Tiffin City Council on a 7-0 vote approved Resolution 25-39, authorizing the mayor to enter into an escrow agreement that will allow the final plat for the West End development and construction of Progress Parkway to proceed.

The resolution was introduced after a community planning committee discussion in which City Administrator Nick Dutra explained that the parcel boundaries for the West End site — the field next to the Willows — are being redrawn to accommodate a future sale and to dedicate a road that will connect to Progress Parkway. Dutra said landowners had signed the required paperwork and the escrow agreement allows the city to construct public improvements the developer would otherwise have provided.

“Part of that is going to be a dedication of a road that will connect Progress Parkway,” Dutra said during the committee report. Executive Director Bryce Riggs (Destination Seneca County) spoke to potential economic impact of the site. Committee member Kyle Dougherty moved that the law director draft legislation for the mayor’s request for the escrow agreement and declare an emergency; the committee carried that motion 3-0.

Law Director Zach Fowler told council the landowners had signed and that council’s action tonight was to give the mayor authority to sign so the planning commission could approve a final plat at its meeting the next day. Council suspended the three-reading rule and declared an emergency before voting on the resolution.

The resolution passed unanimously; the council minutes record the suspension, emergency declaration and passage each with 7-0 votes. No implementation timeline for construction was set during the meeting and no contract award or construction schedule was included in the legislation presented to council.

Council discussion at the committee level focused on platting and the city’s role in constructing public improvements; the record shows no dissent at council on the resolution itself.

The matter will next proceed to the planning commission for final plat approval, per the law director’s explanation to council.