[{"_1":2,"_108":-5,"_109":-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",[32,75,87,98],{"_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":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6746097,"mediaKeyId","5120391-22d29d76bf7d1d6e85236fcbf070635f","parentId",5120391,"title","Votes at a glance: Findlay City Council approves property transfers, equipment purchases and a retirement resolution","audioSeconds",916,"startMs",916000,"endMs",-1,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5120391-22d29d76bf7d1d6e85236fcbf070635f&start=916&end=0","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5120391-22d29d76bf7d1d6e85236fcbf070635f/thumbnail_916000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6746097/Findlay-City/Hancock-County/Ohio/Votes-at-a-glance-Findlay-City-Council-approves-property-transfers-equipment-purchases-and-a-retirement-resolution","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6746097-51ae1410b2436de12860dfc20fb55c21/orig.mp4?Expires=1771177229&Signature=iFbi3ZOOtgPSz~GJPI4EOHXdgLF~6Vs22bJ4eJp87RMSbQqnb0d-mT82HdvupYxatcn5BTD45hn7O0dY6tvHuTuFE31jWFfwAxUmcIQ3CmP1WcFo4Rt4Wj5paxGXDtNwb1XZxXewClgHTHLocBx80Ktq6CKg8Li2R9oCoj80oQq0tF4r~m70ZdPYImXqi10Y3AFcZxd~age4cmdiqZAKoqgp0zTSyDLRCZfvFEgIOIBv1inLv-ELkXzQCRDVzYxoeL7MifSRq2FIEf~ibKfkjn6CVA9I2uvmTxCKbykKPUiLg~V2NurB5emZMXLaV5GVdaFypSP-J35AS2iMgA-IyA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Findlay, OH ","date","2025-07-02T21:23:00.893Z","article","City council recorded several roll‑call votes on July 1. The actions below summarize measures that were adopted during the regular session. Where the transcript did not provide a full roll‑call list or a complete vote tally, the entry is noted as “not specified.”

Resolution adopted

- Resolution No. 016‑2025 — Commending Kenneth Paul for 32 years of service in the City of Findlay Public Works department. Motion to approve by Mr. Bauman; second by Mr. Greeno. Roll call recorded ayes from Bauman, DiArmond, Frishee, Greeno, Hellman, Niemeyer, Wernicke, Wolpzer (transcript lists the names as called). Outcome: adopted (unanimous roll call recorded in sequence).

Ordinances and other actions (selected)

- Ordinance 2025‑68 (third reading) — Authorizing the mayor to accept permanent ownership of two parcels from the Hancock County Board of County Commissioners (FEMA DR‑4424‑OH and FMA FY2018). Motion to approve made by Mr. Webster; second by Mr. DiArmond. Council discussion addressed deed restrictions and maintenance; vote recorded with two nays and the ordinance adopted. Vote tally (as recorded in sequence): Ayes: 7; Nays: 2 (Miss Frishee and Mister Niemeyer recorded as opposed).

- Ordinance 2025‑69 (third reading) — Authorizing the mayor to accept permanent ownership of four additional county parcels as part of continued flood mitigation and benching projects. Motion by Mr. Baumann; second by Mr. DeArmond. After substantial discussion about Front Street parcels and possible environmental liabilities, council voted and the ordinance was adopted (roll‑call sequence recorded; specific tally not consistently presented in the transcript and is recorded here as adopted).

- Ordinance 2025‑71 (third reading) — Authorizing the mayor, service safety director and/or city engineer to advertise for bids and enter contracts for projects in the 2025 department equipment list and appropriating funds. Motion and second recorded; roll call recorded as adopted.

- Ordinance 2025‑74 (third reading) — Authorizing enrollment in the Bureau of Workers' Compensation group retrospective rating plan. Motion and second recorded; roll call recorded as adopted.

- Ordinance 2025‑79 — Originally considered in the consent/finance sections: Council reconsidered and suspended rules to allow second and third reading in the same meeting (suspension required a supermajority). Suspension of rules passed (council recorded multiple ayes and one recorded nay which prevented a simple unanimous count but the suspension passed by the recorded roll call required for supermajority). After suspension, council adopted Ordinance 2025‑79 to transfer Attorney General grant funds to the police department for training (motion to approve by Mr. Wilson; second by Mr. Baum). Outcome: ordinance adopted (roll call recorded).

Other first‑ and second‑reading ordinances on the agenda included contracts for design and engineering services, appropriations for airport terminal windows and doors using federal energy‑efficiency grant funds, and vacation of a portion of an alley; those items were read by title and left at their respective readings.

How to find the official record

This summary uses roll‑call sequences and statements captured in the meeting transcript. For the authoritative vote tallies, ordinance numbers and final codified language, consult the official meeting minutes and the city clerk’s posted records for July 1, 2025.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Findlay City Council Meeting 7/1/25","oneSentenceSummary","Council approved a retirement resolution and several ordinances at the July 1 meeting, including measures authorizing the city to accept multiple county parcels for flood mitigation and a budget/equipment ordinance.","taxTitle","Findlay City, Hancock County , Ohio","taxId",52832,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6746100,"Findlay debate intensifies over downtown Blanchard River park as citizens seek court order and experts differ on cleanup standard",1438,2310000,3748000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5120391-22d29d76bf7d1d6e85236fcbf070635f&start=2310&end=3748","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5120391-22d29d76bf7d1d6e85236fcbf070635f/thumbnail_2310000.jpg","/articles/6746100/Findlay-City/Hancock-County/Ohio/Findlay-debate-intensifies-over-downtown-Blanchard-River-park-as-citizens-seek-court-order-and-experts-differ-on-cleanup-standard","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6746100-fe4e95140e47e805b870efb9725e05c4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771177229&Signature=GbaLxCPRxhKY~Wd1ivp2XCMPxeocC1RIbJJiyXG5uVJlifbL-zSCGObwCziOW6B6gTY5GIis282jKvgPmRkyLOIwyIPiNJLZrumKQHQNXU3poNGC4Yav~dYubOgw5mhCjBtP9RGlLz39Zi6whw46N0L8iBeodvI~ShXi8GHCqrfq1wqKOqx22F6LajbDIW97TYEDaVRMkoxKmTaJDuJgdkqpcuIBrLEaJwIgXKh0Gnm8fGpHMUvkFKqLqLqC~hp~ZifAVOoFyS~ILekIB~QKXPKzUcrHa9340C1XlgUfC9aHKdEYgedW0UoElQYSDCrC7auBlYqHZCuuzu1SjiOsJQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Council members on July 1 heard a reading of a verified complaint filed in Hancock County (case no. 2025 CV 00246) by a citizens group seeking a temporary restraining order to stop city actions related to the proposed downtown North River/Blanchard River park and nearby property transfers.

The complaint, read into the record by a representative of the citizens group, asked the council to stop “spending public funds, entering contracts, passing ordinances, or transferring property” until an initiative petition collected by the group could be resolved by voters. The speaker said the suit requests a restraining order and preliminary injunction against city activity related to the project.

The city law director told council that under current case law the mere filing of the complaint does not automatically prevent council from proceeding with legislation or contracts and that the decision whether to act while litigation is pending would be a policy decision for council. The law director said the courthouse record shows the plaintiffs were given 21 days (from mid‑June) to correct procedural matters in their filing; if they fail to do so the judge could dismiss the case.

Why this matters

Council and members of the public framed the issue as both procedural and technical: procedural because residents have submitted an initiative petition seeking voter review; technical because the area identified for the park sits on parcels with a history of industrial contamination and prior brownfield work. Members of the public and outside attorneys argued the city should not proceed without more study or without using a stricter cleanup standard; city officials and consultants said the chosen standard is protective and consistent with Ohio practice.

What council heard and who spoke

A representative for the group identified in court papers as Findlay Citizens for a Safe City asked council to cease design and property transfer activity until the initiative process and litigation play out. Jeffrey E. Fort of Fort Law Firm LLC submitted a written letter that was read into the record and argued the appropriate remedial approach for the park footprint is a commercial land‑use cleanup standard with “high‑frequency child exposure,” a risk‑based standard used under Ohio’s Voluntary Action Program (VAP). The mayor and staff described ongoing consultant work (CEC) and referenced prior benching work and previous brownfield cleanup efforts on nearby parcels.

Councilmembers and the auditor raised budget and liability questions. Councilwoman Frishee repeatedly urged caution, saying portions of the 19‑acre park footprint had earlier tests showing hexavalent chromium and that earlier tests required remediation that went to depths “to bedrock” on at least one parcel; she said the city previously recovered “about 1,700 gallons” of contaminated liquid during earlier work. Frishee suggested that if the city is planning a multidecade, multimillion‑dollar park project (council referenced an overall figure of about $40 million), it may be reasonable to spend more now — she cited a city staff figure of roughly $1,800,000 — to obtain a deeper or more comprehensive cleanup up front.

The mayor and other council members responded that the city’s consultant and multiple environmental experts consistently recommended the commercial, high‑frequency child exposure standard for park uses and that remediation per VAP rules typically includes sampling, monitoring, deed restrictions and engineered barriers (for example, an orange mesh marker and cap) to prevent inadvertent exposure and to “future‑proof” the site. The mayor also detailed possible program partnerships (Toledo Zoo, Blanchard River Watershed Partnership) for native plantings and an urban prairie along the corridor.

Financial and legal context

Speakers noted the county had begun transferring multiple parcels to the city for flood mitigation and benching work; several of these are adjacent to the proposed park footprint. Council members debated whether accepting ownership now gives the city better control over future cleanup and reuse (and access to brownfield grants and the state remediation programs) or whether accepting the parcels exposes the city to cost and liability it should leave with the county. The law director reiterated that the pending court filing, as it stood on the docket, would not necessarily stop the council from proceeding, but council must weigh the litigation risk of acting before the initiative petition and any judge’s orders are resolved.

What remains unresolved

- The court action referenced a 21‑day window for plaintiffs to correct procedural defects; the record at the time showed no final hearing date. The law director said a later judicial decision could affect actions already completed (contract law issues), but that there are limited remedies if contracts are lawfully entered before a final injunction.
- Council did not take formal action to halt design work or transfers at the meeting; several measures to accept county parcels were on the agenda and were discussed separately.

Clarifying details from the meeting

- The complaint is filed as case no. 2025 CV 00246; plaintiffs requested a TRO, preliminary and permanent injunction related to the downtown North River development (source: Commenter, 00:38:30).
- Jeffrey E. Fort (Fort Law Firm LLC) wrote that the appropriate remediation approach for park uses is a commercial standard with “high frequency child exposure” and described typical VAP safeguards (source: Fort letter, 00:52:15).
- Councilwoman Frishee said earlier work on a 19‑acre footprint found hexavalent chromium in at least one area, that an earlier cleanup went to bedrock and that about 1,700 gallons of contaminated liquid were removed in that work (source: Miss Frishee, 00:55:12–00:56:16).
- A staff number cited during debate for additional, deeper cleanup was approximately $1,800,000 (source: Miss Frishee, 00:55:12).

What to watch next

The initiative petition and the county court docket. Several relevant ordinances (parcel transfers and consultant agreements) were on third reading or being considered; council may act again at the next regular meeting, and the law director recommended weighing litigation risk when deciding whether to move forward prior to any final court action.

Ending note

Speakers on both sides said they want a safe, well‑used park; they disagreed about the technical route to that goal and whether city ownership now helps or hinders reaching it. The debate intertwined environmental engineering, grant eligibility and local political choices about who should control remediation and redevelopment.","Council members heard from a citizens group that filed a lawsuit seeking a temporary restraining order to stop city work on the proposed downtown Blanchard River park and related property transfers, while attorneys and staff debated which environmental cleanup standard and depth should apply.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6746093,"Resident urges Findlay to curb semi trucks on McManus and Osborne avenues",0,4584000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5120391-22d29d76bf7d1d6e85236fcbf070635f&start=4584&end=4584","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5120391-22d29d76bf7d1d6e85236fcbf070635f/thumbnail_4584000.jpg","/articles/6746093/Findlay-City/Hancock-County/Ohio/Resident-urges-Findlay-to-curb-semi-trucks-on-McManus-and-Osborne-avenues","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6746093-5078d6789b8e5013238982bfa1c50f7a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771177229&Signature=nPxcJBI9l6jT8s3ZHSJwWpffmcHqmsGOqHX~Bj2kTKUspVFmlzfMY2ZAIX3CvDPr~lOTNOky62QMUk28oFYmJXZ56ScVC9FMSpGFZRWBFc5VsM9D-9eUR0Ce1zf7N6gcQ4D1IV7zblMUzYXwLdM0lppNICcnshvmA4AcjiLSJH1r0F-zzpjmD86xuIZo2Y0cJWsvoXo~gOuAyThQgr3tzHLO~cf-iTjsbWgWkwQcHfkJeBh-ZJNn9gQfwVmbi5mOswrrJMc5LlvuAL2q1YuJEnDtqO--nViW-hdCLqjZ5jlCkn6HiUT4iwRlw-jyp2GtsgACqn~OIzKKZo-jEGeRFA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tom Adams of Osborne and McManus told council that an uptick in semi traffic has accompanied nearby construction and that many drivers appear to follow truck GPS routing that still identifies McManus and Osborne as truck‑safe routes. Adams said he has confirmed the routing on commercial devices (Garmin, Rand McNally) and suggested the city pursue route corrections with map providers and consider alternate detours such as Bridal Road or signage changes.

Why this matters

Trucks on residential streets present potential safety and nuisance concerns: Adams said trucks sometimes exceed the posted speed limit and blow stop signs, and that children use nearby parks and pools. Council staff said some routing changes are outside city control (map provider data) and mentioned coordination with county and state projects (ODOT bridge work) that temporarily changed traffic patterns. The mayor and staff said they will research contacts at mapping providers and follow up with local freight operators, and the mayor offered to contact the local Amazon distribution center about routing.

Ending

Council agreed to follow up with Rand McNally / mapping providers and to coordinate with county and state authorities on detours and bridge reopenings; enforcement options on no‑truck routes remain an available tool.","A resident and long‑time CDL driver told council that semi trucks are using McManus and Osborne avenues as through routes, sometimes speeding and ignoring a four‑way stop. He urged the city to pursue alternative truck routing and noted that commercial GPS providers still mark the streets as truck routes.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":90,"_43":101,"_45":101,"_47":102,"_49":103,"_51":104,"_53":105,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":106,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":107,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6746088,"Local residents urge Findlay Council to oppose state bills restricting noncitizen property ownership",5111000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5120391-22d29d76bf7d1d6e85236fcbf070635f&start=5111&end=5111","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5120391-22d29d76bf7d1d6e85236fcbf070635f/thumbnail_5111000.jpg","/articles/6746088/Findlay-City/Hancock-County/Ohio/Local-residents-urge-Findlay-Council-to-oppose-state-bills-restricting-noncitizen-property-ownership","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6746088-4d213b67a663b02f20adcf3b85df8e0a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771177229&Signature=WwNiq40QKd7TmLLtqICwfnw7GyS0P10Yd43jPKfOlAHgt9LMEbDCQ30Ncm7vBu3L9mD-gCgPfAqELONYPxeCXkLalz3eK3xlxGTxuCXElcmtyh2-RpbNWjwdg5tBTGZ4DUWQr5LeB6-xZuZrOxAdtcPRmsO22meaEKmdrgGPINCjHWiFDjuCQGP7xFSqVbr9pkl-iDZEybPgXZS4oCuM1jBcFBx9o9p7e-ivVYYmAsN839126lgDQcNysJgL2G0qaBhwCbsQCaKmOsvc9AMoftgPfWPcse1lVQgn2NdNe4HE5kKx6cFgjZpxS-dtTvYP~L53XWA5VEJ3lQtFqpsJxA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lucy Hutchins addressed council about proposed state legislation (House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 88), which she described as banning some legal immigrants from purchasing single‑family homes or property near certain infrastructure. Hutchins said the bills sweep too broadly, risk constitutional and federal Fair Housing Act challenges and would harm Findlay’s employers and families.

Why this matters

Hutchins, who said she is a naturalized U.S. citizen and a Findlay resident, urged the council to consider an open letter opposing the bills and described potential local economic impacts if foreign‑owned facilities were forced to divest or relocate. The mayor said he had already raised the issue with state legislators representing Findlay and invited Hutchins to share her written statement with his office so he could forward it to the sponsors.

Ending

Council did not take an official position at the meeting; the mayor said he would follow up with state legislators and asked for a written copy of Hutchins’ remarks to share with representatives.","A resident asked the council to publicly oppose Ohio House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 88, which would restrict certain non‑citizens from buying property near critical infrastructure. The speaker said the measures would discriminate by national origin, harm the local economy and conflict with federal equal‑protection and fair‑housing law.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Findlay City Council approves property transfers, equipment purchases and a retirement resolution

Findlay debate intensifies over downtown Blanchard River park as citizens seek court order and experts differ on cleanup standard

Resident urges Findlay to curb semi trucks on McManus and Osborne avenues

Local residents urge Findlay Council to oppose state bills restricting noncitizen property ownership