I I call it to order the zoning and planning meeting, committee meeting of March eighteenth, twenty twenty six.

Clerk, please call the roll.

Morris.

Martinez.

Here.

Gaddis.

Here.

Hobbs.

Here.

Serantu?

Here.

Williams.

Here.

Five present.

All right.

Call the first case.

Uh would the applicant oh, where are we at?

Number one.

With the applicant for number one, please step to the podium.

Um, can you read the case clerk?

Uh case number one is the request for the vacation of a portion of Ailey located within the property, located at twenty fourteen console street, case number V dash twenty-four-twenty-five.

The plan commission recommends approval subject to four conditions.

All right.

Um, can you we need to swear to applicant?

Um would you state your name and address for the record, please?

Yes, Rob Keelahan, fifty-six oh two, Fox Hill Drive.

And do you solemnly swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth if so say I do?

I do.

Thank you.

All right.

Can you tell us about your project, please?

Yes.

Um representing the Toledo Diocese here today as a real estate broker.

Uh the subject property, there's an alley next to the St.

Stephen's and uh school campus over there.

The city vacated this alley many years ago.

And it was vacated a second time.

But the legal descriptions were not accurate.

So this has been like six months of minute, boring paperwork stuff and surveyors.

And uh we've agreed to all the things they want us to do, and everybody at the planning commission on down doesn't think this is a bad idea.

We just need to clarify some paperwork.

So I respectfully request that you say yes.

Thank you so much for your request.

Uh anything from you, Director?

So as a former graduate of the old Saint Stevens, I can tell you that this has never been used as an alley since nineteen seventy-eight at least.

Uh we're certainly supportive.

I wasn't bored.

All right.

Uh I can we uh know that it's District Three, so what's your recommendation?

It goes to Board of Revision.

Board of Vision.

I recommend it going into the Board of Revision.

Thank you for for dealing with all the paperwork.

Sorry.

God bless you all.

I'll have the bishop say a special prayer for you tonight.

Please do.

Thank you.

Listen.

Listen, do that, please.

We definitely need it.

Uh thank you so much.

So it will go to the board of revisions.

Thank you, everybody.

There is a signature over to the side that's needed.

All right.

Item number two.

Case number two is the request for a zone change from CR regional commercial to CM mixed commercial residential for the property located at 3360 and 3356 Monroe Street.

Case number Z 26-0001.

The Plan Commission recommends approval.

All right.

Hey, Mr.

Roscoe.

You want to raise your hand?

State your name and get sworn in.

Kevin Roscoe, senior.

Yeah, address.

Oh, 3356 Monroe Street, 3360 Monroe Street and 3366 Monroe Street.

Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth?

If so say I do.

Yes, I do.

Thank you.

Okay.

Can you tell us a little bit about your project?

I purchased this property six years ago, and then I had to uh work on getting my taxes all the way down to zero and getting in compliance with the city's codes.

And then I put together a plan to bring forth some um residential units along with some commercial spaces.

But I didn't, I wasn't aware that since it hadn't been rented in a year that I lost the residential value.

So that's what I'm here is to get that back.

All right.

Uh you have anything, Director Catrell?

Um no, I just wanted to reassure the applicant that we we do rezone by legal description, not not address your legal description is correct for all of us.

Um we're excited to see a mixed use development of the zoning code update or rewrite.

This this won't be a situation anymore to correct this type of issue.

Yes, I'm so excited.

I I see y'all working, I see y'all not working, but I'm excited to see what's going on there.

That's gonna be amazing to see people live there and able to thrive in that neighborhood has been vacant for so long.

So um I am District 4 council person, uh Councilwoman Gaddis.

Thank you.

I'm super excited too.

Um I this is maybe not a plug for this this, but um there are programs available, the white box program.

I don't know if you're aware of it, but um I will I was aware, but uh at the time they had me working with Sandy Spain, and uh I really never got in contact with anybody else to assist me with applying.

So April Welch is the lady who's uh the new Sandy Spain.

Okay, I I think we're just getting ready to pass the budget, so though there should be opening up funding.

And I would love for you to be able to take apply and hopefully take advantage of that.

Okay, thank you.

Good luck on your project.

Thank you.

I submitted a picture also uh for what it'll look like along with the blueprints and um all of the permits and everything.

Yes, I I definitely thank you so much, Councilmember uh Gaddis.

Um look on the economic development website on April 1st.

Okay.

Thank you.

Write that down.

Wait a minute, hold on.

I recommend that it be sent to the full city council as approved.

Thank you.

Um there are no signatures needed.

Thank you so much.

We uh it will go to which meeting 31st?

Yes.

It'll go to our March 31st meeting.

So you can watch it online at legis on our legislature.

Okay.

Um or you can come to that council meeting, but you don't have to.

Okay.

And one last thing, did you say the lady's name is Lisa Welch?

No, April Welch.

April April Welch.

April Welch, look on the website April 4th for the application.

April 1st for the application.

Okay, thank you.

April and April.

All right.

Uh case number three with the applicant for case number three, step forward.

Case number three is a request for a special use permit for used auto sales for the property located at 631 South Reynolds Road.

Case number SUP 25-0041.

The plan commission recommends approval subject to 22 conditions.

All right, could you raise your hand, state your name and address, be sworn in?

My name is Wasville Alvadur, 631 South Reynolds Road, Toledo, Ohio, 43615.

And my name is Devin Nichols, uh, address 631 South Reynolds Road.

Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth?

So say I do.

I do.

Yes.

All right.

Can you tell us a little bit about your um project?

Yes.

Um we have a used car lot at 631 South Reynolds Road.

Can you come to the mic and pull it down?

It has to be recorded.

Um we are located at 631 South Reynolds Road, uh used car lot.

Um we're just looking to get this SUP going so we can start business as usual.

Okay.

Um anything.

Uh I don't.

We did have a condition that we talked about during the plan at the planning commission level that was amended.

Yes.

Um and that's we had no opposition, so that's all I have.

Okay.

Did we have a community meeting?

I know this is Councilmember Hobbes' uh district.

Um did we have any community meetings at all?

I we did not, but there was nobody at the hearing, nobody called.

I'll do it for the extensive name list.

Okay, well, I'm gonna recommend it um with no recommendation.

I'm gonna send it to the full city county with no recommendation because councilman Hobbes is not here, so we would definitely want to talk to him before we put a recommendation on it.

But since oh, just a second, Councilman Come.

Thank you.

Is this the same location as the former Rose Auto sales?

Yes, it is.

Right, it's been a used car a lot forever.

Yes, okay.

Just curious.

Thank you.

Yep.

Um, but definitely want to make sure that he's aware.

So I'm not gonna put a recommendation on on it, but it'll go to the full city council um without recommendation.

Uh that will be on March 31st at um 4 p.m.

You can come or not.

There are some signatures that need to be signed over there.

Awesome.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Uh case number four, I do want to recognize Councilman Martinez has uh joined us.

Thank you so much.

Appreciate you, and I like that jacket.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Uh case number four.

Um, if case number four is here, please come to the podium.

Uh sorry.

I'm sorry, but go ahead, you can read it.

Uh case number four is a request for a special use permit for community recreation active for the property located at 2858 and 2860 La Green Street.

Case number SUP 25-0046.

The Plan Commission recommends approval subject to 28 conditions.

Are you here for case number four?

Yes, ma'am.

Okay, you can raise your hand and say state your name and address.

My name is Shavella Bonner.

Address is 2856 LeGrange Street, Toledo, Ohio, 43608.

And uh, do you solemnly swear?

No, would you raise your right hand, please?

Yes.

Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth of so say I do?

I do.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

Tell us a little bit about your project.

So our project is gonna be named Strength Works, and what we would like to do is to bring resources and support, particularly to that community.

Um there are wonderful programs within our city, however, I live um on Bronson Street as well, and so um what we would like to do is provide a lot of um skill building, behavioral health, um resources and support to both youth and um adults within the community.

We also will um provide a lot of summer programming to give youth, particularly youth that are impacted by the foster care system, um, a safe place to come and to uh learn and to again develop skills.

Okay, that's a lot you want to do with that space.

What is the do they need this special use permit covers that whole thing?

Community rec active, yes, okay.

Okay, um, and you're familiar with the neighborhood then, right?

You know that the prostitutes are going up and down the grange, right?

Guy has a sense of humor.

Guy has a sense of humor.

Yes, yes.

Uh I'm I'm excited about it with Zablocky um not being activated right now, and I know Mr.

Williams is trying to do a lot in the community.

Um I wish he was here with you because I uh but I'm glad you're gonna be running the program because he got a lot going on.

So I'll be looking to see what is going on.

Uh your architect is amazing.

Um I'll be watching that.

I'm the district council person in that neighborhood definitely needs some stuff going on.

Um I'll send it to the full city council as approved.

Are you okay with the 28 conditions?

Yes, ma'am.

There was one I think that was removed, um, which was this um like uh grease trap outside um that was removed, so it was 27, and we have current we have already began.

Um making those improvements.

It was a you're next to the park, right?

Yes, ma'am.

Um just be careful with that park and just reach out to my office.

I'll make sure you get a card if you need any assistance over there.

Uh I'll send it to the full city council as approved.

Thank you so much.

And I think there is a signature for you to sign.

Dana, can you give her this?

Thank you very much.

I just need to add my email on here.

All right, case number five.

Um someone here for case number five.

So case number five five uh was referred to us by councilwoman Gaddis and Bill Harbor of my staff will take over from here.

Hi, Bill.

Should I read it?

Yes.

Okay, case number five's request for a comprehensive study of historical community importance and potential long-term preservation strategies, including qualifying publicly owned buildings, case number one or M-1-26.

Plan Commission recommends approval.

Go ahead.

The floor is yours, Bill.

Yeah, great.

Thanks.

Uh Bill Harbor, associate planner for with the City of Toledo Plan Commission.

So back in 2024, we did a comprehensive study of privately owned buildings for local landmark designation that met the study criteria.

So as part of that, we we took the list from the 2024 study and combined it with a newly compiled 2026 uh list of publicly owned properties that met the uh revised criteria.

Um staff uh ended up with uh the 2024 list had 358 data points and the 2026 list uh had 344 data points.

Staff reduced that down um when we remove the overlay districts uh that currently had uh demolition processes in place that reduced the combined list down to 139 data points.

So with the publicly and privately um owned properties, 139 data points.

Exhibit A in your staff report, that gives you guys a examples of what uh properties to be considered could look like.

Uh it's not a complete list, but that would give you a good idea on what those could look like.

Um exhibit B does include the full list of the 139 properties and data points for you to guys can for you guys to consider.

Um and I don't think that we should uh stop, you know, once we hit uh those those areas of 139 or the properties that are also located in exhibit A.

These are just good starting points.

Um Steph, uh we did find that there was a good mixture of properties such as schools, churches, fire stations, banks, libraries, and otherly other privately and uh publicly owned properties.

Um we also included the Benz Pool and Salvage or in Savage Park, as well as the Overland Smokestack.

No, those didn't necessarily meet the criteria, but we wanted you guys to open your minds to different types of structures that could be considered for local landmark designation.

Um staff did find that the list uh was comp was a comprehensive set of uh properties acceptable for landmark designation as well as techniques that can uh assist with long-term preservation uh for these important structures.

Programs such as facade improvement grants, historic preservation grants, and programs such as historic roof programs or low interest uh loans, you know, can help stop the deterioration uh and help preserve these structures that are in much need.

So that's kind of where we were at with this study.

Um I'm happy to answer any questions that you guys may have, but what we did in 2026 is we opened that up to the publicly owned structures to kind of build upon that.

All right.

Well, thank you so much.

I've been jacking up up here, but that uh uh Councilman Martinez.

Thank you, Madam President, and thank you for covering for me.

My apologies to the to the body and to the audience for being late.

Uh I just had a curiosity.

Was there anything in your study that you found uh as like the number one reason why these um buildings become functionally obsolete?

Is it just because of the neglect?

Is it a specific um structural issue that becomes repetitive that just kind of is the quote unquote kiss of death to some of these properties?

Well, based on their large size, they're often unique to kind of utilize the entire structure.

But the one factor that we did find with most historic structures in the city of Toledo is water damage.

So my focus on this report uh was to how do we mitigate the water intrusion into these six-store structures?

So that's why I identified roof programs, maybe being something that could really benefit you know these six these these types of structures.

Gotcha.

Oh, that definitely makes sense.

Uh good hat, good boots, you know, make a good building safe for a long time.

So uh did was there any other extenuating circumstances that you identified maybe through timeline that kind of caused some of this deterioration or anything?

I'm not sure if maybe there's looking too deep into it, but well, um, in order to maintain them, it is does cost a lot of money, so um, and due to their large size, uh a lot of times they do um end up becoming neglected or vacant over time, and that does lead to different factors that leads to their deterioration.

Um but uh we're the end goal here is always to find the next user and the next use to go with these things.

So that's what we're trying to do with these.

These buildings, they're with the architecture that's existing with them, they're iconic to their neighborhoods.

That's how some of these neighborhoods are identified as by these types of structures.

So and I think that with preservation, what's important to know is that not only are they beautiful and unique, they also uh they drive tourism, they also uh increase and stabilize property values once they're utilized.

So with an iconic structure such as this in a neighborhood, you know, it's not only a place where people got married and had you know uh baptisms and things of that nature, gathering places where we can remember, hey, you know, that's how I remember this church or this large structure.

Um, but they also do have that that additional value of how they do benefit the city at Toledo as well as these neighborhoods that they're located in.

Great, thank you so much.

Okay, Councilmember Gaddis.

Thank you, and thank you for the study.

It's really helpful, and it just shows the the how many historical uh structures we have in our district and and um how important it is to really preserve our history.

Um when you were doing your study, uh I know that there's cities in South Carolina, uh Denver and Colorado that have really focused on preserving their um their historical anchor buildings, and that's like you've mentioned is the led to um tourism and a lot of other um uh activities have stemmed from that.

Have there been any strategies not in your studies, like um with um strategies we can you've seen where they've worked with economic development to uh bring notification of these buildings.

Were there anything that maybe didn't fit the confines of this study that you think would be helpful?

I do.

Um, you know, each city is unique in its own right, however, um I know that I had previously been working on some demolition by neglect policies that kind of out there.

So I do I have found that there's a lot of communities throughout the nation that um do utilize demolition by neglect properties in order to hold property owners accountable for what these types of things are, and I think that that's something that the city of Salido should look at that was not included with this report specifically, because it's something that we still need to study further and review.

Um, and I think that we're going to continue to do so.

So I think that not only do we have what we have existing to us, such as state, local, and federal grants, um, but I think we also need to think outside the box of maybe if we can find a little bit of money in order to create a roof program or and then also continue on the path of the demolition by neglect uh legislation that we're looking at.

I think that that can really make a big uh a big dent into the decay of some of these really really uh important structures in their city.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you so much for all of your hard work.

Thank you, Chair.

All right, thank you so much.

Uh thank you for your presentation.

We appreciate you.

So I guess we're sending this to the city council.

Well what we're doing with this.

This is like I don't know.

Is it we'll send it to the full city council as approved?

Uh, before we move on to six and seven, I have to do this because I am jacking this up.

Uh is there anybody that wants to speak for or against case one through four in the audience to speak one against one through four?

All right.

No, no, okay, moving on.

Not yet.

At the end.

I'll let you know when.

Okay.

Item number six.

Quit putting me in charge of stuff, and then we won't have mess ups.

All right, number six, we can turn over to Director Uh Cottrell.

So uh we have several updates, and and just going back a little bit to the historic study.

We are pushing for what's what's a little bit of a baby of mine is this adaptive reuse program that Buffalo does that will allow us to incentivize mixed use in certain buildings and maybe incentivize saving historic buildings.

We're looking at that.

We haven't gotten very far with that, to be honest, but it's it's going to be a program and it's going to be an option.

Healthy food overlay will be coming next month for approval or for plan commission, so in two months for you.

Native plants will also be coming in two months, and we do have Dana Rising's been working with UT, and those students want to come give a presentation at the next zoning and planning committee meeting.

I think you're going to like what they do.

So also we're looking at uh changing the special use requirements for community rec actually to divide it up and make it a little bit easier.

Um we're also working with Director Clemens on the pre-approved housing plans.

So we are going to be bringing in a tax amendment to reduce uh lot sizes and setbacks.

And those plans will have a set of set of three to ten different housing plans you can just pick from.

It doesn't require it requires building approval, but it's a quick stamp, and it and it's people are just gonna be able to come in and build.

I think you're really gonna like this program.

Uh get us through the pro housing grant.

Um so you're gonna see that tax amendment soon, and then you're gonna see a tax amendment for um industrial building additions, maybe uh relaxing those regulations a little bit to help industrial users a little bit just done in terms of uh site plan requirements.

Um for now that's that's what we have, and of course, the zoning code rewrite we're meeting.

We've we've done the scoring and we're meeting within the next two weeks to choose a consultant.

So uh councilmember Colmai.

Yeah, just real quick, thanks, Director, for allowing Dana to work with the students.

They reach out to me.

I've been working with them.

They wanted to do something environmental, then they wanted to work on something that would touch on bike paths.

So I'm really excited about the project that's happening.

They're actually working with multiple city departments.

They're gonna work with our marketing folks.

They're gonna be creating.

I don't want to give away too many of the things that they'll give, but they'll be creating um a decision tree, a couple of pamphlets that'll be used to that we can give to residents or to businesses to talk to them about the findings of the study as well as uh just all the good stuff that can come from putting in native plants along our bike path.

So really excited about that work.

So I do want to say thank you for allowing Tatum to work with them because it's been super impactful.

Sure.

I'm excited to see their their presentation, so hopefully you're okay with them coming to the next slide.

Yeah, they they're nervous about that deadline, by the way, for what we just had a call with them on Friday.

They they said they're nervous about meeting that deadline, so we might do a separate one in the sustainability committee, which of course we would love to have your attendance at too.

But yeah, we will they will be presenting in front of this body at some point.

Okay, uh Councilman Martinez.

Uh thank you, Madam President.

Just uh along those lines, uh, Councilman Comives.

Um what are we saying about sustainability in the natural plant?

So we have it's always been an argument on the Anthony Wayne Trail with the zoo with um native flowers and butterflies, and that's at this point.

This is a battle I have lost, but not given up the war, so I'm very, very anxious to see not only the plan, but how can we legislate it to ensure that we actually implement these types of rules and regulations for administration to follow to ensure that we are making um impactful design requirements that even our own administration will follow.

Thank you.

Okay, council member comives.

I'll be sorry.

I don't think that the the what they're gonna produce is necessarily going to uh do quite that, but I want to second your uh your your view here.

Um I said it when it happened, how disappointing I thought it was that that was the very first location that they ever attempted to do something like that.

Um, and that it is gone.

I am hopeful that uh like you, I am hopeful that we can bring it back.

I do hope that this native plant study sparks that conversation for us to to engage on that road.

I also want to say really uh a funny story about that uh that happened in this bot in this chamber not that long ago.

There were a number the kid council met up here, they sat in our seats actually.

And when they sat in our seats, the mayor was standing right here holding hosting a fake council meeting with them.

And he said, what issue would you all like to talk about?

What's the most important issue that we can talk about today?

And John Hobbs's light came on because there was a young girl there, a third grader, fourth grader probably, who turned her light on, and she said, Well, mayor, I really was disappointed that the wildflowers were mowed down on the trail, and I think it's really important, and we should bring it back.

And it was great.

Of course, I'm sitting in the back row just dying.

Um, as were probably all the other council members that were present, maybe anybody else who happened to know as well.

But my the what happened next was maybe my favorite part of it all.

Mayor said, Great.

Any other issues?

It's the most politician thing you can do.

But I uh I appreciate this conversation a lot.

I've been waiting to have it up here.

I share in that excitement with you, Councilman Martinez.

I love y'all so much.

Councilmember Gaddis.

Thanks.

I just I'm excited about the native plant study too.

I am getting requests for uh plants that don't grow so much down the Broadway corridor since there's not a whole lot of businesses that want to mow the tiny little area.

So I'm looking forward to that.

And I'm hoping that that spurs a bigger conversation around how to reuse the vacant lots and the vacant lot study that we're also pursuing.

So if you guys get keep that stuff in the back of your mind, I'd love for your input on that.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chair.

All right, Councilman Drisco.

Thank you, President Williams.

Uh it's interesting and going back to the zoo.

I just have to say the the parking lot that they're constructing right now, they're using all native plants, and they won't have to irrigate at all.

So it's it's saving them money.

But I think part of the reason I wanted to uh submitted this study is uh we had a couple developments coming up.

Uh it's too late now for some of them.

But like Westgate, which is just a sea of parking.

Um we we need to he's same not here today, so I'm feel free.

I'm allowed to talk about it without getting yelled at.

Uh we we really I in my opinion, we probably require it in some cases so that we don't we can it it's way better for storm water retention.

Uh but I guess we'll see what the study says.

The the one thing uh Director Catrill had a question about was uh I know as part of this um Daniel was looking into heritage tree laws.

Um is that gonna be are we gonna get a recommendation about that when this native plant study comes in, or is that coming further down the line?

So and I I apologize we have that study on the books right now.

The the planner who is assigned it just went out to maternity leave.

Um we are working on that basically a tree preservation study, and how how can we stop uh the loss of of obviously a tree that's that's been there for a hundred years and really can contribute.

Um that studies on the books.

That's just gonna be delayed by about a month or two.

Um yeah, no, I think that's great.

I um we have some developers that are just choosing to cut down trees because we've we've made that a part of the site plan trying to preserve historic trees in our community.

It's it's despicable.

They know it, they know who they are.

And we we're gonna that's exactly the intent of that study is to stop that that type of thing.

Um and then with the native plant study is to go site by site incentivizing the use of native plants.

We're already doing that with our convenience store sites now because we had to go back and look at all 200 of them for the licensing.

We just went ahead and offered them that instead.

No, you don't have to go back and irrigate your requirement from 1972.

Just go ahead and give us native plants, and we'll work with you.

And so we're we are pushing that site by site now.

That's great.

I'm glad to hear it.

Thank you so much, Director Catrell.

All right.

So the only uh moratorium we have, I believe, is historic, and we're close to having the study done.

So all right.

Um do we have any comments from to come in front of this body for anything?

Yes, please come.

It's not okay.

No.

Hi, how are you doing?

My name is Bryce Robinson.

I'm in the Jamar Johnson.

I am we're here today because um, as well as my property and one of his properties, we're tour now from the city of Toledo, um, and co-compliance.

Uh I have a binder full of work, full of receipts, full of labor, full of my tower time and effort.

My house is now gone.

I'm here trying to figure out a way to restore my house and start a program to formally inform the people of Toledo, Ohio, to properly buy a house, buy a house off the demolition list, to get the house in compliance, just the proper channels that I don't even know because I I don't know.

This stuff happened to me with me just trying, you know.

I'm I'm I actively trying to create homes for the less fortunate.

I'm actively trying to help people that's on drugs, um, children that's in homes that they don't want to be.

That's the reason why I'm getting these distressed homes and I'm cleaning up my neighborhood, um, making it so kids from school is not being able to skip school and go into these houses and smoke and start fires and just do dumb things that I know about when I was a kid, you know what I mean?

So that's what I'm trying to do, but it's a lot hard when the property was just taken from me and set me back.

So I'm here to tell you guys about that and see if there's any type of resolution we can come up with the house or with the programming.

Um, yes, thank you for hearing me.

I do appreciate you guys.

Councilmember Gabbis.

Thank you.

I I seen your Facebook live, it was heartbreaking, and I'm thank you.

I'm sorry you experienced that.

Uh I think what would be really helpful on council is because we're we're the other side of the branch, so the mayor does his thing, and then we like to refine and but like we're here to fight for you guys.

What would be really helpful for me is how how did when you buy a house, how much does the the administration come and help you uh talk about things?

Do you get check sheets?

I uh could you kind of just share your experience of what happens when you buy a house?

So it's two ways that you can buy a house in the city of Toledo.

You can do a quick claim deed and you can go through title.

Either which way after you buy the house in the city of Toledo knows that you buy the house and it's uh recorded with the auditor, you get no type of information.

You it's just at will.

If you come down to the government center and you go to the 16th floor, you can be told on how to properly file your house with the city of Toledo about taxes.

There's different things on it's nothing on basically the demolition list, nuisance, um paying your property tax, uh being in compliance.

It's it's it's no brochure, it's no person, there's no office.

You buy a house, you buy a house.

You don't know that nobody knows that the taxes come with the house.

Nobody knows that the nuisance orders comes with the house.

Nobody knows the water bill comes with a nobody knows this unless you get on Google, maybe or something.

But nobody is nobody directly telling us, hey, you have the taxes with this house.

You have um it's abated, it's a nuisance.

You have to clean it up, you can spend your money, and we can come and take it, and nobody's telling nobody that so no, ma'am.

Okay, and we got a lot of work to do.

Yes, ma'am.

Thank you.

Councilman Martinez.

Uh thank you, madam president.

Um I'm happy to talk to you after this.

Uh so I'm a developer and I I'm rental property, and and there is a a proper way to do it.

And if you don't know, you're right, that there's no clear roadmap.

Uh quick claim deeds are are very dangerous because you don't know uh what's attached on a lien, and that's a part of the uh due diligence process.

But if you don't know what that process is, um you think it's just a quick transaction and that's it, and it's not, and it's a whole lot of responsibility.

And unfortunately, a lot of times it's a scam because people run up water bills, they have mechanic leans, there's nuisancing, and they're just trying to get out from under it, and now you are set left holding the bag, right?

And that's kind of what what I read, and I don't know the situation, but that's kind of seems what kind of happened.

You were trying in good faith to do this to do the right thing.

Um I'm happy to kind of walk you through the process.

I can set up some time.

Um part of my job is to kind of help uh aspiring developers understand not only the legal process, but also um the financial uh requirements responsibilities, because it's a lot to own property and to be a landlord, there's a lot of risk involved, and you can lose it like that as you just found out.

And that's that's what I want to come and be able to put something into play for not being able to lose it like that.

That makes no sense.

Yeah.

For me or anybody to invest money and then be able to lose it.

I don't think you should be able to lose anything that you own without doing something bad.

But that's part of the legal process and your due diligence as a homeowner.

That's your responsibility to figure out.

So I'll talk to you offline about that and kind of walk you through the process, and then also see what type of financial resources are available for aspiring developers to do the right thing and actually learn properly how to do this.

So you while it is very unfortunate, I'm sorry that happened to you.

Um, but as um unfortunate as it is, it's not unique.

It does happen to people, a lot of people a lot of times.

And they're kind of left with nothing, especially when they've inherited property and inherited problems, and they became uh landlords unwillingly.

So uh I am very sensitive to that, and I'm happy to speak with you uh offline and set up an appointment with you.

Yes, and I do appreciate that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

I you know what?

That is a great idea.

You are the perfect person to meet with Mr.

Robinson.

I should have thought about that.

My father, my bad.

Thank you, man.

That's why we got this.

Councilman Driscoll.

Thank you, President Williams.

Thank you, Mr.

Robinson, for coming to chair and uh your experience.

I I appreciate that you're looking forward um and just come here to vent.

And I I do think I don't we don't have the chair of vice chair from how or we do have the vice chair from the housing and she the vi the chair was actually on a call with us earlier today as well.

I think um much like we have the sort of one stop shop permit planner for economic development, I think that's something the housing committee should take on, is trying to work with our housing and community development department so that there's yeah, just like a fact sheet about how to uh how to go through this process.

I think I mean it's it seems like this was all well intentioned, uh it has been from the start.

Uh and a lot of people take on properties and um it's challenging.

I mean you're not I don't know if you're a professional carpenter or plumber, electric, whatever, so it's it can be pretty challenging.

It's a challenging endeavor, but um a lot of these houses aren't going anywhere unless we knock them all down.

But if we knock them down, they're not getting rebuilt.

So we gotta peep people who are willing to try.

I think we should try to make it as easy not to say an easiest process as possible, but we should at least educate people who are interested in it.

For sure.

And the city does have a resource to do a little investigating on proxy process processing um or pro looking in into properties, telling me is a really good one.

Um that can help as well, but it doesn't negate title work exactly.

Um councilmember Gaddis.

Thank you, and thanks for bringing that up.

I wanted to um say something about as vice chair I'd love to talk to Dr.

Jones about hosting uh a a committee hearing, kind of seeing what we have and then what we could do to get better, because uh if it's classes, we have we have uh landlord tenant classes, we have how to buy a house classes, you know, for first-time home buyers.

Uh this seems like something that we should be doing as a city.

I didn't realize it was a hole we had.

Um so I'm really sorry for your if uh it's very unfortunate.

But I'm hoping that we can take this as a learning lesson as a city as a whole.

Um and then I love the just the idea of a fact sheet uh and a roadmap.

So uh I I'm gonna talk to Dr.

Jones about hosting a uh committee hearing.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And the land bank does an education to for people to buy those, but it's not like buying off a demo list type thing, it's buying off a land bank.

They do like a one-off class, maybe once a year or so.

Um, but I'm not sure how often they do it.

Uh councilman, maybe we can take something from what they do and add it to whatever we can create.

Councilman Martinez.

Uh thank you, Madam President.

It just to kind of echo what your uh uh Councilwoman Gaddis was saying, um, yeah, there is definitely a a gap in real estate development in general, not to mention just on the residential side.

Uh so a lot of people will buy uh share foreclosure commercial buildings and totally not understand what they're getting into.

Um homes are a little bit easier um just because it's a lot it's less uh coding it codes a little bit more forgiving.

Um but yeah, I I'm happy to work with you and uh on Dr.

Jones.

Uh I'd actually thought about doing a a podcast with very specific items to talk about real estate development, the importance of title search, important of working with utilities to make sure that everything is code that you're not buying a property that has a stolen meter, like something that simple and how do you navigate um those types of things.

So I I'm more than willing to work with you to figure out how to do that in a little bit broader scale.

Go ahead, Mr.

Robinson.

Go ahead, Mr.

Robinson.

And with him speaking, it was something else that I thought about as well as um us continuing to demo these houses, and you have young guys like us willing to put the work and effort and time into bringing these properties back up to code and uh regenerifying or beautifying the community.

You not you, but the city of Toledo will benefit because we've we we make in these houses, we are providing a home, and you can force us to sell it and pay the taxes.

A lot of these houses have back taxes.

So if we take our money and we fix it and we we we have to sell, we sometimes we just sell them anyway because of capital gain tax.

So we're selling a house and we're getting the taxes paid and we're helping our community.

But we're just tearing these houses down, leaving fields.

We can't build.

I don't have the credit to build, I don't have the money to build.

So that's leaving it for out-of-town investors, bigger people than us that don't care about the community, don't care about anything, to come in and take this land and build whatever they want to be a hard.

It's not it's not it's not beneficial to the people that actually care.

And then also you guys is um talking to the mic for me, Jamar.

Also uh losses being had um when you guys knock down the property because you never retain the the property tax, and then also um as far as it costs to knock the property down, also some of these properties uh maybe 10 to 20 grand behind, and then on top of that it takes 10 to 20 grand to knock it down.

So I understand that you guys have the grants and everything, but uh on a total level it's like you're you're losing both ways around because you're never capable of recouping the taxes or or the money back for really demolition, even though it's the the grants money.

That money could probably be used on other parts or even trying to keep some of the neighborhoods whole instead of every block there's two houses and then there's five vacant lots, one abandoned house, and things of that nature.

Well, I thank you and for willing to talk.

We did have a meeting earlier, and I suggested to come down and speak before this body.

So I appreciate you guys willing to talk for us.

Um if there is nothing else, I am going to adjourn this meeting.

Thank you guys.

Yes.