Maumee Council adopts sewer remediation program, approves sewer contracts and appointments

Maumee City Council on an emergency vote adopted a citywide sanitary sewer overflow remediation policy and program, approved related grant and construction applications for East End sewer rehabilitation phases, authorized multiple sewer contracts and capital purchases, and confirmed two personnel appointments including a new council member and the public service director.

The emergency ordinance establishing the Maumee Sanitary Sewer Overflow Remediation Program was introduced by the law director and passed after council suspended the three-reading rule. Council also approved resolutions to authorize applications to the Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) for East End Sewer Rehabilitation phases 2 and 3 and authorized agreements with VISTA Sewer of Ohio LLC for East End Phase 1 and Uptown Phase 5 work.

Council members said adopting the remediation program and moving quickly on funding applications was necessary to pursue state funding and to begin required work. Law Director (recorded in the minutes) described the funding measures as steps to support the sewer rehabilitation projects and related borrowing.

"This authorizes the program and gets us into the queue for state assistance," Mayor James McDonald said when introducing the funding items. Council adopted the emergency ordinance (Ordinance 23-2025) by roll call after suspending the three readings.

In consent and related votes, council authorized a series of contracts and purchases tied to public works and city operations: a caseloader purchase from Southwestern Equipment for $292,499.56; agreements with VISTA Sewer of Ohio LLC for East End Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Phase 1 not to exceed $464,121.15 and for Uptown Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Phase 5 not to exceed $799,406.50; and authorization to purchase office furniture and AV equipment for the renovated administrative suite ($29,392.85 and $17,117.06 respectively).

Council confirmed an amended agreement increasing Maumee’s annual Toledo-Lucas County Health Department share by $37,547.46 toward the health department’s planned building purchase. Council also voted to sign letters of joint financial support for Lucas County Water Resource Recovery Facility projects; the recorded Maumee shares discussed included $918,000 for a heat exchanger replacement and $1,326,000 for a digester cover replacement. The transcript included an implausibly large figure for one sewer interceptor rehabilitation share that appears to be a transcription error; the official minutes and project paperwork should be consulted for the correct amount.

Council approved a $285,325 expenditure for fall tree planting and replacement. Council members noted trees can help absorb stormwater and provide multiple community benefits; the tree commission provided proposed planting locations including Key Street, Michigan Avenue, Detroit Avenue, Riverside Cemetery and Fort Field playground areas. Funding for the tree program was budgeted in 2025 and comes from general fund line items and various developer bond holdbacks where applicable.

Personnel matters: council approved the appointment of Matt Griggs as public service director, effective Aug. 18, 2025, with compensation at the ordinance step B. Griggs, introduced at the meeting, said he was honored and intends to focus on efficiency, community engagement and a positive work environment. "I'm deeply grateful for this opportunity to be the public service director," Griggs said.

Council also filled a vacant council seat. After two rounds of voting and an intervening executive session, Chelsea Ziss was appointed and sworn in at the meeting by the judge present. Ziss addressed the council briefly and thanked members for the appointment: "I'm really looking forward to serving the community in the same way that I have," she said.

Transit update and city partnership: before the business agenda TARTA (Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority) staff provided an update on ridership and service improvements. Rick Bailey, TARTA chief customer experience and mobility officer, said fixed-route ridership remains strong on Route 31—used for downtown-to-zoo and to local industrial employers—and that the system added 10 battery-electric fixed-route buses and new ticket vending machines slated for early 2026. Bailey noted TARTA and Maumee are partners under Issue 12 funding; Maumee’s allocation of roughly $90,000 in local sales tax-funded transit support will be used for stop and crosswalk improvements near Maumee Stamping, Reynolds Road and the Kroger on Conant.

Citizen comments at the meeting raised concerns and requests on multiple topics, including the farmers market, sidewalk replacement, cemetery maintenance and contractor performance. Resident Tracy Elmore invited the public to support the Wednesday farmers market and urged organizers to solicit vendor feedback. Multiple residents urged more attention to Riverside Cemetery maintenance and to reexamine contracted mowing and grounds care.

What’s next: the council majority framed the sewer ordinance and OPWC applications as urgent steps to position Maumee for state funding and to begin remediation work. Several council members emphasized continued fiscal scrutiny of capital purchases given the scale of sewer remediation costs and the need to prioritize resources. Council referred a charter review matter to the Charter Review Advisory Commission and directed the personnel committee to consider search options for a new city administrator and to fill Griggs’ previous project-engineer role.

Votes at a glance: the transcript records roll-call approvals for the emergency sewer ordinance (Ordinance 23-2025), OPWC application resolutions for East End phases 2 and 3 (Resolutions 22-2025 and 23-2025), caseloader purchase ($292,499.56), VISTA Sewer contracts (Phase 1 $464,121.15; Phase 5 $799,406.50), Matt Griggs appointment (public service director), Chelsea Ziss appointment (council), and the $285,325 tree planting expenditure. For precise vote tallies and the official recorded roll-call names, refer to the certified minutes and the city clerk’s recorded roll calls.