Toledo City Council Formal Meeting — September 22, 2026

The Toledo City Council met in formal session at 4:00 PM on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, in the Council Chambers at One Government Center, Toledo, Ohio. All ordinance and resolution items on the agenda were approved, most unanimously. Items included two recognition resolutions, an audit request for the Flock automated license plate reader system, hotel/motel licensing, a new municipal code chapter, multiple funding and contracting ordinances from the Administration, and council discussion of a Toledo Zoo program change. No official minutes for this meeting were available; this summary is based on the agenda and the meeting transcript.

Consent Calendar & Recognitions

• R-395-26 (sponsored by Councilwoman Kramer): Recognized Susie's Coats for Kids & Hannah's Socks on their 20th anniversary. The Council noted that the organization, inspired by Susan “Susie” Perry and founded on the belief that no child should go without warm clothing, began with 50 coats, merged with Hannah's Socks in 2023, distributes more than 200,000 new items annually (coats, hats, gloves, socks, pajamas, underwear, shoes, hygiene items, and snack bags) at no charge with no proof of need, and has been named Best of Toledo in the public charity category for two consecutive years. Representatives said the annual distribution day functions like a birthday party where caregivers receive free items, and that 57,000 pairs of Bombas socks will be distributed across the tri-state area next week. Adopted unanimously.
• R-396-26 (sponsored by Councilmembers Morris, Gadus, and McPherson): Recognized and honored the Toledo Troopers for their historic contributions to professional football. Councilmembers cited the team's record as the winningest professional football team of all time (58–4–1), its documentary available on Amazon Prime Video, and noted that Trooper Sister Jefferson, a Liberty High School graduate, was previously inducted into the African American Legacy. A Troopers representative said the team was proud to represent the City of Toledo and that the players “wouldn't change it for the world.” Adopted unanimously.

Excusals & Approvals

• Dispensed with the reading of the Toledo City Journal for the September 8, 2026 meeting.
• Granted excused absences to multiple council members for non-attendance at agenda review meetings and committees held September 15–16, 2026, including Zoning and Planning, Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform, Transportation, and Economic Development and Innovation committees.

New Items from Council

• O-397-26 (Martinez, Gadus, Morris): Amended Toledo Municipal Code Title 7 to create Chapter 741, adding licensing requirements for motels and hotels. Adopted.
• R-398-26 (Williams, Hobbs): Requested an audit of the City's use and oversight of the Flock system, with an emergency clause. Councilman Martinez stated he was not opposed to doing the audit but believed it had “been done prior” and that “funds should be better spent for actually implementation strategies,” and he voted no. Adopted with Martinez dissenting.
• O-399-26 (Jones, Gadus, McPherson): Enacted new Toledo Municipal Code Chapter 1766. Adopted.

New Items from the Administration

• Authorized expenditure of $55,765 from the Capital Improvement Fund to the Lake Erie West Regional Council for the City of Toledo's 2026 transportation planning assessment fee, and payment of not to exceed $82,000 and $79 from the general fund for the 2026 membership fee, with an emergency clause. Adopted.
• Councilmember Komives presented four items from the Department of Public Service waiving competitive bidding provisions of TMC Chapter 187, authorizing a two-year contract for services, and declaring an emergency. Adopted.
• O-404-26: Amended TMC Chapter 917 (Trees), repealing eight sections and reenacting them with amended language. Adopted.
• A budget ordinance increasing the municipal garage revenue fund revenue estimate was adopted. Councilman Martinez observed that no savings were found elsewhere in the budget and that the measure “just increases our expenditures by 1.4 million dollars,” noting an attempt to find savings might be made at year-end closeout.

Discussion Items

• Toledo Zoo program change: Council members discussed the Toledo Zoo's decision to end a program serving participants with disabilities. One member, describing himself as a longtime Toledo Zoo member, stated the program has 63 participants, of whom only 24 are able to schedule and volunteer independently and may continue with the “zoo teams”; the majority will not continue. He also noted the Zoo has had a major construction project almost every year. Another member echoed the concern, saying it was not clear the Zoo has “operational or financial issues” and that the Zoo “owes it to the community to explain why they would have ended such an important program so suddenly and affected a few dozen kids.” No formal action was taken.
• High school engagement: A council member reported that after addressing high school youth, the students raised a matter they described as disturbing; no details or action were captured in the transcript.
• Announcements: Councilwoman Kramer announced that Toledo was named Safe Community of the Year by the Ohio chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. A council member also indicated that a formal memorial resolution for a recently deceased individual would be brought forward at a future meeting with the family present.

Key Outcomes

• All submitted measures were approved; only R-398-26 had a recorded dissenting vote (Councilman Martinez).
• The Council expressed concern (without a vote) about the Toledo Zoo's termination of a program for participants with disabilities and indicated the administration should look into the situation.
• No public comment period or public testimony appears in the transcript for this meeting.