[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6107133,"mediaKeyId","2778311-3e9fa6da532489f8c071e6fda174c8d7","parentId",2778311,"title","Resident urges investigation of bill spikes, restroom policy and foundry emissions; city points citizens to departments","audioSeconds",274,"startMs",364000,"endMs",638000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2778311-3e9fa6da532489f8c071e6fda174c8d7&start=364&end=638","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2778311-3e9fa6da532489f8c071e6fda174c8d7/thumbnail_364000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6107133/Ohio/Resident-urges-investigation-of-bill-spikes-restroom-policy-and-foundry-emissions-city-points-citizens-to-departments","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6107133-c6075f5fe866a9396f1861d35a1c236c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771123177&Signature=azuxVvwJBzRrHLYlfWf6FIiKJNYOPyiNwm8WMMRSN3a69swZ5sHKTLt~71oTjBszhesxvIgaqozeYC9jThF90wy7X3LX50Tc7mfmOUUWf0aCPK5-VF3hMTESQlRExbdNg-JN8HrToEfh1~Qbf4uf4lG-ohRzaCtyJPriCMigR9sGhDvSIbIAvDVOrtF9r5zmghLCYf8oHvq7b-dIBKaaO6xfuJJD4pgVVchcaYfJ9GKBkkJhxGCusUzP7Mh0qUvNwx-s9QE7a07CP5TGPj3sn~vdh7po4LcFbZMjMSlz2YsL8UTHhsMKZtZAErJD0dA5xvB~bbWl-EPAd3iTsrtmSA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of St. Marys, OH ","date","2025-03-25T17:11:18Z","article","Resident Gary Buchanan told the St. Marys City Council that multiple residents had three recurring concerns: sudden increases in electric bills in January and February, potential changes to public-restroom designations, and suspected air and settling emissions from a local foundry that residents say left residue on houses and vehicles.

\"Some residents have noticed that their electric bills were significantly higher in January and February,\" Buchanan said, asking whether the city could investigate rate determinations and provide transparency on funding for a municipal building project.

Council and staff recommended that residents start with the utility department. \"I would suggest ... that the individual electric customers contact electric department,\" said Mr. Fox, a council member who responded to Buchanan. Mr. Fox and other councilors named Angie Youngs, utility supervisor, and Matt Kenny in the electric department as staff who can review individual bills and historical usage.

On the foundry, Mr. Fox said the city has discussed previous complaints with the plant’s management and that, to his knowledge, the foundry meets EPA requirements. \"They assure me that they meet all EPA requirements,\" he said, adding that the foundry had been audited and management had taken steps after earlier complaints about dust and soot.

Buchanan also raised concerns that public restrooms—specifically at the park cited by the organizer of the mental-health event—might be converted to gender-neutral facilities. Council members said they were not aware of any plan to redesign restroom designations and noted the cost of altering multi-stall restrooms compared with single-stall facilities.

Councilors provided additional clarifications about utilities and city finance: the speaker identified a rate study by Courtney Associates conducted in 2015 and said new electric rates were implemented in July 2016 to ensure cost recovery. The same speaker described how a municipal building (referred to as \"Ability\" in the meeting) was funded by bonds, with approximately 80% repaid from the general fund and about 20% allocated across four utilities; the speaker gave a rough split (water ~5%, sewer ~5%, electric ~7%, solid waste ~3%) and offered to provide detailed figures on request.

City officials said a variety of assistance programs and seasonal appliance-exchange programs have been available to help residents reduce usage and bills and that residents could request a historical bill and temperature comparison from staff.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of St. Marys Council Meeting 03-24-2025","oneSentenceSummary","A resident raised three community concerns—electric-bill fluctuations, the possibility of gender-neutral public restrooms, and alleged foundry emissions—and councilors and staff advised residents to contact utility staff for bill reviews and said the foundry has undergone EPA audits, according to the meeting record.","taxTitle","St. Marys City Council, St. Marys, Auglaize County, Ohio","taxId",72260,"location","Ohio","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6107138,"Local mental health scavenger hunt planned May 19 at Casey Diver Park",198,111000,309000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2778311-3e9fa6da532489f8c071e6fda174c8d7&start=111&end=309","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2778311-3e9fa6da532489f8c071e6fda174c8d7/thumbnail_111000.jpg","/articles/6107138/Ohio/Local-mental-health-scavenger-hunt-planned-May-19-at-Casey-Diver-Park","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6107138-c0bbb144622c4097855ee96ee1333966/orig.mp4?Expires=1771123177&Signature=Ph2JrVKya6eWEI8qFJTPpHnJ97A2B5kjJyj3cGbbrTbuTPyp7qHV~Rdn7HCWQKZLb0a0fGrbU58WjpucxCaWtnm8IHfXiG0B3nGs4eJ4KyzIqJ3DpeFblz4J4ntkeNqrq5IE4h-hK7tlBtGebBHVCc627~BUOzjXp3Ij6t3ZhRKGxfvJGq-KhTboIEcMhXgBmnr1hifPNii2eKPYCFUPWqQaA-wYdsUtCfhoE~TMBHWdNWoNf9lk-Ur-lEp4SZJ8k9e692B~n5w8gg2eXF1iNj3BUq7s40aI~N-Sl~omshUxzEWS9m27S9GysQ4NYXp6KRpo0W~5vBI7XqaVOZ~d1w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Elizabeth Osborne said during the St. Marys City Council meeting that she is organizing a mental-health awareness scavenger-hunt event on May 19 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Casey Diver Park to link residents with local mental-health providers.

\"It is going to be a mental health scavenger hunt,\" Osborne said. She said she had contacted multiple community agencies that provide services ranging from counseling and case management to massage and yoga. Each agency will host an activity at a table around the park; participants will collect signatures from each table for a chance to win raffle prizes.

Osborne said the event is open to all ages and that agencies will bring their own tables. \"I will be handing out pieces of paper to everyone that participates with a list of all the agencies there, and they have to find each of the agencies and have them sign off on that piece of paper,\" she said. She said Girl Scout cookies will be a raffle prize and that Ohio State (as referenced on the flyer) is involved.

She told the council she has flyers with contact information listed and asked the council and residents to distribute them. When asked, she said no rain date has been set but she would work to establish one if needed.

Council members present indicated support; the transcript records Miss Harris and Mr. Carter discussing the event and offering support for outreach and volunteers.

","Elizabeth Osborne, a staffer at New High State University and affiliated with a local recovery board, told the council she is organizing a community mental-health scavenger-hunt event on May 19 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Casey Diver Park to connect residents to local providers.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6107143,"St. Marys Council expands Summerfest alcohol boundary to Spring Street",202,1244000,1446000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2778311-3e9fa6da532489f8c071e6fda174c8d7&start=1244&end=1446","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2778311-3e9fa6da532489f8c071e6fda174c8d7/thumbnail_1244000.jpg","/articles/6107143/Ohio/St-Marys-Council-expands-Summerfest-alcohol-boundary-to-Spring-Street","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6107143-d5bf5851a4c99f11eb90caf6089421c5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771123177&Signature=OArUu2rBxm~XQSKKM1UzlAAME-xQb1oD~w6IFVybqcXxInLcYCeE3U6kUySaJdZ9lL-rprG3mIZ1qizGmCcJN92e4VqNyHEOglXW7U9~ot6gK~VKsJSGBXMEwWS1~BeYrS5s7epLdV1r~1NMtKV433~j3Xq4Q4ViL5hcs9Q~hqNM~2nq-UGJr9yeZU30WYGw6YH2vsPovsQBOujaNr5-N7fyH5o7psCMKQ9K6UcQFCtlaktuSN9JnfaoZc9wbo27z2346iMYFoDruRviux1fgm23v7hI6JJeDAApK6Ctdbu1bGYn1O~vAnjulSxZMBydltFvSKGKl5feAHU6bjbCDA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The St. Marys City Council voted during its meeting to expand the alcohol-consumption boundary for the city’s Summerfest, moving the northern limit from South Street to Spring Street so people can carry beverages to the outdoor theater stage.

Council member Earl, who presented the change, said the expansion would allow theater patrons to bring beverages across the street to the stage area. \"Right now, that boundary is South Street. We would like to expand it to Spring Street, so it would include the back of the theater,\" Earl said. He told the council he had consulted the fire chief and police chief, who raised no objections.

The ordinance amends section 955.09(a) of the city code for the limited, event-specific liquor boundary during Summerfest. Council moved to suspend the rules before voting to adopt the ordinance so licensing and preparation could proceed; Council Member Buck made the motion to suspend the rules and Council Member Acuero seconded. The council then voted to pass the ordinance by voice/hand vote; the meeting record shows the motion carried and the mayor called for the affirmative hands.

Earl said the change was meant to allow people to carry beverages to the music on the outdoor stage and that the area’s other boundaries would remain the same: the west boundary Front Street, the south boundary the railroad tracks and the east boundary the river. He added the change is similar to a prior expansion when Summerfest moved to the park.

City staff noted the ordinance is not being treated as an emergency measure; the normal 30-day waiting period before final license activities remains. Earl said that timing would allow organizers to apply for the state liquor license in May without emergency language.

The council’s action was limited to the temporary, event-specific boundary for Summerfest and does not change general liquor-license rules outside that event.

The meeting later moved into an executive session on property acquisition; no action was taken afterward.

","The St. Marys City Council voted to expand the permitted alcohol-consumption area for Summerfest north to Spring Street so beverage holders can move between the theater and the outdoor stage; council suspended rules to pass the ordinance at the meeting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Resident urges investigation of bill spikes, restroom policy and foundry emissions; city points citizens to departments

Local mental health scavenger hunt planned May 19 at Casey Diver Park

St. Marys Council expands Summerfest alcohol boundary to Spring Street