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Record of Proceedings

Toledo City Council Formal Meeting – October 6, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, October 6, 2026
BodyToledo, Ohio
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, October 6, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:19:35

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:58

I wouldn't worry.

Speaker 2

1:32

I call to order the city council meeting of October sixth, twenty twenty-six.

1:38

Clerk, please call the roll.

1:40

Morris here.

1:41

Surround

Speaker 1

1:42

two.

Speaker 3

1:42

Here.

Speaker 1

1:43

Williams.

1:44

Here.

1:44

Driscoll.

1:45

Here.

1:46

Gaddis.

1:47

Hobbs.

1:48

Here.

1:49

Jones.

1:50

Here.

1:50

Come if Kramer.

1:53

Here.

1:54

Martinez.

1:55

McPherson.

1:56

Here.

1:57

Meldon.

1:58

Here.

1:59

Eleven present.

Speaker 2

2:01

Please stand for the invocation by Pastor Carl Jackson from Precious Blood Church.

2:06

The Pledge of Allegiance to our flag.

2:08

And the singing of the National Anthem by Charisse Easterly, a City of Toledo employee.

Unassigned speaker

2:17

Good

Speaker 4

2:17

afternoon, Council.

2:18

Thank you for this opportunity again.

2:20

God bless you.

2:21

We just borrow our heads.

2:22

Heavenly Father, we come before you this afternoon to give you praise, glory, and honor.

2:27

We thank you for your sovereignty, Father.

2:30

We just thank you for this privilege and opportunity today to pray in this place.

3:18

In Jesus' name we pray, and all God's people said, Amen.

3:23

God bless you.

Speaker 5

5:08

Or the land of the pride.

5:14

And the home mother.

Speaker 6

5:29

Councilwoman Morris.

5:31

Thank you very much.

5:32

One of the wonderful things about being on council is that every month, you get to choose who is going to sing and who is going to do the prayer.

5:43

And this is my month.

5:45

And so I just want to say thank you so much to Pastor Carl Jackson.

5:50

He leads a church where we have a community meeting every month, and we have been really wonderful partners together.

5:58

And I just want you all to say an extra prayer for him and his church as they as they continue moving forward.

6:06

Having a church is a it's a hard time right now.

6:09

And so just say an extra little prayer.

6:12

And Charisse.

6:14

My goodness, I am so glad that Joe Fosnaw let me in your singing ability.

6:22

I mean, you're amazing.

6:24

I love that we have this true talent in our ranks as employees.

6:29

And you know, we can chew gum and walk at the same time.

6:33

We can work for the parks department and sing wonderfully.

6:36

So thank you so much for sharing your talents with us today.

6:40

All right, thank you.

Speaker 2

6:41

Thank you.

6:42

And um Sharice will be singing at my wedding for free whenever I find a husband, because that is my cousin.

Speaker 7

6:50

Councilwan McVears.

Speaker 8

6:53

Thank you, President.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural████████████████████████████████32%
Arts And Culture███████████████15%
Public Safety████████████12%
Public Engagement███████████11%
Community Engagement████████8%
Public Health██████6%
Zoning and Planning█████5%
Housing and Community Development████4%
Budget Equity Analysis███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Toledo City Council Formal Meeting – October 6, 2026

The Toledo City Council held its formal meeting on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at 4:00 PM in Council Chambers. Eleven members were present (Councilman Martinez absent). The meeting included two recognitions, passage of several ordinances on second reading, introduction of new items, and zoning approvals. Key votes included unanimous support for most items, with one dissenting vote on a software license, one abstention on a right-of-way dedication, and unanimous rejection of a special use permit for a gas station.

Recognitions and Proclamations

  • R-409-26: Resolution recognizing Christopher “Chilly” Rodriguez for his artistic contributions and perseverance. Adopted unanimously (11-0). Council members praised his murals and community impact.
  • R-410-26: Resolution recognizing October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Speakers highlighted statistics: domestic violence affects more than 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men nationally; in Toledo it accounts for 18% of criminal case filings. Felony convictions of repeat offenders rose from 252 in 2022 to 336 in 2024. Adopted unanimously.

Second Reading Items (Final Passage)

  • O-399-26 (Retaliation Prohibited): Enacted new Toledo Municipal Code Chapter 1766. Councilwoman Gaddis stated the ordinance complements state law and was developed after seven town halls and a citywide survey. An amendment was adopted before final passage. Passed 11-0.
  • O-402-26 (Fuel Appropriation): Appropriated $1,400,000 from unappropriated fund balances for city-wide fuel purchases and internal chargebacks. An amendment clarified the source of funds. Passed 11-0, emergency.
  • O-403-26 (Smart Tree Inventory): Authorized a two-year contract not to exceed $250,000 annually for a smart tree inventory. Passed 11-0, emergency.
  • O-404-26 (Tree Code Amendments): Repealed and reenacted eight sections of Chapter 917 (Trees). Passed 11-0, emergency.

New Items from Council

  • R-411-26: Dedicating the corner of Escott Avenue at May Avenue as “Gregory Wojciechowski ‘Wojo’ Way”. Adopted unanimously after suspension and emergency.
  • R-412-26: Dedicating the corner of Ewing Street at Nebraska Avenue as “Clifford L. Russell Way”. Adopted unanimously.

New Items from the Administration

  • O-413-26 (ARPA Reallocation): Authorizing reallocation of American Rescue Plan Act funds among eligible projects. Placed on first reading.
  • O-414-26 (Demolition Grant Support): Authorizing support for applications to the Ohio Building Demolition and Site Revitalization grant program and entering into agreements with Lucas County Land Reutilization Corporation. Passed 11-0 after suspension and emergency.

Department of Transportation

  • R-415-26: Resolution declaring official intent to reimburse the Capital Improvements Fund with proceeds of tax-exempt debt. Adopted 11-0.
  • O-416-26 (Miami Street Embankment): Authorizing a grant agreement with Ohio Emergency Management Agency for $831,976 for construction of the Miami Street Embankment project. Passed 11-0.
  • O-417-26 (Traffic Signal Software): Authorizing a five-year SaaS license with Path Master Inc. for traffic signal performance software, not to exceed $62,304 from the Franklin Park/Westfield TIF. Passed 10-1 (Councilman Driscoll dissenting).
  • O-418-26 (TARTA Mobility Hub Right-of-Way): Dedicating city-owned parcels as public right-of-way for a TARTA mobility hub at 1602 Monroe Street and multi-use path improvements on Dorr Street (RAISE Grant). Passed 10-0 (Councilman Melden abstained on all votes).

Department of Police Operations

  • O-419-26 (Toledo Public Schools SRO): Authorizing a one-year school resource officer agreement with Toledo Public Schools, accepting $139,458.32. Passed 11-0.
  • O-420-26 (Washington Local Schools SRO): Authorizing a one-year SRO agreement with Washington Local Schools, accepting $93,657.16. Passed 11-0.

Department of Public Utilities

  • O-421-26 (Pump Purchase): Authorizing $45,205 from the Water Operating Fund for two Watson Marlow Bredel pumps at Collins Park Water Treatment Plant. Passed 11-0.
  • O-422-26 (Pump Station Loan): Authorizing acceptance of a loan from Ohio EPA/WPCLF and OWDA up to $1,020,000 for small pump station improvements. Passed 11-0.
  • O-423-26 (Debt Relief Program): Updating municipal code language for DPU’s temporary debt relief program. Passed 11-0.
  • O-424-26 (Utility Easement): Authorizing acquisition of a utility easement on Cedar Point Road, Oregon, OH, for the Raw Water Main Project. Passed 11-0.

Department of Development

  • O-425-26 (Healthy Food Small Market): Authorizing an agreement with Toledo-Lucas County Board of Health to support the Healthy Food Small Market Program, appropriating $355,297 from the General Fund. Placed on first reading.

Zoning and Planning Items

  • O-426-26: Zoning map change for 1302 Kelsey Avenue. Passed 11-0.
  • O-427-26: Zoning map change for 3910 Haverhill Drive. Passed 11-0.
  • O-428-26: Special Use Permit for Towaway Vehicle Storage at 5825 Angola Road (with conditions and two waivers). Passed 11-0.
  • O-429-26: Special Use Permit for Scrap and Salvage Facility at 4103 Lagrange Street (with conditions and four waivers). Passed 11-0.
  • O-430-26: Special Use Permit for Gas Station at 2485 N. Detroit Avenue. Failed 0-11 after Councilwoman Morris stated opposition based on decision-making criteria in TMC 1111.0706.
  • O-431-26: Local landmark designation for the building at 4500 N. Detroit Avenue, accepting the City Plan Commission recommendation. Passed 11-0.

Council Member Comments and Announcements

  • Councilwoman Gaddis thanked colleagues for passing the retaliation ordinance and noted it is the start of further rental legislation. She requested an update on biometric identifier guidelines (passed in April) and raised concerns about trash pickup in District 3, reporting 309 complaints to Engage and calling for a task force with Republic Services.
  • Councilwoman Dr. Jones emphasized that the retaliation ordinance is a living document and work in progress. She announced early voting began, a community meeting on Brent Industries test results on October 15, and her attendance at a conference on vacant land reclamation.
  • Councilmember Komives noted the $1.4 million fuel appropriation as a consequence of increased gas prices due to the war, and announced an Ohio historical marker for Lewis Escobar to be unveiled on October 22.
  • Councilwoman Kramer encouraged early voting and noted that handicap-accessible voting is available curbside.
  • Councilwoman McPherson welcomed an Italian opera singer and offered condolences for the recent passing of Jim Harton.
  • Council President Williams thanked colleagues for voting down the gas station and noted a pending senior housing project at the Fortin School site with Woodle Cooper.

Key Outcomes

  • All items on the agenda passed except:
    • O-417-26 passed with one dissenting vote (Driscoll).
    • O-418-26 passed with one abstention (Melden).
    • O-430-26 failed unanimously (11-0).
  • O-413-26 and O-425-26 received first readings and will return for second reading.
  • Councilwoman Gaddis announced a future request for a task force on trash collection issues.

Meeting Transcript

I wouldn't worry. I call to order the city council meeting of October sixth, twenty twenty-six. Clerk, please call the roll. Morris here. Surround two. Here. Williams. Here. Driscoll. Here. Gaddis. Hobbs. Here. Jones. Here. Come if Kramer. Here. Martinez. McPherson. Here. Meldon. Here. Eleven present. Please stand for the invocation by Pastor Carl Jackson from Precious Blood Church. The Pledge of Allegiance to our flag. And the singing of the National Anthem by Charisse Easterly, a City of Toledo employee. Good afternoon, Council. Thank you for this opportunity again. God bless you. We just borrow our heads. Heavenly Father, we come before you this afternoon to give you praise, glory, and honor. We thank you for your sovereignty, Father. We just thank you for this privilege and opportunity today to pray in this place. In Jesus' name we pray, and all God's people said, Amen. God bless you. Or the land of the pride. And the home mother. Councilwoman Morris. Thank you very much. One of the wonderful things about being on council is that every month, you get to choose who is going to sing and who is going to do the prayer. And this is my month. And so I just want to say thank you so much to Pastor Carl Jackson. He leads a church where we have a community meeting every month, and we have been really wonderful partners together. And I just want you all to say an extra prayer for him and his church as they as they continue moving forward. Having a church is a it's a hard time right now. And so just say an extra little prayer. And Charisse. My goodness, I am so glad that Joe Fosnaw let me in your singing ability.

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