PORTAGE -The mayor is continuing to lay the track for a railroad museum to relocate in the village.
Mark Wolford reported at Monday’s council meeting that negotiations are continuing with the Northwest
Ohio Railroad Preservation Inc. and the quarry that owns the land involved.
Stoneco reportedly wants approximately 60 acres it owns in Portage rezoned from manufacturing to
quarrying and mining, in exchange for allowing the museum to use its land. The land Stoneco wants
rezoned is located east of the railroad tracks and south of the river.
The property the railroad group is interested in is located in Enright Park, which Stoneco owns but lets
the village use. The park includes 25 acres, some of which would still be used for ball fields and
recreation if the museum opens there.
The non-profit group, which could generate about $6,000 annually in income tax for the village, is
relocating from Findlay.
The relocation would include a museum and train that runs on holidays and special events.
A special meeting that will be open to the public could be held next week to further discuss the issue.

Wolford said the railroad group needs to be moving by January and that Portage is one of two sites it is
considering.
In other business, council gave the go-ahead to village resident Mark Boggs, who is working on a new Web
page for Portage.
The new site will include links for history, issues, new residents and council meeting minutes.
It could also include information on two tax issues on the November ballot, a .4 percent income tax and a
1.6-mill streets levy. The money is needed to get Portage out of fiscal emergency with the state in five
years.
"There’s your way of telling people this is why we need to pass the income tax," he said.
Boggs is doing the work, which he estimated at $2,250, for free. Boggs, who is a college student, will
use the work in his portfolio.
He also offered to run the Web site at no charge for a year.
Also at the meeting, council:
• Heard Councilman Carl Crawford report the planning commission wants council to adjust fees for permits,
such as housing and fences. It was referred to the finance committee, which is meeting Sept. 6 at 6 p.m.
in the village hall.
• Moved approximately $5,300 out of the police fund to the general fund. The money will reimburse income
taxes that were wrongly paid to the village by a utility company.
• Heard the third reading on and approved a resolution selling pieces of village-owned property, such as
file cabinets, via the Internet.
• Had the second reading on an ordinance charging residents $35 per household and truckload for roadside
removal of non-storm related brush and $24 per load for stone delivery.
• Approved annual septic tank pumping at residences that could begin later this month. The pumping will
cost about $6,300 and affect households that were last done in 2008.