Findlay council absences slow legislative push

FINDLAY — Three absences brought Findlay City Council's legislative process to a crawl at Tuesday's regular meeting. Council members Dan DeArment, R-4, Heather Kensinger and L. Reed Needles, both R-at-large, were absent, with all three members being excused by council. However, the absences left council short of a super-majority vote. Council needs eight votes to suspend its three-reading rule and seven votes to pass legislation as an emergency, fixed thresholds that do not drop when members are absent. City administrators had hoped to advance legislation for the Midwest Court roadway extension and the Blanchard Street Bridge rehabilitation, but the lack of a super majority left both measures stuck on second reading. Final plans for the Mardic and Midwest Court Roadway Extension are nearly complete. The legislation would authorize city administrators to advertise for bids and enter into contracts for the road connecting Mardic Drive to Midwest Court to support the Casto Communities development near Interstate 75. It also appropriates and transfers $5,000 from the capital fund to cover advertising costs and chargebacks. Rehabilitation of the Blanchard Street Bridge was targeted by the state just one month after the city delayed the work to free up capital for the Casto development plan. The bridge had been scheduled for rehabilitation in 2027 in last year's capital plan, but was moved to 2028. The Ohio Department of Transportation targets bridges for financial assistance when inspection data shows reduced load capacity or other conditions indicating a need for rehabilitation to remain in service. On May 18, ODOT notified the city that the bridge had been added to its target list. In a letter to council dated June 1, City Engineer Jeremy Kalb said the bridge's load limit was recently reduced during inspection, positioning the city to apply for funding when the application window opens later this summer. The legislation appropriates $150,000 from the city's capital improvement fund to pay for planning and design, and authorizes city administrators to contract with EMH&T, New Albany, for the work. The city's capital improvement plan lists the Blanchard Street Bridge rehabilitation as a multi-year project with design work scheduled for 2025. The plan budgets a total of $1.35 million for the project, including $150,000 for design and $1.2 million for construction, and anticipates $960,000 in outside funding through the Municipal Bridge Program. The project is rated a high priority. The Casto project is a 374-unit residential development on Findlay's west side that requires the city to purchase 21 acres of land and build a north–south connector road and utility extensions to open the area for development. The city plans to spend about $1 million on the land and $1.9 million on infrastructure, funded through the general, capital, sewer and water funds. Casto would repay $1.4 million over 10 years, and a hotel developer would contribute $500,000 upfront. The entire area also lies within the County Road 99/I-75 tax increment financing (TIF) district approved by council in 2024. It provides the city with another source of revenue to recoup development expenses.