Toledo City Council Agenda Review Meeting - June 2, 2026

The City Council held an Agenda Review meeting on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at 2:00 PM in Council Chambers to prepare for the June 9 regular meeting. Eleven council members were present, with Councilman Martinez absent. The meeting covered a range of legislative items including resolutions, ordinances, and new items from various departments. No votes were taken; items were discussed and will proceed to the June 9 meeting for first or second readings.

Resolutions in Attendance

• R-226-26: Recognizing Dr. Timothy Trax on his retirement.
• R-227-26: Recognizing June 2026 as National Gun Violence Awareness Month, sponsored by Councilmembers Kramer and Morris.

Second Reading Item

• O-185-26: Authorizing a contract for removal, hauling, and beneficial reuse of spent lime from the Water Treatment Division, with an annual expenditure not to exceed $5,500,000 from the Water Operating Fund. This item sparked significant discussion. Councilman Serranti expressed concerns about awarding the contract to the lowest bidder, Rocky Ridge, due to ongoing FBI and state investigations. He suggested awarding to the second bidder, Polcat, or holding off. Council President Williams emphasized the urgency of removing spent lime to fulfill obligations to the Regional Water Commission and avoid financial penalties. Chief Operations Officer Megan Robeson confirmed the administration is exploring options with the law department given the investigation. Councilwoman Gaddis questioned the "lowest and best" criteria, noting an FBI investigation may disqualify "best."

New Items from Council

• R-228-26: Declaring the intent to waive admission fees to city-owned public swimming pools during declared heat emergencies. Councilman Driscoll presented statistics: 5 heat emergency days in 2022, 6 in 2023, 9 in 2024, and 7 in 2025. The resolution is non-binding. Discussion included concerns about pool capacity and potential extended hours. Council President Williams announced a "pool party tour" starting June 24 at Roosevelt.

Items from Toledo Municipal Court

• O-229-26: Authorizing an agreement with ScanWorks LLC for scanning and destruction of case files, costing $72,934 from the General Fund. The court processed 54,876 case files in 2025. The contract is for one year to digitize and destroy paper files to save space.

Items from Department of Public Utilities (5 items)

• O-230-26: $1,600,000 from Sanitary Sewer Replacement Fund for rebuilding the Roots Air Blower System at the Water Reclamation Facility. The third blower unexpectedly failed, requiring an overall project. Waivers of competitive bidding are needed for Roots and Eaton.
• O-231-26: $675,000 (split between Storm Water Replacement and Sewer Replacement funds) for a Vactor truck to maintain CSO facilities. Chassis procured from Valley Freightliner. Delivery estimated at least six months.
• O-232-26: $250,000 from Storm Water Replacement Fund for roll-off boxes to haul grit from CSO basins. Will be an ongoing replacement program.
• O-233-26: $150,000 from Sanitary Sewer Replacement Fund for machine shop equipment (milling machine, lathe, etc.) to replace unsafe equipment.
• O-234-26: $300,000 from Water Replacement Fund for Permanganate Facility Improvements to address wear from abrasive chemicals and prevent failures during harmful algal blooms.

Item from Department of Development

• O-235-26: Authorizing sale of a portion of city-owned property in Highland Park to the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library for $1 to formalize ownership. The library has not finalized community engagement plans but aims to serve as a community hub.

Item from Office of the Mayor

• O-236-26: Accepting a $300,000 Bloomberg Harvard City Hall Fellowship grant to fund a fellow for two years focusing on population growth. The fellow, Utsav Kharel, holds a Master's from Harvard and has experience in cross-sector collaboration. Several council members expressed interest in being involved and receiving periodic updates. Chief Clemens highlighted deliverables including research on successful cities and metrics for progress.

Items from Department of Transportation (2 items)

• O-237-26: Consent for ODOT to replace a culvert on Dorr Street over Heldman Ditch. No city cost. Work expected 2028-2029.
• O-238-26: Accepting a $60,000 GM on Main Street grant for temporary traffic calming on Summit Street between Cherry and Olive. The project uses flexi posts to slow traffic and improve pedestrian connectivity between the riverfront and Vistula neighborhood.

Items from Police Operations (6 items)

• O-239-26: $21,900.16 Project Safe Neighborhood grant for overtime for drone first responders, gang unit, and crime gun intelligence.
• O-240-26: $14,000 annually from General Fund for continuation of portable automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) from Flock. Discussion included safety of mounting poles and cooperation with private businesses.
• O-241-26: $100,000 from Law Enforcement Trust Fund for one-year continuation of drone technology services from Flock. A side-by-side comparison with a new vendor (Brink) will be conducted.
• O-242-26: $91,000 from Capital Improvement Fund for in-car cameras for new police vehicles.
• O-243-26: $62,000 from Capital Improvement Fund for radios for new vehicles.
• O-244-26: $30,001.52 Violence Against Women Act grant for training and overtime in domestic violence investigations.

Item from Fire and Rescue Operations

• O-245-26: $7,888 from General Fund for a six-month extension of fire inspection software from Streamline Automation Systems while the city goes out for bid on a new system.

Item from Department of Public Service

• O-246-26: $360,000 from Solid Waste Trust Fund for repairs at Hoffman Road Landfill to address leachate and gas collection compliance issues. Solid Waste Trust Fund balance is approximately $655,000.

Zoning and Planning Items (7 items)

• O-247-26: Special Use Permit for gas station expansion at 4486 Monroe St.
• O-248-26: Zone change at 4927 N. Summit St.
• O-249-26: Special Use Permit for a school at 3300 Glendale Ave.
• O-250-26: Special Use Permit for scrap and salvage facility at 5400 N. Detroit Ave.
• O-251-26: Special Use Permit for community recreation at 617 City Park Ave.
• O-252-26: Special Use Permit for standalone solar field at 627 Lotus Ave.
• O-253-26: Zone change at 2108 Collingwood Blvd.

Councilman Serranti raised concerns about the solar field contractor, Perrysburg Energy Solutions, due to delays in a previous mural lighting project. He requested a referral for a progress report on the mural lighting, which had received $500,000 from the city and $300,000 from partners, now withdrawn.

Key Outcomes

• All items were presented and discussed; none were voted on.
• Items will proceed to the June 9, 2026 regular council meeting for first or second readings as appropriate.
• The spent lime contract (O-185-26) will be subject to further internal review by the administration regarding the lowest bidder under investigation.
• A referral was made to obtain the scope and application for the Bloomberg Harvard Fellowship.
• A referral was made to get a progress report on the solar lighting mural project and contractor performance.
• Councilmembers requested periodic updates on the Bloomberg fellow's work and involvement in the process.