By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
After living near the Wood County Fairgrounds for 15 years, Nathan Moellenberg is accustomed to the sounds and smells of the annual tractor pulling championships.
But he was caught off-guard earlier this month when the “NWO Showdown” event on the fairgrounds filled his Quail Hollow neighborhood with smoke.
So on Monday, Moellenberg asked Bowling Green City Council to intervene on behalf of city residents.
He presented council members with photographs showing his neighborhood next to the fairgrounds being filled with smoke from trucks doing “burn outs.” At some points, the smoke was so thick he couldn’t see across his street, he said.
“This is the worst I’ve experienced in 15 years,” he said. “I don’t think this represents our city well.”
Moellenberg said by using an air quality monitor for particulate matter, he was able to determine the smoke sent into the Quail Hollow subdivision far exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency’s limits for hazardous air pollutants.
During the truck burn outs, the odors in his basement became quite strong, he said.
Council member Bill Herald noted that because the fairgrounds is not in city boundaries, that the city’s authority is limited. He asked the city administration to check into what options the city has to affect events at the fairgrounds that impact city residents.
Council member Jeff Dennis noted that the recent event seemed to create “a nuisance” for fairground neighbors.
In other business on Monday, BG Finance Director Dana Pinkert presented the first quarter financial update to city council’s Finance and Ways and Means Committee. She reported that income tax revenues have rebounded somewhat from the drop seen in 2025.
“Right now, we’re pretty much on track,” Pinkert said.
But she still has some concerns about the dip in income tax revenue becoming a trend.
“I’m keeping an eye on that right now. I’ll have a better idea in a month,” she said.
City Council President Mark Hollenbaugh asked about the impact of higher gas prices on the city budget. So far, the city is weathering the increases with no issues, Pinkert said.
“I don’t think we’re really there yet,” she said.
Also at the meeting:
- BG resident Karissa Boisselle raised her concerns about domestic violence and the stigma of low income housing. A survivor herself, she spoke of the ongoing efforts by the Cocoon, Bowling Green Police Division, and BGSU to curb domestic violence and support survivors. But she added that more support is needed for those impacted.
- Rose Drain, of the BG SONG Climate Action Team, showed council samples of young trees being offered at no cost to those in the community. The redbud and black tupelo trees are available, as well as plastic tubing to protect the young trees.
- Lindsay-Jo Douglas, chairperson of the Bowling Green Human Relations Commission, thanked city officials, businesses and community members for attending and supporting the recent multi-faith breakfast event. Council member Bill Herald thanked Douglas and the commission for resurrecting the event that had stopped being held when Covid hit the region.
- Municipal Administrator Lori Tretter reminded residents to sign up for Evenbridge – the new emergency notification system that has replaced Code Red. People will not be automatically registered for the new system.
