PERRYSBURG – The city is keeping the money flowing through its costly sewer system to make sure
everything else can do the same.
Council voted Tuesday to issue $2.569 million in notes to pay for improvements to the sewer system by
constructing storm sewers and reconstructing the sanitary sewers. The notes will be issued at a rate of
1.5 percent. But, since the notes will be sold at a premium, the functional rate will be 1.35 percent.

With a recommendation from the Health Sanitation and Public Utilities Committee, council members approved
expenses totaling nearly $300,000 for services related to improvements and repairs to sewers around the
city.
Council also unanimously approved the appointment of Lt. Dan Paez as the city’s new police chief. Paez,
who has served as acting chief since former Police Chief Richard Gilts retired last month, comes into
the job with almost 30 years of experience.
"We were all very impressed" with Paez, said council member Marie Ermie, Personnel Committee
chair.
Paez has said he intends to focus on community relations efforts within the department.
"The best I can promise you is I will work very hard to achieve the things I spoke about," he
said. "There’s a lot of work to get done, and I just plan to get to it."
Following an Ohio Supreme Court ruling that bars cities from requiring residency as a condition of
employment, Ermie said the sergeant and dispatcher unions filed separate grievances with the city.
Because contracts for those units were already agreed upon, the city maintains that it is not bound by
the more recent court ruling. Ermie said the city apprised the units that the grievance process was not
the appropriate avenue for the complaint.
Administrator John Alexander said the grievances were withdrawn but that legal counsel indicated the
units may proceed with a request for declaratory judgment in court.
Council member Joe Rutherford said city officials recently met with representatives from Toledo Area
Regional Transit Authority (TARTA) and learned that no ballot issue – regarding institution of a
0.5-percent sales tax in place of property taxes to fund the system – would appear on ballots in Lucas
County as well as Rossford and Perrysburg.
Rutherford said the city’s engineering consultant is moving forward with a proposal to investigate how a
new transit system could be implemented in the more immediate Perrysburg area. He said Rossford has
expressed interest in participating in such a system.
According to Rutherford, a sales tax system would place the city at a disadvantage with nearby
competition. He said it would also pay for services from which the city would not benefit and would
place a complicated burden on local businesses.
In other action, council approved ordinances or heard reports as presented by committees:
¥ Finance: heard the committee will consider at its next meeting whether hiring a Washington, D.C.,
lobbyist on behalf of the city would be prudent; approved a two-year, $170,000-special assessment for
furnishing city lighting; approved contracts with Bowser-Morner in the amounts of $7,000 and $8,500 for
field testing at the Cherry Street Sewer Separation District and for engineering and testing services at
the Maumee River Sanitary Sewer Interceptor, respectively; with Arcadis in the amount of $45,000 for
bidding, construction and resident representation at the Southwood Park storm sewers; with E.R. Zeiler
in the amount of $238,527 for construction work to improve storm sewers in the Southwood subdivision;
with DPS Equipment Services in an amount not to exceed $60,400 for replacing equipment at the water
pollution control facility; and rejecting all bids for upgrades to the White Road pump station.
¥ Planning and Zoning: clarifying a previous ordinance and including both 27338 and 27340 West River Road
in the institutional zoning granted to the Historic Spafford Homestead; gave first reading to an
ordinance renaming part of Ft. Meigs Road to Ft. Meigs Court.