The Fostoria City Council on a recorded roll call adopted an emergency ordinance authorizing the director of law to enter into a contract for legal representation to seek funds for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) testing and remediation in the city. Council member Lehman moved to adopt the ordinance; Cassidy seconded, and the measure passed on the roll call vote.

The ordinance authorizes the city’s law director to secure counsel to pursue funds related to PFAS “forever chemicals,” including water testing and remediation efforts. Council members moved the item off the table earlier in the meeting and read the ordinance before the vote. The enacted ordinance was presented to the council as an emergency measure so the law director could begin contracting immediately.

Council action follows public concern raised earlier in the meeting about possible contamination and the need to pursue funding and remediation. Resident Deb Tyson raised a question during public comment about whether the council’s directive meant the city was authorizing testing because of suspected contamination; the council vote does not itself state findings of contamination but empowers legal representation to seek external funds.

The ordinance was adopted in the meeting’s roll call; the council recorded affirmative votes and declared the item passed as an emergency.

Council members and staff indicated next steps would be for the law director to negotiate and execute a contract; the ordinance does not specify a firm or attorneys by name nor a dollar amount for the contract in the adopted text presented at the meeting.