Toledo City Council to vote on designating additional state fuel tax revenue to city for street repair

By: ​Tim Schneider

At its regular meeting scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on October 1, Toledo City Council is expected to vote on two measures related to designating additional state fuel tax revenue to the city for maintenance and repair of streets. Resolution 410-19 would declare Council’s support for designating 80 percent of increased revenue for residential streets and 20 percent for commercial neighborhood streets beginning in 2020. Ordinance 411-19 would authorize issuance of $25 million in bonds for work on the streets with debt repayment to be made over five years using the fuel tax revenue.

Council is also expected to vote on the following:

• Two ordinances that would authorize acceptance of contributions from the Fifth Third Bank Community Sponsorship Program. Ordinance 456-19 would accept $15,000 toward the contract the city has with Lucas County for the recently created business navigator position that is shared by both jurisdictions. Ordinance 457-19 would accept $10,000 to assist the Fredrick Douglas Center with operational management and services to the Junction Neighborhood.
• Ordinance 462-19 which would approve $30,000 from the capital improvement program fund for the purchase of a van for commercial enforcement of overweight vehicles in the city. The Toledo Police Department began enforcing street weight limits in 2016 after years of not having an active program.
• Ordinance 465-19 which would approve accepting $48 million in loans from the Ohio EPA and the Ohio Water Development Authority for the filter and pipe gallery improvements project at the Collins Park Water Treatment Facility. According to the city, the project is the third and final barrier for removal of harmful algal bloom toxins following chemical feed improvements and ozone facilities being constructed at the plant.
  
• Ordinance 469-19 which would authorize $135,000 annually for the next two years to SAFEbuilt for services to support the Division of Building Inspection. The city has an existing contract with the firm which provides plans examinations and inspection services.

First reading is expected to be given to Ordinance 468-19. It would establish a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) area for portions downtown generally within the boundaries of the Maumee River and Swan Creek to the east, 21st Street to the west, Jackson Street to the north, and Washington Street and the Anthony Wayne Trail to the south. Payments in lieu of property taxes on improvements to parcels would be made into a fund designated for infrastructure upgrades within the territory for a period of 30 years. A hearing on the ordinance before Council’s Regional Growth, Development & Small Business Enterprise Committee is scheduled for October 9 at 2:00 p.m.
 
Two ordinances regarding lead-safe housing will likely be held until Council’s October 15 voting session:

• Ordinance 381-19 would repeal the city’s current lead law and enact a new one designating the Department of Neighborhoods & Business Development, instead of the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department, as the enforcing entity. It would also expand residential rental properties included in enforcement to those with one or more units, instead of only those with up to four units.
• Ordinance 382-19 would approve $75,000 to create the position of Assistant City Auditor to support the lead-safe program. The position would be responsible for seeking and monitoring grants to provide funding for a “lead conference”, lead test kits, education, and marketing.

Ordinance 413-19, which would expand the area around a subject property in which property owners are required to be sent mailed notices pertaining to zoning proposals, is also expected to be held until October 15. The ordinance would require that notices be mailed to owners of property within one-quarter mile radius of the affected property. Currently notices are only required to be mailed to owners of property abutting or directly across the street from the subject property.

All Council meetings, including committee hearings, are held in Council Chambers on the first floor of One Government Center located on Jackson Boulevard in downtown Toledo.

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​Tim Schneider
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​As Manager for Local Government Advocacy, Tim Schneider advocates for local policies and laws that safeguard and foster a pro-business environment in the Toledo Region. Tim has more than 10 years of legislative and public policy experience with the local, state and federal levels of government.