Maumee Committee Selects Community Improvement Award Winners
BY NANCY GAGNET — MIRROR REPORTER
The city of Maumee has selected 13 projects as winners of the Community Improvement Award.
Those named will be formally recognized at the Maumee Chamber of Commerce Hometown Heroes Awards banquet next month.
According to city administrator John Jezak, the Community Improvement Award is new to the city and is conducted in concert with other community partners to recognize homeowners, nonprofit groups and businesses for their efforts to improve the city’s image and economic vitality.
The program seeks to encourage further community improvement through the public recognition of outstanding new construction and renovation projects within the city of Maumee.
An award committee made selections. Members of the committee include Brenda Clixby, Maumee Chamber of Commerce; Joe Ludwig, Maumee Uptown Business Association; Tony Plath, Home Builders Association of Greater Toledo; Melissa Utterback, Toledo Board of Realtors; Mayor Tim Wagener; Bruce Wholf, chief building officer; and John Jezak, city administrator.
To be eligible, all projects must be either buildings or dwellings located within the legal boundaries of the city of Maumee. Additionally all projects must have been substantially completed during the previous calendar year.
Winners were chosen in five categories: new residential and commercial construction, residential and commercial remodeling, and special merit.
Jezak thanked supporters, including the Toledo Board of Realtors and the Home Builders Association.
“Their financial participation has allowed for the creation of award plaques that will go to Community Improvement Award winners,” he said.
The awards will be presented on Thursday, March 13 at The Pinnacle in Maumee. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. and is open to the public.
Tickets must be reserved by Saturday, March 1. The price is $30.00 per ticket, or $275 for a reserved table of 10. For information, call the Maumee Chamber of Commerce at (419) 893-5805.
Sports Leagues, Not City, To Be Responsible For Coaches’ Background Checks
BY NANCY GAGNET — MIRROR REPORTER
At Monday’s meeting, members of Maumee City Council voted in favor of placing the responsibility of background checks for youth coaches on the individual sports leagues themselves.
However, the city will offer checks at a reduced rate for coaches in the Maumee Recreation Program.
The parks and recreation committee recommended the policy following council’s request to review the matter, which it did at a meeting last week.
The committee considered all groups that use city facilities.
Although the committee agreed that the checks should be done, it did not recommend a city mandate for them because it would be both costly and difficult to monitor.
By a vote of 5-to-1, council approved the committee recommendations, which state that it would be the responsibility of the leagues, not the city, to establish guidelines on what to do with the record checks.
“It is strongly recommended that every league requesting a Web check has the checks conducted annually and all records are maintained,” said committee chairman Doug Brainard.
The recommendation would also allow the police department to provide Bureau of Criminal Identification checks at a cost of $15.00 to any coach in the Maumee Recreation Program.
Todd Zimmerman, a member of the parks and recreation committee, cast the opposing vote on the issue due to the cost imposed on the coaches.
“My belief is that we should waive all of the fee,” he said.
Council member Brent Buehrer did not attend the meeting.
In addition, the parks and recreation committee also recommended eliminating the sale of non-resident memberships for the Rolf Park Pool.
Saying the past practice of selling 250 nonresident memberships has led to many problems, the committee recommended eliminating the practice altogether.
“The method of issuing nonresident memberships is non-effective and often results in disruption of normal everyday municipal business,” Brainard said.
Rolf Park Pool will open May 31 through August 22.
City of Maumee residents as well as those living in the Maumee school district will continue to be able to purchase season memberships to the pool.
Also at the meeting, council took the following action:
n Approved a change order in the amount of $24,500 for storm sewer improvements in the Parkway Drive and Chantilly area.
• Named Joshua Hazard, Benjamin Heywood and Dennis Miketa to the newly established assessment equalization board to hear objections by homeowners over estimated assessments.
• Approved an application for an Ohio Division of EMS grant for 2008-09.
• Approved 2008 replacement pages to the Maumee Municipal Code.
• Adopted the 2008 National Electric Code into the city codified ordinance.
• Entered a fireworks display agreement with the city of Perrysburg in which Maumee will pay $14,850.
• Approved a service agreement with Motorola for support and repair services for eight mobile data computers at a cost of $7,680 for 2008.
• Approved a contract with The Mirror to publish the two city newsletters at a cost of $6,400.
• Placed on file annual reports for the division of building and zoning, service department and police division.
• Entered a request for an asbestos survey for the former fire station at 202 E. William St. and referred issue of property to the buildings and lands committee.
• Approved a contract amendment with Shelly Co. in the amount of $20,558.43.
• Referred a request for a zone application for Parkway Plaza from C-1 neighborhood commercial to C-2 general commercial to the plan commission.
• Accepted the resignation of Paul Mulder, equipment operator.
• Referred a resolution for Senate Bill 221, regarding electric rates, to the public information committee, which will meet on February 28.
• Referred a request for replacement of the marked police car fleet and the motorcycle lease program to the finance committee for review.