Findlay council postpones Heartland Forward collaboration after public concerns

Findlay City Council voted to postpone consideration of an ordinance that would authorize the mayor to enter a multi-year collaborative agreement with Heartland Forward, following public comment and mixed council reaction.

Two residents urged council to reject or delay the proposal. Patty Klein said the city already has an auditor, health department and economic development staff and described the proposed Heartland Forward dashboard as duplicative and insufficiently explained; she also questioned the need for an emergency clause. Angela Guthrie said Heartland Forward appears data-driven on its face but raised concerns about outside influence, the origin of funding and whether local priorities would be protected.

During council discussion, proponents described the Heartland Forward product as a data tool that the city controls and that can inform decisions; opponents said the city should rely on local agencies and wanted more time for the public to review materials presented at an earlier working meeting. Councilmember Brown called the product “information” that the city can tailor and said an initial one-year commitment could be ended if it did not meet expectations.

Councilmember Kenzinger moved to postpone consideration until the next meeting so residents could review the materials and hear the recorded discussion; the motion carried on a roll call with one recorded nay. The mayor’s office and administration had recommended the collaboration but council will revisit the item at its next regular meeting.

The ordinance had been introduced on its third reading and, under the usual progression, could have been subject to referendum if passed without suspension of rules; council instead chose to delay further action to allow public review and follow-up questions.