City reports sewer backup cleared, upstream spill under investigation; ODOT offers help for mill traffic

City officials told the St. Marys City Council that a sewer backup on Dorothy Lane was cleared after crews used camera inspection and high-pressure jetting to remove a large root ball obstructing a tap, and that the city's insurance carrier has advised the city was not negligent.

"Our main sewer line was clean and looked good," the director of public service and safety said, adding that crews located a root ball at a tap that had grown into the sewer main and caused the blockage. Officials said affected residents should pursue their own insurance carriers for claims because the city—s insurer indicated no negligence by the municipality.

Officials also reported an upstream agricultural application that moved through local waterways; Troy Anderson and state agencies including the Ohio EPA and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources were involved in response and corrective measures. City staff said the farmer or applicator may be held responsible for observed fish kills, pending count and enforcement actions.

Separately, staff reviewing traffic impacts for a proposed mill project said ODOT does not recommend major intersection changes but offered to help fund an improvement of roughly $100,000 to lengthen the McKinley Road turn/storage lane so it can hold two semitrailers and reduce blockage risks. Engineering will coordinate with Noble Township and the county engineer before pursuing the improvement.

Council members asked about timelines and were told final studies and consultations are ongoing; no formal contracts or grant commitments were recorded at the meeting.