of the overall community,” Kremser said.
Fishpaw responded by saying all the city’s accomplishments have been team efforts and the groundwork for many of the items on the list began before he assumed the office.
“I came into this pretty cold,” Fishpaw said. “I’d never done anything like this before. I was a fireman trying to be a mayor.”
Fishpaw had a 31-year career as an Ashland firefighter, retiring in 2011. After that, Fishpaw represented the city’s first ward on the council for six years. Fishpaw announced in a council meeting Tuesday he would like to be considered for appointment to Miller’s council at-large seat when Miller becomes mayor.
Finance director Larry Paxton thanked Fishpaw for being approachable and honest, and county commissioner Mike Welch thanked him for being nice and level-headed. Robert Breneman, mayor of Wooster, thanked Fishpaw for his role in the Wooster-Ashland Regional Council of Governments, the combined dispatch center that serves both cities as well as the City of Orrville.
Fishpaw expressed his belief that Ashland is headed in a good direction.
“The city really, I feel, is on an upswing,” Fishpaw said. “I think that Matt will do a great job. I just appreciate all that everybody has done for me this year.”
