Sandusky commission approves causeway waterline deal, new Battery Park TIF and $9M bonds for recreation center

The Sandusky City Commission on Feb. 9 approved a series of ordinances covering infrastructure, economic development and capital spending.

Causeway waterline and Cedar Fair development agreement: The commission passed an ordinance authorizing the city manager to enter into a development agreement with Six Flags Entertainment Corporation related to the Cedar Point Causeway waterline project. Staff said the $3,000,000 figure reflected an engineering estimate and that the funds were originally identified when the city adopted an emissions and parking tax increase earmarked for the causeway. Staff emphasized the city owns the water lines — which serve the causeway and nearby properties — noted multiple water-main breaks in recent years and said the work will be timed to tie into the larger causeway construction so it will not immediately impact water rates.

Battery Park TIF and school compensation: Commissioners adopted an ordinance removing certain parcels from the downtown TIF and creating a new Battery Park TIF district; the ordinance requires Battery Park and Husky LLC to make service payments in lieu of taxes and establishes a Battery Park improvement tax increment equivalent fund. Officials reported prior TIF approvals and modifications (2018 and 2023) and said the School District’s share has been set at 16.5% (up from an earlier 12.5% allocation referenced in historical documents). A companion compensation agreement with the Sandusky City School District was also approved to formalize the school share; commissioners noted the schools had previously received no payment from this property and that the 16.5% will represent an ongoing revenue stream for the district.

Bonds and other contracts: The commission approved an ordinance authorizing issuance and sale of bonds in a maximum principal amount of $9,000,000 to finance construction, equipping and furnishing of a recreation center and related site improvements; the fiscal officer certificate required for the bond issuance was approved and the ordinance was passed under emergency. The commission also approved procurement and capital items including: authorization to use the Omnia Partners purchasing program to contract Carrier Corporation of Valley View, Ohio for HVAC replacement at the wastewater treatment plant; a professional services agreement for the West Monroe Street rehabilitation project; and the dockside concession agreement at Paper District Marina awarded after an RFQ process in which two submissions were scored and Dockside Hospitality LLC was selected.

Votes at a glance: The ordinances passed by roll call vote during the meeting included the causeway waterline development agreement, the Battery Park TIF formation and related school compensation agreement, procurement for HVAC replacement, the West Monroe Street rehabilitation professional services agreement, the dockside concession contract as a first reading/award, and the $9,000,000 bond issuance. Specific roll-call tallies were recorded on the meeting record for each item; several votes included unanimous 'yes' tallies or single abstentions where noted.

Public comment and context: During public comment, Tim Schwanger asked whether the causeway waterline agreement had been put to bid and whether Cedar Fair would contribute to the replacement costs; staff responded that an RFQ/RFP process had been used for certain procurements and explained funding and ownership of the lines. Talib Garrett and other residents raised concerns about the long-term revenue effects of TIFs on school funding and urged commissioners to consider school impacts when approving development agreements.

Next steps: Many of the approved ordinances take immediate effect under the city charter’s suspension rules and will move to implementation by city departments. The Battery Park TIF’s payment schedules and the details of the school compensation agreement will be administered per the terms adopted by the commission.