Residents urge Fostoria council to prepare downtown for large summer event, raise safety and farmland concerns

Residents used the city’s public comment period to press council to prepare the downtown for a major summer event and to raise safety and lease-related concerns.

Jill Filiator (402 West Culbertson Street) told council she expects tens of thousands of people at a July event that will rely on shuttles and off-site parking; she urged the city to ensure downtown readiness — including tree plantings, ambiance, business participation, and timely completion of the splash pad and inclusion park — and asked council to confirm construction and permitting timelines so downtown businesses can prepare. Filiator also said she has observed groups coming from Toledo and asked for increased nighttime police attention, noting she owns two downtown businesses and is concerned about safety and patronage.

Michelle Harmon (304 East Brown Road, Arcadia) raised a separate, parcel-specific concern about a county-owned, 16-acre farmland parcel adjacent to Reservoir No. 5 that her family has farmed in past decades. Harmon said her family bid on the lease on April 5, 2023, and alleged that the person who obtained the lease on June 10, 2023, damaged tile covers and a culvert and allowed weeds to seed onto her adjacent fields. She asked the city to ensure leaseholders follow contract guidelines, offered photos of the alleged damage, and requested notice when the city accepts new bids for that parcel.

Two residents (identified in the record as Jeff List and Jeff Canrell) asked about markings observed in their neighborhood and expressed concern about roadway speeds and intersection safety on County Road 613. Staff said the markings may be preliminary planning for a Safe Routes to School sidewalk project or could be related to private fiber/utility work; staff pledged to confirm project extents with the ODOT LPA project manager and to notify affected residents. Council also noted ongoing speed-monitoring and targeted enforcement activity in response to repeated complaints about speeding.

Council acknowledged the comments. The farmland parcel near Reservoir No. 5 was subsequently the subject of an ordinance to advertise for bids and lease the property (Ordinance 2026-34).

What happens next: staff said they will confirm sidewalk project extents with the LPA project manager, provide bid packet notice to interested parties for the farmland lease when bidding reopens, and continue enforcement/monitoring in high-speed locations.