Committee endorses moving forward with coach statue at Municipal Park

A Perrysburg committee on an agenda item signaled support to advance plans for a statue honoring a longtime high school tennis coach at Municipal Park.

The statue proposal is being led by an alumni group that played for the coach in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Jeff, representing that group, told the committee the alumni "have taken the initiative among themselves to raise the funds for the actual construction of the statue" and that the project is also intended to "raise additional funds to support the tennis programs at Perrysburg High School." Jeff said the sculptor is a Perrysburg native and addressed durability concerns, saying the statue "will be plenty strong enough to hold the weight of anyone who may climb on them" and that the tennis racket element would require extreme force to damage.

Committee members and city staff discussed logistical issues staff will resolve if the project moves forward, including the design, a concrete pad, perpetual maintenance and insurance. One committee member said administration has "no concerns from the administration's perspective" and praised the fundraising plan. Staff said maintenance funding would likely be held within the school's foundation to cover cleaning or upkeep costs.

A dedication around the homecoming festival in September was given as an anticipated timeline if the project proceeds. The committee agreed it would take the next step of drafting legislation for council consideration; a staff member said they would "talk to Tim about the legislation" and follow up with the project proponents on next steps. The minutes will note that the item "met approval 2 0 to move to continue to move forward." The committee did not adopt final legislation at the meeting; staff indicated formal legislation will be needed eventually to accept the statue as city property.

The committee also discussed minor details the sculptor addressed, such as closing the tennis-racket strings so people cannot put fingers or heads through them and using stainless-steel threaded rod for the tennis-ball elements.

The discussion combined procedural next steps with technical questions about durability and maintenance; no final transfer-of-ownership ordinance was approved at the meeting, and the project remains contingent on subsequent legislation and final designs.