Good afternoon.

The uh monthly meeting of the Finance Debt Budget Oversight Committee uh will come to order and the clerk will call the roll.

Surround two Hobbs, Jones here, Martinez.

For present.

Thank you.

Um we're gonna begin uh today uh for a uh condensed report from the finance department uh for our monthly report for the month of January, uh revenue and expenses, and then we'll get into the um ARPA updates.

And I appreciate the fact we've got several people here from the various uh organizations that uh benefited from the ARPA allocations and uh we will be getting to you very shortly.

And the final item on the agenda will be the uh city auditors report.

Okay.

Uh with that, uh turn it over to the director of finance, uh Melanie Campbell.

Good afternoon.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Chairman Surround 2, Vice Chairman Driscoll and members of the committee.

Um we're happy to be here today reporting uh January revenues and expenses.

I'm joined um at the table today by our tax commissioner John Zavisha, accounts commissioner Thomas Buckley, and purchasing commissioner Natalie Brona.

Um we as the chairman said, we have a brief update on January revenues and expenditures.

Commissioner Zavisha will also provide a brief update on um income tax collections, though not final for last year.

He will give the committee an update on where we're at.

And with that, I will turn it over to him.

Good afternoon.

I'll be talking on pages two and three of the report.

Uh page two is our 2025 tax collections.

Um we are currently in the 13th period that will end on February 28th.

Um we're given 60 days to still finish up the collections from the previous year, uh, fourth quarter estimate payments and the last uh withholding payment.

Uh currently we're projecting that number to end up at 19.6 million, which would bring us to 236.6 for the year.

Um we have about 18 and a half of that actually already in.

We're still projecting about 1.1 to come uh as there's a sizable state payment that'll be uh coming pretty much right at the last day.

Um that number from a year-to-year basis, sometimes is as little as 350,000, other years it's been 3.5 million.

We're taking a conservative approach of about 1.1, which is the average of the last five years to put that number on this report for right now.

Um so again, that would bring us at the end of the year to 236.6.

Um just a little general overall withholding is running about three point four percent up from last year.

Uh business is actually down nineteen point eight percent, and then individual is up three point six percent.

Uh just uh briefly uh the IRS.

Yes, so the IRS unit uh for the month of January brought in two hundred and eighty thousand dollars.

Um they are done about a hundred and seven thousand from last year.

Um since we're working with the Ohio Attorney General uh for the compliance unit, that'll kick in more the second half of 2026.

Um so last year they brought in six point two million at this point.

We would be comfortable to say that they're going to still get to the six point two this year, but we will probably see a slower first half and then building momentum as the year goes on for that group.

And regarding the final general now or yes, so the uh that's a big project for us.

We've already started that.

There's been about 3500 cases that have gone over to the Ohio Attorney General representing about two million dollars in delinquent taxes.

Um the state has actually already brought in 135,000 of that amount.

Um and then as the year goes on, we're figuring that'll probably get closer to five, six million that we'll have sent over by the end of the year.

Um and then uh expecting a lot of growth from that as the year goes on.

Correct.

No, what ends up happening is once we turn it over to the state, usually within a week, a taxpayer would end up getting a letter from the Ohio Attorney General letting them know on that uh they can it'll give them the different options for making payments.

Um you can actually on Tuesdays and Thursdays actually come to the 13th floor of the government center, they'll accept payments there.

Um if you are using credit cards, it'll tell you how to do that because they do not take credit cards in person.

So that aspect of that would have to be done online.

Okay.

Great, very good.

So that's just another tool in the toolbox that we'll be utilizing uh which should be beneficial as you indicated, perhaps five to six million dollars of additional revenue from delivery.

Oh, yeah, five to six that we would send them, and then we're hoping for thirty, forty percent collection.

Great.

All right.

Anything else, Commissioner?

Um just the other thing would end up being just page three real quick.

Um again we for the general fund it's just over two million dollars in collections, but again, that's not in January, it's not even one percent of what we'll collect the entire year.

Um we did have some fiscal payments on the business side that would have been due if people are making early 2026 estimate payments, the individual categories that number, and then withholding.

The first monthly payment isn't due to February 15th, but we do have some companies that are just as payroll happens, they'll send the payment into the city and that creates that little bit of uh a number that way.

So we're down 247,000, but again, out of 2 million out of not even one percent of what we'll get for the whole year.

Okay.

So at this point, you're um feeling good about meeting the goal for uh tax 25.

Yeah, for this is just we're just really early in the process for 2026.

Great.

All right.

Any questions from members of council for the commissioner?

Uh councilwoman Dr.

Jones.

Thank you, Chair.

Um as far as I know that the larger topic is the possibility of the abolishment of property taxes.

So in in the instance because we're not solely reliable on property taxes, but also but income taxes mostly.

How are you possibly preparing for that change or how how does that affect our finances if it comes to be?

On the income tax side, it wouldn't have any effect.

We do have about 20 million that comes in through property taxes that you'll see on the next page of our report.

So that would be a big gap within our budget if those were eliminated.

Okay.

So I I haven't um checked to see what were the options to make up if property taxes were abolished, but um there was one indication of the increase of income taxes.

Is that something that we're preparing for, or has there been any discussion surrounding that?

I think that would be a larger discussion that we'd all have to have uh counsel and the administration.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Dr.

Jones.

Um let the record also show that uh councilwoman McPherson uh is here.

And uh also uh I know the commissioner is gonna be leaving us, but I just wanted to uh how is the uh wage theft department going?

Uh director or commissioner, if you want to answer that.

Yes, uh Commissioner Morey wasn't able to be here today, but um they're continuing their wage theft efforts.

Um council approved some changes into the code to help streamline their operations, so they're working through that.

Um and we can actually have Commissioner Morey provide an update to the committee next week if you or next month if you'd like.

That would be great.

That would be uh great.

Thank you.

Um before I go back to uh director uh the director, I want to say that there is a sign-up sheet on the podium or there should be uh for anyone that wants wishes to address the committee.

We'll take public testimony once we're through with our presentations.

So there is a sign-up sheet if you can put your name down.

Uh that would be great.

Uh with that, uh Director Campbell, that you want to proceed.

Thank you.

Um page four uh of your packet shows the general fund revenue report through the first month of this year.

Um at 8.3% through the year, collections are at 2% of the budget.

Uh comparatively, we were at the same point this point last year we were at 2%.

Um you'll see as you look through the report several areas where we receive either quarterly or semi-annual payments.

It's just so early in the year they haven't come in yet.

Um property tax uh first category or second category on the report.

We expect to see those in February.

Um license and permit category running a little bit ahead in the permit row, you'll see we're at 19 percent.

Um we did receive um one payment from Columbia Gas for 350,000 that covers all their street opening permits for the year.

Um in the intergovernmental category, um the homestead and rollback money that comes in.

Um we typically don't see that till March.

Um and then casino revenue will come after the close of the first quarter.

Um charges for services overall at 6.7 percent.

Um we do have our EMS and BLS fees we receive.

We do have a one-time payment that comes in from the county as well.

That will be received later this year.

Court fees and fines at 7.5% on track with the budget as well as investment earnings at 8.7%.

In the other financing sources and uses category, we will make the transfer in from CIP at the end of the year.

Transfers in the other categories come in from ARPA as well as the toll lot.

And at about 7% are where we would expect them for the year.

Again, overall no concerns with the revenue estimates at this point.

When did or did the transfer for fiscal year 25 from CIP did that occur already?

Yes.

Okay.

And that was 24 million.

Yes.

Correct.

Okay.

All right.

All right.

Next.

Our general fund expenditures are on the next two pages by category and by division.

As you look overall by category, you'll see expenditures in total are at 8.2% of the budget.

Labor cost we do always see at this point in the year.

Some variances from budget due largely to contractual obligations that happen during the first month of the year.

So in the labor category, you see that percent expended at 9.4 percent.

That does include stipends for career enhancement and service allowances that are paid for police.

And then as you look at the other labor expenses category at 67 percent, we have professional development and clothing maintenance stipends that happen in January.

Um comparatively, we were at about 60 percent last year, so no cause for concern in that category.

Um on the non-labor side, um we have in the supply area uh purchases for medical supplies for fire, those are contracts that have been set up for the year.

Um, and then in the service category, we've already made for the year the um payment for the 911 Council of Governments.

It's a quarterly payment that was made at the start of the quarter.

So that's what's driving the variance there.

Um so again, like the revenue side, no cause for concern at this point through one month of 2026.

Okay.

Right.

Um and the breakdown on page six, um, just a few areas where they're running a little bit ahead of that year-to-date budget pace.

Um I mentioned um the 911 COG.

That comes out of the safety administration budget.

That's towards the bottom of the page where they're at 19.8 percent.

Um we do have a variance um of 19 percent in urban beautification, but that's um contracts that they've set up to complete demolitions uh for the year.

Um, and then in the economic development area, um, those are vibrancy payments that are um being made as 2025 is uh completed.

Okay.

Happy to take any questions.

Any questions from members of council?

Anything else?

Um the last two pages are the all-fund summary.

Um again, early point in the year, so you don't see a lot of activity in several of the areas as the year goes on, we'll see semi-annual payments or debt payments that are made, um, but nothing else to report at this point.

Okay.

Um yesterday at agenda review, uh I have made a couple of referrals, and I just wanted to, while you're here to uh uh give us uh your answer to this, um the questions were raised on some of the spending uh ordinances that were on yesterday's agenda.

And the question was uh is the general fund and CIP budgets for 2026 must they be passed before funding items uh that were on the agenda?

One of the items was item number of four uh the customer assistance for utilities 100,000, and then there were a couple of other items also sidewalks that would be under CIP.

Could you address that?

So the budget would not have to be passed for those items as long as the legislation has language to appropriate funds in it, which I know for the customer assistance when it did.

I think for the other ones it did too, I took a quick look.

So those ordinances would appropriate the dollars to complete those projects outside of the budget being passed.

Um if, for example, the sidewalk funding that was in one of those ordinances prior to passage of any CIP budget, we would amend that because the sidewalk money has already been appropriated.

Okay.

All right.

Any questions from members of council?

Uh council person gas.

Thank you.

Just a little clarity.

If we were to appropriate, for example, the sidewalk program and the sidewalk program is contracted out, then we would be in forfeit of our contracts.

So is it a little bit weirder with contracts and passing?

No, I think we would want to make sure that we would appropriate the dollars, then we could enter into contracts, and as long as we have that ordinance that says appropriate and authorize expenditure, we could enter into contracts and move forward, and we wouldn't run into any issues.

Okay, but if if we were to adjust the budget, then I think that's where as a council member I'm a little nervous is if it's contractual, we appropriate it, but we do five percent cuts and that gets cut, then that's where it gets a little sticky, I think for me.

Yeah, we would have to take that into account if the sidewalk budget was cut and there were contracts that were already entered into.

That's something we would have to work through with law and look at our contract language.

Okay, okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilperson.

Okay.

Seeing no other questions, um did you want to uh go to ARPA and do a summary?

Certainly before we go to the individual presentation.

Um the one-page ARPA report um is reflecting all the expenditures and obligations through the end of January of 26.

Um again, the city's funds were all obligated at the end of 24, meeting that uh deadline set by U.S.

Treasury.

Um, the expenditure deadline is the end of this year.

Um, and as reflected in the report, there's about 12.8 million uh left to spend uh prior to that deadline.

Okay.

And uh just a couple of examples.

Do you know where that money that still has to be expended uh lies?

Um so there's still spending occurring as the demolition program closes out this first half of this year.

Um there's some spending within um finally um finalizing recreation facilities and playground improvements, um, as well as some of the brownfield redevelopment, um, as well as lead service line replacements for a few examples.

Okay.

Questions from members?

If not, we'll go to uh the first present uh first uh short presentation that we're looking for.

Again, our purpose here is to uh evaluate where the ARPA dollars were expended and uh what is um if there's any balances left and what needs to still be completed uh with the ARPA money in your particular project.

First way we have listed as healthy food incentive program.

Is there someone here that can address the healthy food incentive program?

Please come forward, state your name for the record.

My name is Stephanie Baltes.

And your organization is Toledo Lucas County Health Department.

Okay.

All right.

Um good afternoon, Council members.

My name is Stephanie Baltes.

I'm a dietitian at the Toledo Lucas County Health Department.

Um thank you for the opportunity to provide an update on the Healthy Food Small Market Pilot Program, which was funded through ARBADollars.

When this program launched in November 2024, we started with a simple goal.

How do we make it easier for Toledo neighborhoods to or Toledo families to access fresh, affordable, and healthy food within their own neighborhoods?

Rather than building something new, um, we invested ARPA dollars in small independently owned corner stores that already serve as trusted community anchors in Toledo's neighborhoods.

The city's ARPA investment of $350,000 supported five stores, J.

Clay Community Market, Gold Star Market, Yarloo African Market, Reynolds Carry Out, and Phoenix Earth Fruit Co-op through a competitive application and contracting process.

These stores received infrastructure upgrades, including commercial refrigeration, freezer units, produce displays, produce reimbursement, produce reimbursement and marketing materials, everything needed to stock and sell fresh healthy foods.

At the same time, we provided ongoing technical assistance to store owners, supplied nutrition education materials, and work to connect stores to broader food access initiatives.

We have built a very strong foundation that can be replicated to onboard additional stores, and we'll be onboarding one additional store this year.

We have a wait list of many local stores interested in supporting their community with access to healthy foods through this program.

Here's what makes this particular particularly effective.

We use ARPA as a catalytic capital to leverage additional resources.

One clear example is a partnership with Produce Perks Midwest.

ARPA dollars was not used to fund incentive programs in its itself.

However, through this program, my coworker and I facilitated the connection between Phoenix Earth Food Co-op, which is one of our participating stores, and Produce Perks Midwest launching Toledo's only brick and mortar location to offer Produce Perks, which is a SNAP matching program that doubles purchasing power for fresh produce.

Currently, 89 SNAP users are enrolled.

Today over 1,185 and benefits have accrued in nearly 638 redeemed for fresh fruits and vegetables since it began in August.

This represents the outside funding flowing directly into Toledo neighborhood stores because we built the infrastructure and partnership to support it.

We've seen success firsthand and are confident this model can be expanded to additional corner stores directly important directly improving affordability and access to fresh healthy produce for more families.

Beyond the numbers, I've been present in each participating store hosting kickoff food demonstrations, events with nutrition education, recipe cards, food tasting, and direct engagement with residents.

This ensures that when we improve inventory, the community understands how to use and incorporate these foods into their daily life.

We're also strengthening long-term systems.

We are developing farm to retail connections to improve sourcing efficiency, conducting walk audits around stores to address safe access barriers through the creating healthy communities grant.

And we work closely with the City of Toledo Food Policy Manager MARA to identify improvements to make healthy food access more sustainable long term.

As with any pilot, there are challenges.

Fresh produce carry spoilage risk.

Distribution systems are not designed for small scale retailers.

At a systems level, Toledo does not yet have a centralized produce aggregation and distribution hub to efficiently connect local farmers with neighborhood stores, grocery retailers, and institutional buyers.

Developing that type of infrastructure would reduce costs, stabilize supply, support local agriculture, and strengthen healthy food access across the city.

Additionally, sustained technical assistance requires directly direct dedicated capacity.

I currently work part-time on this program 24 hours a week.

The work we've accomplished demonstrates what's possible with limited capacity, but sustaining and expanding this system requires a full-time commitment.

ARPA funding does end December 2026, so our focus is on sustainability.

While this began as a pilot to strengthen small markets, it has evolved into a comprehensive food access initiative.

We are increasing healthy food availability in five soon to be six neighborhoods, supporting small local retailers, leveraging external nutrition incentive funding, strengthening farm to retail infrastructure, and aligning local, state and philanthropic partnerships around a shared strategy.

This is about building a resilient food access system, not simply upgrading individual stores.

And the key point I want to leave you with this is ARPA has served as a very strong catalytic capital.

We have built infrastructure, we have built partnerships, we have measurable activity underway.

We have healthy foods being sold within our most needed neighbor neighborhoods and areas.

The question moving forward is you know, will Toledo continue to preserve and scallous investment?

Um, or will the infrastructure partnerships be built to dissolve when ARCWA concludes in December?

Please do not let this program end.

Thank you for your leadership leadership and support.

Thank you very much.

Um are there any questions from members of council?

Uh council person.

Thank you.

Thank you for all your hard work on this.

Um as a former uh teacher, I know a lot of my kids their store is their carry-out, that's their grocery store.

So it means a lot to put these in our communities.

Um have we spent through all of the allocated funding for the machineries and the carry-outs, the um cold coolers and the stuff that we need.

Have we so with the five stores, the equipment um for the most part is purchase with the sixth store, we will use that.

Um, what's remaining to for that sixth store?

Do you have a timeline on the sixth store?

Like when will that be complete?

I just completed uh a full-in-store assessment of one store.

Um we did another round of applications.

Um, so hopefully within the next month, I'm gonna really get moving on it.

Um so I think it'll be a great fit with the partnership.

Well, thank you.

You should be really proud of you.

You're changing lives, and I appreciate what you're doing.

Thank you, Chair.

Uh, next is Councilwoman Dr.

Joe.

Thank you, Chair.

Um with the on here says it's um 410,000 still left.

Am I reading that correctly?

Or that's just more of the I was I don't think that's ours.

I only have 300.

350,000.

So most of that balance is from another project.

Oh, okay.

Gotcha, gotcha.

Okay, I just wanted to just clear that out.

Um so basically everything has been used.

We are on track to finish.

On track for that, okay.

And so have you identified any other funds or partnerships that could you talk about sustainability?

What is that plan look like then?

I'm trying anything and anything.

Umly, you know, just start on talks with different um foundations throughout the area just to you know have it out there.

Um you know recently talked to Marcy Captor's aid Austin.

Um so well I will definitely want to schedule a meeting to talk more about that, um, especially um what your perception is like when when you're talking about the food hub and distribution, what components would be definitely important for you as well as the stores that you're working with, and just trying to figure out some way, but there are conversations happening and definitely with uh Congresswoman Capture with that, so um we can definitely talk more.

But I'm just very happy that this program was even put into effect because as my colleague has said, you know, corner stores are sometimes the only market, and I'm glad that is definitely making a difference.

Is there a report that will be sent out, or have you had any like annual reports to track the progress or just tell the stories?

Yeah, I could provide um currently with my stores, we're tracking monthly data.

Um so that way you know we can show that they are selling, how much they're selling, um, so we can definitely provide a report that you'd like.

Okay, perfect.

Perfect.

Yeah, they I know I didn't don't have like not mentioned, but I did have great conversation with Director April Welch and Director Clemens too.

Perfect.

Um they and Mara have been such a great advocate.

So yeah, most definitely they've also been great.

Okay.

Thank you so much.

Okay if I just give you guys some.

Yes, please.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Dr.

Jones.

Did you want to add anything to that?

Uh to the information that was just given.

Okay, thank you.

Please um state your name and organization, please.

Um hi, I am Kendra Keck, and I'm the director of childhood wellness for uh the Toledo Lucas County Health Department.

And um, Brittany, I was just reviewing the budgets that you have online in front of you, and the food incentive program I noticed was obligated for a million.

And as we said, our award was 350,000, and we're on target to spend all of that by the end of this year.

If we were to receive additional funds, as Stephanie mentioned, she has other corner stores interested that we could onboard.

Um, and depending on how many that was, we'd need to right now she's working 24 hours a week on this program.

Okay.

So we'd need to look at that.

But the process is watching her go through the process was arduous.

We had to really help a lot of our corner stores become um effective in doing business with the county, making sure they had all the insurance.

She went above and beyond in working with a local insurance agent.

This corner store had never had insurance, and we're like, what if something happens to your livelihood?

And so we worked with the insurance agency to um get him reasonably cost insurance.

So it's just those types of business skills that aren't seen in the fruits and vegetables, but Stephanie went above and beyond in helping businesses succeed and grow and really coming alongside the business partners, and you can see that in her relationships with the store owners.

Okay.

All right, thank you very much.

Thank you.

Um Ms.

Jones, did you want to add anything?

I certainly do.

Um Shannon Jones, Deputy Health Commissioner to Little Lucas County Health Department.

I actually came in front of council several years ago and pitched this idea.

So to see it flourish and where it has gotten to the point it is today is absolutely remarkable.

Bringing the healthy food and the access to these neighborhoods that are food deserts is wonderful.

I would like to see the a sustainability plan to where we could have our local farms bring the food into the retail stores, so all of the funding will stay local to our local farmers and then also to our local neighborhoods and corner stores.

Um as it was mentioned, this is something that's very near and dear to us in public health, and as far from a nutrition aspect, it's not only return on investment from a monetary standpoint, the healthy food access to the children, to the adults is contributing to the efforts surrounding the decrease in chronic disease management and what we're seeing in the communities, the hypertension, obesity, etc.

So this will lay the foundation for many years to come and generations moving forward.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh okay.

Um sorry, Councilman Driscoll, I apologize.

I should have had you go first.

That's fine.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Uh Director Campbell, so it seems to me that the that the million dollar line item probably ought to be broken out a little bit more because we really uh uh obligated 350,000 to the health department.

Is that correct?

There are Councilman Driscoll, three items that fall under that bucket.

Um food systems, education, and incubation hub, that was $500,000, and then the healthy uh uh quarter store initiative $350, and then a grocery store construction incentive for $150.

So what's been spent of the $350,000 that was obligated for the Healthy Food Incentive Program.

Maybe someone from the Health Department needs to answer that question.

We have $133,000 left for the remainder of the year to be spending down.

Okay.

And can you just kind of go through the nuts and bolts then of how that's going to be spent down?

Stephanie.

She knows the details of the program.

I know very high level, but if you would like to get nuts and bolts, I'm going to have staff.

Okay.

Sounds good.

Thank you.

Please.

Please.

Yes.

Yep.

So with that, um a bulk of it will be uh my job uh to have me do that.

Um with my stores, we do have um different categories.

I I have working on with them.

So some of my stores still have some marketing efforts to spend down.

Some of them still have their produce reimbursement to spend on, which will go throughout the year.

Um some of them have some like nutrition incentives where we can do like food demos and things like that.

Um so each store has those categories left to spend down um that we're working on.

So you and I think that's that is the case.

You've already identified the stores you're working with.

And and the so you and you know to a T the things you're gonna spend the money on.

Okay.

That's sort of the purpose of this year, at least as far as I understand.

I mean, I this program is fantastic, don't get me wrong.

I just um you know what we're I think really trying to accomplish here is I want to understand between today and December 31st, the end of this year, how it is we're gonna spend this money.

So it sounds like you have a very articulated.

I think it I think if you could it might be good that way if we're able to just understand that a little bit more to members of the council.

I don't expect you to like give us all that information today.

But um I appreciate your work on this, it's obviously necessary.

Uh but yeah, I think we the oversight element of this uh of this committee is is I think what we're what we're shooting for here today.

Thank you.

Right.

Ms.

Jones, did you want to add something?

I just wanted to say one thing.

Um when this was initially launched, the incubation hub was supposed to be going in tandem with the Healthy Corner Store Initiative, where we would be getting the food from the incubation hub.

That never came to fruition.

So that was something that this project was going to be uh relying on.

However, we pivoted and figured out a different plan moving forward.

But um I know we've had further conversations about that type of program moving forward, or if we wanted to try to call on some of our local farmers to see if we could utilize their services.

Okay.

Thank you.

And Councilman Driscoll, just to reiterate close to the mic, please.

Yes.

Uh just to reiterate um in fiscal terms.

Those corner stores each have a subcontract, and that funding is encumbered and monitored through our subcontracts with them.

So um, as well as then obviously the outlay for the expenses for personnel for Stephanie to oversee it.

If you want to see any of that information, our fiscal team, we can get that to you.

Okay, thank you.

That's very helpful.

Thank you.

Okay.

Thank you.

Uh Councilwoman Dr.

Joe.

Thank you, Chair.

Um, this to Director Campbell.

Um, is there by way of referral a way that we can get this specifics of the different projects that fall under these categories?

Because for my understanding with the Healthy Food Initiative, that would include the corner stores.

It would include the $500,000 for the Erie Street Market, and then it was one other item as well.

The other grocery store that I believe that Chief Clemens will speak of as well.

We can um send you that breakout and then moving forward, we can break those three out on this report.

Okay.

And could you also include like the number and percentage of basically how much is spent, how much well, what is the percentage that's already been spent, and then what's left of these different funds as well.

Okay, I'm gonna put in a referral.

Thank you so much.

Director Clemens, did you want to say something?

Good afternoon, members of council.

I'm gonna talk on the $150,000 for the um supermarket construction incentive piece.

None of that has been spent.

We are currently working with the red and white market in the Inglewood and URSA.

They have approached us uh with a desire to to tear down that facility and rebuild a new store there.

We are waiting for their financials because we want to make sure that we don't want to go ahead and invest money for pre-development or architectural work.

We want to make sure that their financials and their balance sheets can indeed handle the redevelopment of a new store.

So I suspect we would be able to in a couple of months know if we're going to go forward and invest as funding to help them with pre-development for that piece.

Okay.

And that was $150,000.

That's for the $150,000.

Okay.

All right, Director.

Thank you very much.

Okay, at this point uh we'll have the Department of Economic Development, uh Director Sellholders.

Uh before you go on, uh Councilperson Gaddis.

Excuse me, I'm sorry I tried to catch you, Chief Clemens.

Um is there I'm sorry to make you get up again.

I just had a curious question.

Is there a plan B if that falls through?

I would hate to return any of the funding.

Well, obviously the funding has to be spent by the end of the year.

So I intend to advise uh this committee and and Director Campbell of whether or not the Red and White Market uh project is going to be able to move forward and expand the fundings.

Bear in mind that the 150 would be for pre-development architectural engineering and those sort of things.

But the key to the financials is you don't want to spend that if they're not going to be able to borrow or fund the construction of the new facility.

So the goal is to uh let you know in time to pivot those funds to something else.

Thank you so much.

Okay, Councilman Frisco.

Thank you.

I'm sorry, Director Clemens, I want to step up again.

Uh it so uh but what if it's not?

What if what if we what if we decide over the course of this next few months that we're not gonna spend the money on the pre-development work, then what would we do with the money that's been obligated?

I think that's within your purview to redirect it.

Um I I also want to say that we a year ago we hired a new food policy manager, Mara Momone, and she is working on several projects.

And um we're hoping to get funded urban aggrants in our in our budget for 2026.

So I think there's several options that we could pivot the funding to.

But um again, in light of the work in Englewood and what we're doing in the community, we'd like to see a new store there, uh, the new housing that we're putting in, and we're we're trying to really push that and and see if we can get that done, and then hopefully advise you on the types of things that we would like to pivot the funding to in concert with what uh food policy manager Mara Maman is working on.

I I think we do have some flexibility, it seems that way.

That's advice we've been given from the law department here, but I do think it's much narrower than it was a few years ago when we first um decided to to re-obligate certain amounts of money.

So whatever we're gonna be ready, I guess is my point.

And and maybe there's additional pre-development work at that specific site.

Uh but I I think that we don't have the same latitude that we once had when it comes to to re-obligating this fund.

So uh yeah, I think we we need to be thinking about that already.

Thank you.

Okay.

Okay.

Any other questions for Chief?

Okay, thank you very much.

Sit down now.

Thank you.

Yeah, thank you.

Okay.

Director Sellhorst.

Good afternoon, Chair, members of council, uh Brandon Solhorst, Chief Growth Officer.

Wanted to provide a little bit more context since we're on this bucket.

So out of the million, um 350,000 was for the health department, 150,000 was for the grocery store, and the remaining 500,000 was for the ECDI food hub that was planned for the Erie Street Market.

So I just want to provide a little bit of context on this.

Um the $500,000 was meant to go towards um working with ECDI, the Center for Innovative Food Technology, um, and the Toledo Farmers Market who were partnering together to explore a food systems hub in the Civic Center Auditorium of the Erie Street Market.

Um part of the concept was using the $500,000 to basically make the current food base able to be used again by entrepreneurs.

And then ECDI is the largest micro lender in the country, um, also operates other food uh halls like this, where they were going to bring in spaces or activate spaces rather for entrepreneurs to test out their food uh related concepts.

You see these in other big cities.

Um this was our opportunity to try to try that here at the Erie Street Market.

Um so we've been working with uh ECDI and the Center for Innovative Food Technology for the past few years to explore uh the full build out of that space.

Um we've we're working very diligently to line up funding to explore the opportunity to bring a new farmers market, uh expanded into the site.

Um so as all of this was kind of coming into focus, unfortunately, um some drastic changes at the federal level um uh changed the the the organizational structure for ECDI who relies a lot on federal funding for their operations and so unfortunately they had to make some cuts and a part of the cuts that were made where it was the position that was leading uh this particular project.

Um unfortunately um they are not in a position to move forward uh with this project at this time.

Um I we we we do have we did spend some of our ARPA dollars towards this project.

144,700 or 703 dollars were spent um on this project uh primarily for architectural and engineering rendering or um drawings for the civic center auditorium.

So we have a fully designed food hall for the Civic Center Auditorium that anyone that's listening to this that wants to come partner with us to make that dream a reality.

Um so we do have some remaining funding left over um out of this bucket.

Um as Councilman Driscoll mentioned, um we don't have broad latitude anymore of how to reallocate these funds.

Um so the uh counsel that we've been given from the law department is this has to be reallocated to another project or organization that is looking to assist with helping small businesses acquire machinery and equipment or having a nonprofit uh uh acquire uh machinery and equipment to help small businesses grow and start up.

And so uh with that new recommendation, we've been uh still working very diligently with our partner at the Center for Innovative Food Technology.

Obviously, there's been a lot of uh a lot of coverage on their uh struggles lately from an operational perspective, um, but they are looking at relocating the Northwest Ohio um uh opportunity kitchen uh uh to Toledo from where it's at, kind of closer to the BG area.

So one of uh one of the plan A for us is to partner with SIFT to um to help them relocate and buy new machinery and equipment to bring that incubator kitchen to Toledo.

They've got a number of different locations that they're looking at right now.

We hope to have a decision from them and their board um later this spring.

Um plan B of what we're thinking about because we're not sending these dollars back to Washington is to partner with either have the Department of Economic Development do this or partner with another um nonprofit organization that could assist um small businesses acquire new machinery and equipment for their business.

And obviously, given our track record with the vibrancy grants, um relationships within the community, we think that we could stand this up and get these dollars out before the end of the year, especially with our partners with the business um empowerment collaborative.

So I I just want to give a quick update because that is kind of a recent update.

We have been having some conversations with council members um about uh what what we're working through, just kind of trying to figure this out in real time with uh the changes at ECDI, and then of course working with our partners at SIFT.

So happy to answer any questions.

Okay.

Uh council person Gaddis.

I just want to thank you for this.

I it's really disappointing that the federal cuts are impacting so much of what we had planned.

Um I guess um when we talk about the machinery and equipment and being able to maybe offer grants.

Do you think that that's something that we could do in the allotted time or give it to an organization that would be able to offer grants to we're exploring both options right now as plan B.

Okay.

I just want to put a little hint out there that you know uh food trucks are such a huge economic driver, and uh I talked to a lot of them and and I think that if we were to offer grants that a portion of that would be really helpful to help cultivate and keep that uh scene going.

Right, noted.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, and I I just would add again that it would be it would be disgusting if we have to send any money back to Washington.

We need to make sure that every dollar uh is spent.

Obviously, uh the requirements are very strict, and we have to keep within uh the purpose of each of those funds.

But again, I look forward to hearing more on that.

If we do have money left over, we need to quickly allocate it to an area that is very important and very strongly related to what the purpose was originally.

So I appreciate that.

Yes, thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, uh next would be the land bank, uh David Mann, executive director.

Please come forward.

Good afternoon, members of council.

David Mann, President and CEO of the Lucas County Land Bank.

Um we were uh very fortunate on behalf of Toledo neighborhoods to be allocated about 12 and a half million dollars of ARPA dollars over the last two years uh for three different focus areas.

One the cleanup uh and redevelopment of brownfield sites, two uh supporting necessary residential and commercial demolition, and three uh within the bucket of youth recreation and parks to support the redevelopment of the St.

Anthony's uh former church building into a multi-purpose community center.

Uh uh rejoice, we've never turned a dollar back of any grant we've ever received at the land bank, and we're not gonna do so here.

Um we have expended to date uh a little over six million of the twelve and a half million that uh we are a sub-recipient to.

We have uh entered into contracts and are performing all 12 and a half million dollars of that funding right now.

So uh we have uh there were 27 different Brownfield building demolition and rehabilitation projects within that funding, 13 of them, so that's just over half are completely done.

Uh that are things that's things like the complete asbestos remediation and interior demolition of the Spitzer and Nicholas buildings, the uh demolition and cleanup of the uh former Elm Street warehouse in North Toledo, uh the Baron drawn steel uh commercial demolition project, along with smaller projects at 302 Prescott, which many of us were at last year to see come down 3303 Monroe Street, uh a property on Auburn, uh property on North Detroit, a property on Facet, a property on East Broadway.

Um projects that are ongoing right now include things like the Champion Spark plug site, which will be finished within the next uh month or two.

Uh properties on Parker on Ashland on the Grange are also in the works, as well as uh larger Brownfield read uh remediation projects, the Dollar, the former Dollar Jarvis site on Smeed uh in the Englewood neighborhood, the craft house site uh on Bancroft in the Clinton Park neighborhood.

Uh the what I think we all see as a um mattress manufacturer, but it was a good sell manufacturing site on Bancroft uh right uh behind the new Toledo Federal Credit Urban Federal Credit Union.

That site's almost down.

If you've driven down Bancroft, you'll see that happening right now.

Uh a building on City Park over in the so a number of sites uh including the redevelopment of the St.

Anthony's property, which is fully contracted.

So we feel confident that all of this money will be spent.

Uh we have a we have worked into this plan a couple small plan B's over the course of the last uh year or so simply because sometimes we've been so lucky as to have performed the project for less than we thought, uh, but have uh worked in some additional building demolition or brownfield related activities that fit within the guidelines in order to ensure all dollars are spent.

I'm happy to answer any questions you have.

Any questions for President Mann?

Uh Councilman Driscoll?

Yep.

Uh thank you, Chair.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Mann.

We have ongoing projects right now.

What's the total amount of of dollars uh to to still be to everything that's under contract?

A little over six million dollars left.

A little more.

So what where the way that we've worked in terms of the drawdown with the city is that again 12.5 million has been uh allocated.

We have drawn about nine million of that as of now uh because some of it has been advanced.

We have one more three million dollar draw that will be fully reimbursable when we finish the work toward the end of the year.

So from our side, we still have six million dollars left to spend.

From your side, I think you you will the city will still owe us a little bit more than three million dollars as we get closer to the end of the year.

Okay, thank you very much.

Okay.

Um councilperson guess.

Thank you.

By way of referral, because I did my homework before this and went through the original um PowerPoint that you sent us, and I noticed you named some locations I don't have.

By way of referral, could you give us uh all the locations, including the ones that might have changed the plan B's, and then a timeline for when the demos will be done.

Yes, happy to.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chair.

Okay, thank you, Councilperson.

Okay, anything else?

Thank you very much, uh Mr.

President.

Have a good day.

Okay, next on the agenda will be uh presentation from Wayman Palmer, YMCA.

Please come forth, state your name uh and organization for the record.

Okay.

My name is uh Eric Williams.

I'm the executive director of the new Wayne Power YMCA.

Uh thanks for having me, um Chair and also Councilmembers present.

Um a couple of things that I wanted to highlight was um uh the fact that um in O at the old Way and Palmer YMCA we um have 533 members and today we have a little over 2900 um so we're happy to um talk about that um also um we also wanted to highlight the fact that um we teach over a hundred kids how to swim um over the summer months and beyond um and they also have exposure to water safety which is important um as you guys know you can draw a spring full of water and a lot of kids drown just uh a foot or two away from the pool.

Um the other thing I wanted to mention is the fact that we served over 4500 individuals with our food pantry.

Um happy to to say that as well.

Um and our older actor adults and our silver sneakers folks are really born around.

We absorbed um about 12 folks from the Sabracki Center, and now we have about 75 singers that partake in day-to-day um activities.

Um we also um have lunches for those guys, and most importantly, um they they're able to socialize because a lot of them are widows and widowers, so is very important to them.

And I don't know if this is appropriate, but I have a handout for you guys that kind of highlight um some of the things that we've done over the last several months.

And one thing the last thing I'll say is that probably be from from November or really October, December, there were probably close to eight to nine thousand people that locked in the doors, and that's not a clear numbers.

And these were partnerships that we had with TPS, United Way, etc.

So we're truly becoming uh emerging hub in the community, thanks to you guys and the ARPA funding.

Well, thank you for that report, uh, Mr.

Williams.

I had a question.

Uh are there also obviously you've got a lot of great programs, membership is extremely high, which is what we had hoped for.

Yes.

Um are there after school academic programs to help kids like tutoring and that?

Oh, absolutely.

Um as a matter of fact, today um Sean Shaw, who is the executive director of um uh empire AI is teaching kids how to um write their own books with AI and the books will be for sale as well Amazon.

So one of the litany of programs we're on.

Um you guys are welcome to come in and seeing them.

Um I'll say this is kind of funny, but it's not um we have uh land us in class on Wednesdays, and we have over 120 seniors in the gym.

So if you guys want to move around a little bit, kind of doing on a Wednesday, but parking is tough.

Yeah, I'll be glad to stop by after I go to the bakery.

There you go.

Thank you.

Well, that's excellent, and I appreciate that.

Thank you.

Um 2100 members, that's commendable for 500 or so.

And it's the sort of thing that you know prior to coming over to the new women, you we try to simulate things.

Um, you know, we sent staff to other branches that have six, seven thousand members, but you can't emulate it because we're different.

You know, folks are coming in hungry, folks are coming in for behavior health and things like that.

We're we're more than swimming gym at a high level.

Great.

Well, thank you.

Any questions from members?

If not, thank you so much for your presentation.

Appreciate it.

Thank you, guys.

Thank you, sir.

All right, but uh next on our agenda is a community and senior center improvements.

Uh we'll begin with City of Toledo Facilities.

Anyone here to address that?

Okay.

Good afternoon, uh, Commissioner Aikman.

Good afternoon.

Um this is exciting.

I appreciate being invited.

Uh, for those that don't know, my name is Rick Aikman.

I am commissioner of facility and fleet operations.

Uh and usually you guys will kick me out here because I I truly love talking about things like this, and uh truly fortunate to have the opportunity to have these resources to catch up on our deferred maintenance items in the community centers and senior centers.

Um as you have the report in front of you.

I just wanted to give you kind of a rundown of where I'm at with the remaining uh 2.1 million dollars expenditures.

Um currently we have contracted or in the procurement process is uh the parking lot replacement at the belief center, uh parking lot replacement at the Zablocke Center, parking lot replacement at the East Toledo Senior Center.

Um finishing up the family house, uh buttoning that up, and then some of the items that we're currently seeking bids for is the HVAC replacement at the Powell Building, Police Athletic League.

Windows and Door Replacement at the Highland Park Shelter, also known as the Asian Community Center.

We're working on sewer and grease interceptor at the Belief Center, replacing and updating that.

We're also looking to replace the gym floor at the Zablocke Center.

Upgrade the electric the electrical system for the family house.

Kitchen Hood replacement at the Eleanor Kale Senior Center.

Windows at the Jefferson Senior Center, LED light upgrade at the Believe Center.

Adding air conditioning to the Asian Community Center, also known as Highland Park.

We are putting control board systems, also known as uh building automated systems in several of our uh senior senior centers and community centers.

Uh HVAC controls is another term that we use.

That's gonna be at the family house, belief center, Jefferson Center, uh, Jefferson Senior Center uh and Zablocki.

Okay.

We are almost to uh within a couple hundred hours of that, considering some change orders as we go through this fiscal year.

Uh we too are hoping to expend every penny and not leave a penny on the table.

Okay.

Now, and you expect all of these projects to be completed by the end of this year?

Yes, sir.

Okay.

Great.

And did you mention uh was there anything going on at the East Toledo Family Center?

Uh well, we've done uh multiple upgrades there.

Okay.

Um I know there's a lot of things that's going on in Marcy Captor's office uh that they have provided funding for.

Uh I also know that they have done a study for expansion.

So things that outside of what we've done there uh already is on hold, determining what's the next best use of them resources.

I see.

Okay, great.

Uh councilperson Gaddis.

Thank you.

Um with the cost of inflation and stuff, or did you have to adjust or pivot in the plan?

Yes.

Uh short answer is yes.

So if if we totaled every deferred maintenance item I have on every one of our community centers, it exceeded the original six million dollars that was uh offered to us.

Uh so we are constantly pivoting and trying to use uh and value engineer the best resources what we have available.

Okay, thank you.

You're welcome.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you.

Uh Vice Chair Driscoll.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you, Ms.

Jackman, for your presentation.

Um I think I I'm looking for a higher level of detail than what we're getting today.

So I I think we need to see all of the contracts, purchasers, everything.

Um I think that's our responsibility.

I'll ask for it by way of referral.

Um, I I understand um maybe that's not always the level of detail that we get, but it's very important to me at the that that the oversight of this specific program that we see that we can that we see every detail possible.

We're prepared to give that.

Everybody, everybody's come up, says hey, we expect to spend the dollars.

And I I know you expect to spend the dollars, but if there's but uh we wouldn't be doing our job if we didn't ask for that.

So I appreciate that, and we are prepared to give you estimates and what we have already procured.

Okay, terrific.

Thank you very much.

Welcome.

Okay.

Any other questions?

Thank you.

Uh uh Councilman Hobbs.

Good afternoon, Howard.

Question How we um found anyone at least the space at the Zablocki Center yet.

Uh no, sir.

That uh feasibility studies being conducted by neighborhoods as I understand it.

Um I am just upgrading the facility as it's a city owned property.

Okay.

Okay.

Um Chief uh would you you have any other information about the Zablocke Center?

Chief Clemens is here also, so I'll I'll ask if there's any additional information on the Zablocke Center.

We are uh good afternoon again.

We are we have contracted with a consulting firm, Great Lakes, a Toledo-based firm, and they're helping us with a feasibility study and engagement with the community.

We've we've actually had some very good sessions where we've had literally hundreds of people come out to talk about what they want to see there.

We expect a draft of that report um in March, very shortly here, that we will share with the community, and uh my hopes is that by April we will have a recommendation uh from the consultant on uh potential uses for the Zablocky Center, potential tenants for the Zablocky Center, and maybe uh well potential additional upgrades that will be required.

But that work, as I said, is well underway.

Okay, great.

All right, thank you, uh Chief Clemens.

All right, thank you, Commissioner.

Did you want to add anything?

No, sir.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Okay.

Um next, uh, we'll have uh Brown Mental Health Support Services.

Is there someone here from uh mental health recovery services?

Good afternoon, Mr.

Sitlack.

Good afternoon, sir.

Hi, everybody.

I'm Scott Silak.

I'm the executive director of the Mental Health Recovery Services Board.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to come and say a few words about the two million dollars in City of Toledo ARPA funds that the board received.

Uh we are very proud of the work that we've done around City of Toledo ARPA and partnering with uh many of the uh community agencies in our uh in the City of Toledo.

The uh first thing I want you to know is that we have uh drawn down and spent all but $17,200, and the remaining $17,200 is under contract currently with uh one community wellness grant and uh a hot the hospital access program, and I'll cover those programs uh briefly.

The other thing I'd like you to know about that is uh we had seven different buckets of treatment or of investments, and uh the the remaining money is only in two of those buckets.

And uh of the seven different buckets, we have the uh sustainable programming in uh four of those buckets.

So those programs are continuing despite the fact that ARPA funds have exhausted.

The uh cornerstone of our investments in City of Toledo ARPA funds uh was the community wellness projects grants.

We ran a series of our uh requests for proposals where we took uh $10,000 in city ARPA funds and matched that with $5,000 of local mental health recovery services board funds.

Those funds were then distributed to 48 different community agencies uh working to further the board's mission of uh substance uh substance use and mental health wellness, but also with a targeted aspect of reducing and uh reducing community violence and improving community safety.

We uh very often invited the folks from Monzi to support our scoring of those applications, so they were involved in a lot of the selection process as well.

The second bucket, community illness was one bucket.

Second bucket was trauma and grief support group.

Uh we funded the good grief of Toledo to go into some of our school systems here in the city and um support uh individuals that have uh uh were victims of family violence or have witnessed family violence or have experienced traumatic events and helped them work through that grief.

We also funded the uh parents, uh mothers of murdered children, Northwest Ohio, uh $60,000.

They were providing ongoing support for families impacted by homicide, uh, including cleaning up the trauma scenes, supporting individuals, uh moving those families out of the house while that occurred, providing hotel and temporary relocation assistance, and then developing survivor support groups.

The third bucket was uh mental wellness rapid response team, and that included development of a local help now app, which has now been completed and um is being fully supported by the Mental Health Recovery Services Board, and what we call NOVA training.

Please don't ask me what the acronym stands for, but as a team of individuals that have been trained specifically to go out into the community after a traumatic event.

Um we do know that several folks that are um the violence interrupters have been trained as well as um uh I think folks involved with Monzi at the administrative level.

Um they have been deployed several times.

I'm not clear on the exact number, but I'm pretty sure that they were just deployed for uh one of the area shootings here in the last couple days.

The fourth bucket is Latin X-based prevention and navigation services.

Those funds were provided to the belief centered, Sophia Katero Center primarily, and uh they received 335, 330,000, 335,000, I believe that is.

And um the Mental Health Recovery Services Board continues to fund those organizations as well.

Okay.

We also funded some domestic violence treatment at the Family and Child Abuse Prevention Center for not just uh the individuals impacted by violence, but perpetrators and um uh youth that were impacted by violence, and they have um completed 26 group sessions and 27 individual sessions, a total of 31 individuals had been served.

Uh the other two buckets are the capital for Danny's place, which is a uh residential program step down from state hospital, individuals that are uh uh incompetent to stay on trial but restorable or non-restorable that are leaving the hospital.

And the idea behind that was we have many individuals with mental health disorders in our local jails.

Many of them are involved in Toledo Municipal Court and they linger they linger in jail and there's no hospital beds for them to go.

So we wanted to create uh uh additional flow for that project to to so people get out of the state hospital and new people can come in.

That project has been built, it is completed.

We are putting together our funding models now for uh moving people into the facility.

So we're very proud of that, and I think some of you may have even been there to to witness the the uh ribbon cutting.

The final thing is the hospital access collaborative project project.

It's a new project between Toledo Municipal Court, Court Diagnostic, ourselves, the mental health board, and St.

Charles Hospital, and it's designed to take individuals who are incompetent, uh restorable, but uh cannot get into the state hospital.

So we're actually paying the private hospital, St.

Charles, to take them and then uh restore them the competency with connections back into the treatment community.

So that is uh my report.

Happy to answer any questions, and again, thank you for the opportunity to participate in the Toledo uh ARPA funds.

Well, thank you.

I I have a follow-up question.

Um what is preventing those individuals from getting into the state hospital?

So capacity.

Uh it's a statewide issue.

There's only six hospitals in the entire state.

And our hospital here serves uh has a capacity of about 115, provided all rooms are available for you know uh patients to stay in.

And um criminal justice forensic clients uh have just absorbed that capacity, so there is very limited capacity for civil clients or individuals that uh may need that type of facility.

Okay.

Do you have any idea how many people have been served by St.

Charles Hospital?

Uh right now we have 13 that have been referred, 11 have been through the program.

And this was a program that we just added in uh uh as we were monitoring our ARPA spending and identified that hey, we might have an opportunity to do something uh more with those funds.

And by the way, the Mental Health Recovery Services Board has $50,000 in the pool of this contract as well.

So it's ARPA funds 33, mental health board 50,000.

And then uh as a follow-up, is there any uh discussions from our state legislatures or the governor's office or uh the Department of Mental Health in terms of expanding the state hospitals?

Yes, there are.

Thank you for asking that.

The first thing that we are aware of is they are building a new state hospital.

Unfortunately, it's in Montgomery, Dayton.

Now that will relieve some pressure.

Uh I also know that I just saw the uh Ohio Department of Behavioral Health capital request because the state is going through their capital budgeting process right now, and within that uh, I believe there's an additional request for not only uh one additional hospital, but a renovation of our current hospital.

We have the in Toledo, we have one of the oldest state hospitals, and it's in it's in need of renovation.

Absolutely.

I mean the state has over three billion dollars in reserves, and something has to be done.

This this problem of capacity has existed for many years, as you well know.

And and as you well know too, given your experience.

I remember from probate course how difficult it was, and and uh we just have got to have an expansion.

But I'm glad that St.

Charles and uh Lucas County Mental Health Board has been able to work together uh because that's very beneficial to the community.

So we appreciate that.

Uh councilperson Gabb.

Thank you.

I just want to thank you for stepping up you provided.

Uh we don't talk about the F after effect of COVID very often.

I think sometimes we're still in shock, but things got real wonky.

And um that $2,000 stretched a long way, and I appreciate what you've done.

Um is there any way by way of referral we could get a list of the beneficiaries to the grant?

Um that would be well I don't think you need a referral.

Okay.

Well, if there's any any way you could get us a list of of who's received the funding.

That would be really helpful.

I'll send it over to you.

I I have it, but it's it it's not in a presentation format.

That's fine.

I I'll send it over to the appreciate you continuing to um support the uh Latinx community as well.

I got really hit hard when um the Adelante closed.

So thank you for stepping up.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Councilperson.

Uh Vice Chair Driscoll.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I do not have a question, just a comment.

Uh well, first of all, let me say thanks for the work that you do.

This is obviously a good use of the ARPA funds, and and it's too bad the state has left us high and dry.

Uh, but you guys are doing really important work.

Uh my comment is this is exactly what I'm looking for.

You say we've got 17,000 dollars left to spend.

There are two contracts that add up to that amount.

That is exactly what I'm looking for.

I don't know why.

Uh that hasn't been the answer from everybody so far, but thank you very much for your presentation.

Thank you, sir.

I might have learned from questions asked previously to to get to that.

So um I appreciate all the all the opportunity to to work with you guys on this was a lot of work, but I think it's doing a lot of good.

And the last thing I would mention is our tracking is showing that at least six thousand city of Teleton residents had been served by these funds.

Okay.

Well, we really appreciate your effort and the organization's effort.

We've uh made some very positive changes uh through your leadership, and we appreciate that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh next on the agenda will be youth and uh recreational programming, and we'll have the uh director of parks and recreation and youth uh come forward, please.

Good afternoon, sir.

Good afternoon.

Uh Joe Fosnod, Director of Public Service.

Uh so we were initially awarded uh a little over $13.5 million.

Um we worked diligently to leverage that money uh with grants, donations, and every means we could think of and did approximately $25 million worth of work over the last four years.

So of the money that uh we have remaining of that $13.5 million, there's about $149,105 left.

Um approximately half of that um is is in a supplemental uh contract that we're doing at Jamie Farr splash pad.

Uh when we designed and built that splash pad, the engineer was hopeful that the existing two-inch water line would be sufficient to to power that pad.

When we turned it on, it it just wasn't.

Um so uh we're going to install a new four-inch water line with that supplemental contract uh to make sure that that brand new splash pad sprays the way it should spray.

Um the remaining approximately $75,000 is gonna be used.

We've done uh close to 60 projects.

Um so over the course of the last you know three and a half uh years, we've seen how some of those projects are are being used, and we've gotten requests from the residents to do additional upgrades at those projects.

So for instance, where we've put in pickleball courts that are asking for wind screens on the fence.

Um there's projects that require additional landscaping, benches, uh picnic tables, grills.

Um that 75,000 will go pretty quick as we start to circle back around to those projects.

And because it's small items, it'll be very easy to get that money encumbered and the items installed uh before the end of the year.

I would be very surprised if if we had don't have all this spent by mid-year.

Okay.

Could you director could you also give us a quick update on Savage Park splash pad?

Yes.

Um this has been a a very long complicated uh project.

We've been working on the outdoor recreation legacy preservation grant for approximately two years.

And happy to say that this week we actually signed the grant agreement, send it back to the state who then forwards it to the federal government to for final sign off.

So uh we expect to start work on Savage Park hopefully in March.

Uh so it has been a long time coming, but we've we finally worked through the bureaucracy to allow us uh to uh draw down that money and start work.

Um what when do you think that project will be completed?

I think it'll take most of the year to complete.

There's no ARPA money devoted to that project.

So we don't have that deadline hanging over us, but uh for the sake of the residents, we don't want it to drag out any longer.

They've been waiting a long time for these improvements, and uh we're going to to we we have the contractor already identified um the project awarded.

He's just waiting for the federal government to give him the thumbs up to to get started.

Okay.

So maybe if I had to guess uh September, October.

Right.

Okay.

Uh Council Woman McPherson.

Thank you.

So are you saying that we won't have a splash pad at City Park this summer?

We will not.

And you also said that City Park did not receive any of the ARPA dollars.

It was uh I couldn't use Federal money to match Federal money.

So I I couldn't use ARPA at Savage Park.

Not for the not for the splash pad.

But the renovations of Savage Park and tearing down the old pool and the shelter house at Savage Park.

Savage Park is not getting or has not received any ARPA dollars?

No, we'll duration.

It wasn't necessary because we've we got the outdoor recreation preservation grant, which was 1.1 million dollars.

That was a one-to-one match, so that park is seeing two million dollars worth of investment.

Um just because we couldn't use ARPA there doesn't mean we don't value that park or that neighborhood.

We're investing millions of dollars in that part.

Thank you.

I am not happy.

Savage Park, the splash pad didn't run all summer this year, and now we have to go back and tell them that the splash pad at Savage Park will not be um running again this year.

That is very disheartening.

But that community, even though I know you're gonna say there is Roosevelt Pool on the other side.

Savage Park is very important to that community in that area right there where the children live in the McClinton's and in the surrounding areas that can walk to Savage Park.

But I'm done.

Savage splash pad did operate all but the final month of the swim season last year.

Um it's just physically impossible for me to demo the current pad, the current pool, and install a new splash pad in time to have it operating for swim season this year.

If the federal grant money would have come sooner, there might have been a chance.

But given two f federal shutdowns, um that seriously impacted our ability to get this this grant allocation finalized.

Okay, thank you very much.

Okay.

Anything else that you want to do?

Okay, great.

Next will be uh Metro Parks Resource Center at Glass City Metro Park Starbase and River Walk.

Please come forward and state your name for the record.

Thank you, Chair and Council for having us.

Um my name is Matt Clayland, I'm CFO for Metro Parks Toledo.

And uh uh I'll take these separately.

Uh the the classroom space at the enrichment center was $500,000.

Okay.

Um in your reports, I believe you uh have $30,800.

We've uh since uh had additional uh expenditures that bring that to $117,000 currently.

The there's um our contract for that is six hundred eight thousand dollars and expected completion of that project is second quarter twenty twenty-six, so uh that will be fully expended.

Okay.

Um before I move on to the next, um happy to take any questions.

Okay.

Any questions?

Okay.

Proceed.

Very good.

The uh the other uh two million dollars for the riverwalk project, we're all uh familiar with the riverwalk and um of the $700,000 that's reported um that you've seen uh that went to the initial work on the river walk in the Vistula area.

We also have a one million dollar purchase order to the city of Toledo to support the work on Water Street that is happening over in that area.

Uh so that'll uh use a large portion of the remainder, and then the the last few hundred thousand dollars uh will be used for planning purposes uh in international park uh for the next phase of international park.

And then as a backup to that, um we also uh received a uh raise grant, which is $19 million for the Vistula area, and we have local uh portions of that project that need planning dollars that we also could apply ARPA dollars to, however.

Um the the international park planning will certainly consume all that remains.

Okay.

What when do you expect international park to be completed?

Well, it would be happening in phases.

The current work uh it's we'll have an exciting June and be celebrating with the city that um the Riverwalk will reach its halfway point um in June, and the um international cove in the area around the docks restaurants will open this summer.

Um but then of course that's a very long park and and much more work for future phases.

And that's what we'll be actually planning.

Okay, great.

All right.

Uh council vice chair Driscoll.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Can you expand a little bit on what you mean by planning?

Uh yes, uh planning, so having uh design firms, we have uh contracts for both the international park and vistula areas for park planning, and uh um there's multiple phases and stages of that in the um international park area.

It will be actually planning park design and uh there's still architectural engineering work to be done.

Yes.

Yeah, all right, thank you.

Okay.

Uh next is Councilperson Gaddis.

Thank you.

So um what's the timeline for the money to be spent then?

It'll be all spent by the end date.

Yes, absolutely.

The um as I said, the the uh enrichment center classroom build out, that'll second quarter this year, and then the um the million dollars uh will be subject to when the city sends us an invoice for the water street work, but uh I expect that'll be this summer, and then we'll have um additionally that those planning dollars will happen throughout the year, and we'll be doing far more uh planning and expenditure than those uh dollars will support.

So that will also happen in the you know first half of the year, I would say.

Okay.

And with the Starbase, um were you able to, like I I mentioned with Rick, uh I know the costs of things have changed.

So were you able to do everything that needed to be done with uh um half a million?

And then I know Marcy contributed some, I think.

Where were you able to use utilize all of it?

We utilized all that, and we are also contributing some Metro Parks dollars as well to to be able to complete that project.

Thank you.

Thank you for that.

And then will there be programming soon then?

I'll let Matt uh speak to that part.

I appreciate that.

Yeah.

Uh certainly just a reminder of the group.

My name is Matt Killum.

I get the uh good fortune of working on your behalf for the Metro Parks Toledo.

So thank you for having us and thank you for the support.

The Richmond Center, uh, thanks to our partnership uh with the city as well as the city council, is basically a shell for us to house all manner of programming on the east side and uh the rules that are binding uh the use of that facility is it just has to serve the community and not be used as a fundraiser.

So it's been very busy and far exceed even our expectations.

Uh the third portion, which is now being built out or was intended to be the star-based program, has uh has had several suitors, if you will.

Originally it was going to be for Lucas County Children's Services to be able to have their second and third tier visitation being housed there.

Um and it was a dream come true for us candidly because that's exactly what that building was supposed to be built for to serve our community in that way.

For those of you that do not know, second and third tier visitation is affords opportunities to get out of the building that they've had a miserable and traumatic experience in and come to a park and be able to have it.

That didn't work.

They found other arrangements, but I think they're very happy with.

And then Starbase came down again.

It was offering a STEM Academy uh experience for our TPS kids, so we are thrilled to have that.

Uh so we are again building out a shell.

Uh we are looking to find other suitors to fulfill exactly this mission, which I think we birthed together to serve the community, not just on the east side uh but throughout our region as a hub for um for our community.

So we are entertaining your thoughts on this.

Uh it will be a shell uh for us or a white box, if you will, what we're now referring to as a green box to house what we need, and I'm sure we'll be in talks together to find out what that need needs to be.

So thank you for that.

Okay, I appreciate that.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Chair.

Okay, thank you.

But yeah, we have been told, Matt, that there's over a million visitors to the Glass City Metro Park that we've had so far.

Pretty accurate.

Uh well, we plan for a million visitors.

Uh it's been far more than a million uh since it's been opened, if you can believe that.

So as my friend and colleague uh made mention of, we'll be halfway done with the project this June, and all of you have participated um in the success.

And our first forecasting uh was uh even though my standards I thought really aggressive.

But since we've been open in 2020, uh we've had over two million visits to that space.

And we've had over 400 million dollars worth of economic development around what was a bit of a promise right in a vision.

So we couldn't be more thrilled we use the same placer data that you all use to make your decisions right in terms of where to put your resources.

So I'm also proud to say that there's a staggering percentage of individuals that are using that park that live across the street.

And that's exactly what good design does right.

If you build it they will come is from a movie.

But if you build it based on what people say they want and invite them over and over again that's how you get to two million visits to a former industrial site.

So we are really lucky that we all bonded together to make this happen and again not to sound like marketing material but this is only halfway done and we'll close on this project together although Matt and I have aged irrevocably during the time of this project.

I hope you're proud of what we've done.

It's uh it's a big deal and uh we're only going to move forward.

Well I I wanted to just uh relay to you that uh I had my uh high school reunion uh last year.

Yeah you will not be getting that deposit back.

And we've had some issues with that.

It was the class of 1995.

But at any rate I want to tell you the our out of town classmates from all over the country.

They they just couldn't get over it.

Because they remember um the riverfront as it was many years ago not like it is today.

And they were just thrilled and we went to the top and looked out and people were just really thrilled.

It was just a stunning event uh so I just wanted to relay that to you.

Well that was 70% city property before we started this and that downtown master plan is now about 10 years old.

So I hope that you're seeing yourselves in it and the people in the audience as well we're just a park system.

So without all of you I don't know if that even happens.

So I hope you're seeing yourselves in and enjoying it.

Great.

Well thank you.

Thank you for the presentation.

The next item on the agenda is affordable housing development and uh Chief Clemens is here so we'll have a presentation good afternoon again members of council $10 million of Opera funding was um allocated to affordable housing development I'm pleased to say we have expended all except $300,000.

The final $300,000 is being held as a retainish for the um Collingwood Green 5 project injunction which is going to be delivering 75 units by March of 2026.

We expect to have that um groundbreaking or women cutting if you will for that for that building which we're doing in partnership with the National Church residences.

It will offer a state of the art uh units for seniors that are 55 years and older if you drive by there it's actually a very beautiful very beautiful building.

So that's that's completed.

The other projects that were funded with the 10 million dollars are the uh grand town houses in the Inglewood and NASA we have 20 homes that are under construction and will be delivered in April of 2026.

First four bedroom townhouses to be constructed in the city in quite some time.

You again you drive by them they are beautiful we have drawn down all of the funding for those town homes and also want to just talk about some of the work that our food policy officer is doing.

We're going to be partnering with with Lowe's Lois has done a partnership with us to plant flowers and landscaping for those town homes.

If you guys can remember the old Rigstar blighted site that was that was once located where that project is I I'm just I think it's probably one of the the most impactful projects that I've done in my life.

They're beautiful the site will also include a 2,000 square foot community center that's on the corner there of uh North Detroit and Grand Avenue.

So these are the urban design standards for the exterior of the buildings are just beautiful.

They have brick, they have Hardy board they're just beautiful looking town homes and and uh we're proud of those and again we we expect to have the ribbon cutting in April.

The other piece of this um um project is the Glen on the old Southland shopping center where we're going to have 50 units again of workforce housing uh not senior but workforce housing uh for uh people like police and teachers and firemen they can go into those units and those units are anywhere from one to three bedroom units 50 units uh all the upper barrels have been drawn down for those projects and uh we hope again to have the ribbon cutting in April.

The final project that was funded uh with ARPA dollars is the first phase of the YWCA domestic violence shelter project.

Um $2 million that's completed, uh delivered 12 new units for uh uh women uh um uh fleeing domestic violence, new kitchen, new bathrooms, uh demolition of the pole area that will constitute the second phase of the project that is funded with non-federal dollars, but the first phase for the um um new family units, the kitchen and and um uh living area uh has have been completed.

So um 10 million dollars, $300,000 left, and uh $300,000 actually held in escrow as a retainage for the UNO for the Collinwood Green project.

So uh once we once we get that UNO, we will be able to release that final $300,000 of the $10 million.

So hopefully, Councilman Madriscoll that pleases you.

Uh I must say that it is it is it's um to get these projects to the finish line, just as you know, took a lot of work, a lot of partners planning, Ohio Housing Finance Agency, the private sector, but um combined, um they constitute over a hundred and fifty new units of of housing in our city, which as you know is desperately needed, and we're we're just thankful.

We hope that we have 10 million dollars every three years of of funding to put into affordable housing, but unfortunately we don't.

But um, I think the spend down of this money, the quality of the units when we have these open houses, you'll see that it's been um it's been well worth the uh the expenditure.

And I'll take any questions at this time.

Okay, thank you.

Councilwoman McVear.

Thank you.

Thank you for that spin down report.

I really appreciate that.

But one question.

The um housing for domestic for women and families, what is that?

CA, Lisa McDuffie's um entity on Jefferson on Jefferson.

Um the manor what on um Monroe and Upton.

Was that any is that?

No, Whitney Manor is actually a home project and a home art project.

Bice going along before, I'm sure I'm sure you've seen it.

That's what I was asking.

We hope to be able to have the open house on those units sometime in the late summer.

Those would be ready, and those would be 20 units for um uh single single uh part single units, uh efficiency and one bedroom units for individuals that are recovering from some form of of a mental um uh addiction or drug addiction.

And um those will be those will be ready by the end of the summer.

So the DRIGS um okay, it's not Dregs anymore.

So the um grands are family units.

Those are family units.

Um the our development partner is pivotal.

Those are family units, all four bedroom units, and actually the wait list is being is open now.

People can call.

I think there's sign is up, people can call and get on the wait list to um to request those units.

Okay, so you gotta have kids.

Okay, I can't go there.

All right.

Thank you.

Okay.

Thank you.

Uh Councilperson Yannis.

Thank you.

I just want to thank you for your efforts.

I think between the uh brown fields cleanups and the the housing projects that we're getting built.

That is the biggest sign of hope for our residents.

And so it's really impactful.

Thank you for spending your money quickly and and thoroughly.

I really appreciate that.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you.

All right.

Anything else, uh, Chief?

Okay.

Thank you very much.

You're welcome.

Um that completes our formal agenda.

However, we did get two letters of information from the Eleanor Cale Center and the undue medical debt.

I'm going to have the clerk uh read those communications to the committee.

All right, the first is the audit from the Eleanor Cow Senior Center.

It is um the City of Toledo used ARPA funds to replace and upgrade the parking lot for Willie's Park in August of 2024.

We use a portion of that lot for participants.

They they also replaced the flat roof and upgraded the roof support beams on in our building in October 2024.

The parking lot had been an issue for over 20 years.

Every time it rained, Lake Alanor appeared, and one third of the lot was unusable.

And any corrects and uneven spots were also hazardous.

I'm happy to say that Lake Eleanor has not appeared since the replacement of the blacktop.

The City Toledo Facilities Department had been patching the roof for over 20 years whenever a leak occurred, which was often.

Since the replacement, we have had no leaks.

If additional funds were available, we would love to see our restrooms updated.

Our participants who use wheelchairs and walkers have had a hard time with the current size of the stalls, and all seniors would benefit from tall toilets.

The low writing in the restrooms is also a challenge.

We greatly appreciate the 48-year partnership we've had with the City of Toledo.

We could not provide services to the seniors of West Toledo without the support of the City of Toledo.

We invite members of council to visit us at any time.

Thank you for your continued support.

Signed Kathy S.

McVicker, executive director.

Thank you.

Next.

Second letter from undue medical debt.

Committee members, thank you for that opportunity to provide an update on the City of Toledo's medical debt relief initiative.

Undue medical debt is a national nonprofit organization that partners with hospitals, health systems, and local and state governments to purchase and permanently abolish medical debt for residents burdened by health care costs.

We require qualifying medical debt in bulk at a fraction of its face value and eliminated entirely.

Residents are not required to apply and roll or complete paperwork.

Once debt is qualified and purchased, individuals receive written notification that their obligation has been relieved.

Through the City of Toledo's $800,000 ARPA revenue replacement investment.

The medical debt relief initiative has abolished 81, 842,044 in medical debt.

This relief has reached nearly 40,000 Toledo residents.

Based on total expenditures to date, this represents approximately 124 dollars in medical debt relief for every $1 expended by the city.

The program remains within its approved $800,000 budget.

As of December 31st, 2025, a total of $662,323 has been expended.

Approximately 123,560 remains available within the grant.

Overall spending remains aligned with the approved budget structure.

We anticipate receiving one file in Q2 2026 and the second file in early Q3 2026.

These two files will expend the rest of the funding available under the grant.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide this update on the city's medical debt relief initiative.

I have included the Q4 2025 quarterly report for your reference.

Please let me know if additional information would be helpful or if you would like more detailed discussion of any aspect of the program respectfully.

Courtney Horpi Story, Vice President Government Initiatives, Undue Medical Deb.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I feel I feel pretty good about today and everything that we went through, but there's still some cases where the answer was oh, we're going to spend it.

That was it.

And so I think we may need to revisit this maybe three months from now or six months from now, but I I'm confident about a lot of what was said today, but there were still a number like you know for Director FASNO as an example.

Like the they're going to spend they're going to be able to spend money on that park.

They're going to be able to buy more benches, whatever, that's all going to add up eventually, I think.

But there were more than a few where there wasn't again, there was not a sufficient answer for some of these questions.

So I think if we can maybe get this on the schedule for summertime, maybe June, something like that.

I think that would be a responsible course of action.

Thank you.

And I would agree, Vice Chair, that we need to have a follow-up to monitor again what we have so that we don't have any surprises and we're not running around on November 15th trying to figure out where we're going to allocate uh some unspent funds.

So I appreciate your your suggestion.

Um next will be the city auditors report, and then we'll get to public comment.

Uh good afternoon, uh City Auditor.

Good afternoon.

I'll provide a quick city auditor update.

I recently released the investments review for the period ending 1231 2024.

And then with that released, I'm also in to comment on that.

There were no new exceptions for this period.

And then also I'll be working on the uh grass cutting audit and continue working through that.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you.

Any questions for the auditor?

Yes.

Councilperson Gaddis.

Thank you.

I'm super stoked about that grass-cutting audit.

Do you have a timeline on that?

And have you gathered information?

You just have to write the reporter where are you in it?

Yes, sir.

I already sent out requests for information, and I have the substantially all the information back, so I'm working through that.

So I am in the analysis phase, but I expect uh now to be about the end of uh March would be the target.

That's a great that's a great timeline.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chair.

Okay, thank you very much.

Any additional questions?

If not, thank you very much.

Um next, we'll have uh opportunity for public comment.

I want to remind uh those that have signed up uh that you will have three minutes to make your presentation.

First person that signed up was uh Karen Mayfield.

Please come forward and state your name and address for the record.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, City Council members.

My name is Karen Mayfield, and I am here to express some concerns about the costs and impact of the Bayview wastewater treatment plan upgrades.

At this Monday's point place block watch meeting, we heard that Toledo's population stands at approximately 274,000, with the mayor's goal of growing it to 300,000.

Encouraging growth like that requires affordability and fiscal responsibility, and it requires decisions that attract, not burden new and existing residents.

In June 2024, to offset the $900 million cost of the proposed wastewater plant upgrades, City Council voted to increase sewer rates 3.75 percent annually through 2028 and 3 percent in 2029.

It is now 2026.

The project hasn't started, and that price tag surely exceeds one billion.

Let's not forget in December 2023 when City Council approved a four-year plan to increase water rates 40 percent for Toledoans by 2027 to offset the work being done at the Collins Park water plant.

Today, Toledo's water rates are 29.2 percent higher than the state average.

Nothing about that is attractive to new and existing residents.

On March 11, 2025, the Director of Public Utilities asked City Council to approve legislation to accept and appropriate loans from the Ohio EPA to begin design and program management work for the Bayview plant upgrades.

At that time, Councilman Mr.

Martinez called it a very large contract and urged meetings and the appointment of a council advocate to monitor cost containment and the administration's plans.

I want to share that the public at large still has not seen any plan.

And in on in the February 11th, 2026 response I received from the Ohio EPA.

It states this project is not currently in our system, and the earliest it can be nominated is August 2026, with the earliest date of implementation, January 2027.

So my question is why are we using a very large contract and a plan that makes baby wastewater treatment plant comparable to systems that serve cities of one to 1.5 million people when Toledo serves a fraction of that population.

That would be Toledo and the surrounding areas that that treatment plant serves.

The current plan includes fencing and excess land, and we heard a lot today about opportunities for senior citizens, and so that land is the baby retiree's golf course, and that is an amazing affordable opportunity for senior citizens that is at risk of being lost.

And it also involves a construction of additional digesters that require more pumping, and that's a huge additional expense.

After reviewing how much larger cities efficiently manage wastewater, this plan does not make sense for Toledo.

You have the authority and you have the responsibility to pause this and ask the hard questions before these costs are locked in.

Mr.

Capser behind me and other professionals have studied this proposal and identified more efficient and less costly options.

You owe it to Toledo's residents to insist on reviewing these cost-saving alternatives.

It's not about opposition, this is about stewardship.

And it is about ensuring that one of the largest infrastructure projects in our city in the history of our city is done wisely.

For the mayor, the easiest path is to move forward.

But the right path is to make absolutely certain this is the right plan in light of today's news article about the grant programs being needed to help residents with past through water bills.

Please don't let Toledo become one of those cities that builds beyond its means and expects its residents to pay beyond theirs.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Next, uh uh we have Mr.

Steve Capser.

Again, we would like to limit your comments to three minutes.

Please state your name and address for the record.

Yeah.

My name is Steve Capser.

Uh I live at 414 Pebble Beach Drive, Monroe, Michigan.

And I'm certain you wonder why somebody from Monroe, I I grew up in the East Side.

I lived here for 24 years.

I love this city, so much so that the my coworkers ostracize me when I talk about how great Toledo is, but I truly believe it is.

Um prior to the increase were 29.2 percent.

That came directly from uh the uh Ohio uh Environmental Protection Agency when they issued the grant notice.

Um how did we end up here?

Well, um on a business side, failure to maintain is a death spiral, right?

So um uh you know, from our perspective, we ensure that we maintain the property, but if you look at the infrastructure, if you look at the wastewater treatment plant, it uh there's been an extended period of time where it's been failed to be maintained, and those costs are exponential relative to an ongoing maintenance plan, which you can't do anything about the past, but the future, right now, there are things in the plan which I support that we need to ensure those same patterns of behavior don't continue.

Um, as Karen stated, uh the size of the project is almost 100 acres.

And uh I'll give you an idea.

The um Newark, New Jersey wastewater treatment plant is 99.4 acres, and that plant services 1.6 million people.

Orange County, California, 101.2 acres, services 2.6 million people.

And uh the Dallas uh uh central plant has 123 acres and services 1.3 million.

And I went through and did, there's a database that has 14,800 wastewater treatment plants.

And I went through and I did comparative analysis for Cleveland, Fort Wayne, Grand Rapids, and um Akron, only because they are all advanced plants, and Toledo is an advanced plant.

And those plants average 57.2 acres, Toledo 63.6 acres, and Toledo services 8,500 fewer residents.

Um they're taking 36.2 acres, and those acres are being taken and they were maintained by the retirees, but now they're gonna have to be maintained, maintained by the city.

And that drives additional cost.

If they took the appropriate amount of land, which they didn't, they wouldn't have had to build they they're building a fence that's 2,200 linear feet, right?

And I'd estimate that that's probably approximately 70,000.

I don't know what the bid was.

And they're building a parking lot, which we propose to use it utilizing the lot across the street.

And if it's like the water treatment plant, you can drive by it now and it's empty.

And you had an opportunity, even upgrade that parking lot that was there for the ball fields and dual utilize it.

The construction workers would utilize it Monday through Friday during the day operation.

The ballpark would utilize it at night and on weekends.

Um that just for asphalt is between 615 and 675,000 dollars.

It's money that is being spent that long-term won't be utilized.

Um the increased construction cost, and and Karen touched on this, there were three options.

Moving the digesters to the golf course site drives basically plumbing, it drives additional pumping, and so it increases the cost exponentially as you move away from the centroid of the plant.

Um the issue 25 passed overwhelmingly, right?

And and it said it was framed really well.

I mean, anybody would vote for this, and 86.72 percent did vote for it.

And it it doesn't say anything about the cost.

Um it basically says um and I'm not gonna read it to you, you've seen it already.

But could you summarize?

Yeah.

So it says um, shall the City of Toledo make a comprehensive effort to improve the 100-year old Bayview waste water treatment plant in order to safeguard her community from sewage overflows and backups, reduce landfill waste, and protect Lake Erie.

Who wouldn't vote for that?

I don't understand why roughly 14 percent of the people didn't vote for it.

Um, but if they had told the residents, which I think it is important for us to question what's going on, your rates are already 29.2 percent higher than the statewide average.

Over the next four years, we're gonna raise your rates 15.03 percent, right?

And this is probably the most disturbing part of this.

There's ongoing risk in the plan, 12 important risks that are in the Blue Ribbon Panel Commission that potentially will drive that cost for residents higher.

And in some of the mitigation plans that they lay out that we can do this to mitigate it, it says we can do that, but that technology is unproven at this time.

So you know, I I received a copy of the um report.

In the initial report was 116 pages, and I believe that was the report that was distributed to 16 City Council.

I don't know, but you could look at your report and see if it was 116 pages.

I did a FOIA request, an information request, and it was 228 pages.

In the original report, there were 13 pages missing.

So if you go back and look at your report and you look between 13 and 14, or 113 and 114, there are 13 pages that are missing.

And those are pivotal pages that talk about the risk and uncertainty associated with this plan.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, Mr.

Capser.

Um, the next name I'm unable to read.

Um I don't know if it's a somebody else that signed up.

I have a uh Elena Hernandez.

Is she here?

Elena Hernandez.

Okay.

And then the uh other person I can't read the name.

Is there anyone else that will care to address the Finance Committee?

Okay.

Thank you very much.

Seeing no other business, our next meeting will be uh Wednesday uh March 25th at 4 p.m.

We stand adjourned.