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Residents urge stronger code enforcement on vacant properties and safer railroad crossings
Summary
Public commenters told the Fostoria council that landlords are leaving houses vacant and urged enforcement; a resident also described a near miss at the Jackson Street railroad crossing and called for active warnings or flaggers.
During the public‑comment portion of the meeting, residents raised housing‑quality and public‑safety concerns.
Becca Kimball told the council she filed a zoning complaint after the previous meeting and said some immediate enforcement had followed (removal of tires and a tree near her house), but that multiple houses remain vacant and deteriorating. She urged the city to hold negligent landlords accountable so that vacant properties do not contribute to homelessness or blight.
Kimball also described a safety incident on Feb. 16 at the Jackson Street railroad crossing near Poplar in which a train passed without sounding warning whistles and the crossing gates did not come down; she cited crash‑reduction statistics for active warning systems and asked the council to consider flaggers or equipment that would allow the gates to lower at that crossing.
Another commenter, Jill Affiliator, urged the community to support neighborhood projects rather than airing disputes publicly, saying negative online posts harm the town’s reputation and that residents should promote positive local efforts.
Council members thanked speakers for their comments; no formal action or vote on these specific public‑comment requests was recorded at the meeting.
