Council introduces ordinances to levy street-tree and streetlight special assessments

Perrysburg City Council introduced a package of ordinances to levy special assessments for street trees and streetlights and suspended rules to allow first readings by number and title.

Finance staff told the council the cost for the street-tree program remains unchanged from prior years at $70,000, to be divided among all parcels in the city. Streetlight assessments were described as unchanged at $210,000, also divided among all parcels. The council grouped four ordinances (Nos. 84, 85, 86 and 87, 2025) and voted to suspend the rules to permit first readings by number and title only; roll-call votes were recorded as yes by Council Members Fuller, Coleman, McCarthy, Van Hagen, Weber and Wilson.

Why it matters: The assessments authorize the city to proceed with improvement and maintenance work that may include tree removal, treatment and planting in public rights-of-way, and lighting projects in specified public places. Finance staff indicated the assessments mirror prior years practice and are presented on the same timeline as the refuse levy proposals for council consideration.

Committee discussion included the plan to conduct three readings for each ordinance and to consider passing them as emergency measures after the third reading, per staff recommendation. The ordinances set out general purposes: assessing costs for tree removal and treatment, planting and maintaining trees in the public right-of-way, and proceeding with certain lighting improvements. Exact assessment rates per parcel and project-specific scopes were not included in the introductory reading and will be determined in subsequent legislative steps.