Toledo committee reviews convenience-store licensing, enforcement gaps and theft reporting

Theresa Gaddis, chair of the Toledo City Council Housing and Community Development Committee, opened a February 26 meeting that focused on the city's convenience-store licensing enacted in 2021 and whether the law is working as intended.

Melanie Campbell of the Department of Finance told committee members the city has been moving from education to enforcement. Campbell said the code defines a convenience store under Toledo Municipal Code (TMC) section 7.21 as a retail food establishment with certain permits that is under 5,000 square feet and that stores must submit contact and permit information, a health department license in good standing, and a $500 annual license fee. “The code section says that operation without a license is a misdemeanor of the fourth degree,” Campbell told the committee, and the code includes a $500-per-day penalty for operating without a license and authorizes the law director to bring action to compel compliance.

Officer Mohammad Ali Nasser of the police department's community services section presented an inventory of incidents at convenience stores across Toledo, organized by ZIP code. He said incidents range from theft and trespass to robberies and assaults, and he warned that many thefts are not reported by stores. “If you don't report it, it's like it's never happened,” Nasser said, adding that some stores classify losses internally as 'charitable donations' or handle them through corporate loss systems rather than filing police reports, which limits the city's data-driven response.

Committee discussion touched on several enforcement and policy questions: how many stores meet the code definition; whether the 5,000-square-foot threshold should change to capture larger 'mega' convenience-store formats; how many stores participate in the police camera-sharing program (FUSIS); and whether the $500 fee covers program costs. Campbell said the city identified about 193 locations that meet the convenience-store definition, that 75 stores applied in the first licensing year (October 2023) with 63 licenses issued, and that for the 2024'25 licensing period there were 93 applicants and 52 licenses issued so far. She said 16 stores identified as meeting the code have not applied and that staff will begin sending notifications to noncompliant owners; unresolved noncompliance could lead to fines or court action.

Council members asked for more information about the licensing program's budgetary position and camera participation. Campbell said the license fee revenue goes into the general fund and does not fully cover the cost of the staff assigned to the program. Committee members reported very low enrollment in the camera-sharing program: staff estimated three to five participants during the discussion, and Campbell said the city had offered a waived fee in the program's first year for stores that enrolled.

Officer Nasser provided location-level examples cited in the city's incident list, naming specific stores and corridors where theft and related calls have clustered, including multiple incidents on East Broadway and Dorr Street, and singled out several national and dollar-store chains by location. He encouraged council members or their aides to request location-specific call-for-service records if they wanted more detail.

Several business owners and operators addressed the committee during public comment. Jim Sutton of S and G said his company spends municipal and private funds on safety and that S and G had paid police overtime; he asked for clearer guidance on camera integration and noted the burden of the $500 fee. Council members encouraged staff and business representatives to follow up directly to resolve technical and enrollment issues.

The committee did not vote on changes. Staff said their immediate next steps are targeted outreach to nonapplying stores, continued inspections by the newly assigned inspector, and preparation for the 2025 renewal period when fines and denial of renewal may be pursued for persistent noncompliance.

Ending: Committee members asked staff to return with follow-up information about (1) the number of stores enrolled in the FUSIS camera program, (2) an estimate of the licensing program's full cost and whether the fee should be adjusted, and (3) options for whether and how the 5,000-square-foot definition should be revisited for larger format stores.