A majority of Maumee Council has approved a new policy establishing a grant program to help residents with some sewer repairs, as many citizens continue to rage against city leaders.
At Monday’s meeting, council voted 5-2 to authorize City Administrator Patrick Burtch to set parameters and establish a grant program for repair or replacement of sewer laterals or lines in the public right of way.
Mayor Jim MacDonald said the money for the grants will come out of recent sewer rate increases.
The grant program will immediately assist 50 people affected by a short-lived council ordinance that required sewer inspections before homes were sold.
The grants will assist private owner occupied residential property owners who are voluntarily working to eliminate inflow and infiltration to the city’s sanitary sewer system. The grants will be retroactive to June 17. Reimbursement will be made by the city to the property owner based on paid receipts submitted to the city.
“One person in particular is owed $6,900,” Mr. Burtch said. “The reason this will be done as a policy, as opposed to an ordinance, is so you didn’t have to pass something by emergency and make people wait three months.”
Council can tweak, change, or eliminate the policy in the future, he said.
Councilman Philip Leinbach was one of the two "no" votes.
“I’m sure all of us would like to see these people be compensated,” he said. “However, this program has not been developed in partnership with the community.”
Ted Kurt also voted against the policy. Gabriel Barrow, Jon Fiscus, Josh Harris, Scott Noonan, and Margo Puffenberger voted in favor of it.
Ms. Puffenberger said the policy could be changed, but right now it would get the grant going and help people who have already paid for repairs.
“Things like this can always be improved upon,” she said.
About 100 people attended the council meeting, and many were gathered early outside the municipal building. There were several Trailview Drive residents, all wearing “Trapped in Maumee” shirts.
Dave Ross said he was concerned council would pass another “garbage-y” ordinance like the one that required sewer inspections before homes were sold. Some people trying to sell homes and getting inspections found more than $30,000 worth of sewer work was needed to comply.
Since the ordinance was repealed on July 31, Mr. Ross said he’s been working with a committee to raise funds for legal fees and records requests.
“We want to make sure they’re following through, because other cities around here have faced the same thing, and they’ve been able to come up with solutions without charging their residents tens of thousands of dollars for repairs,” Mr. Ross said.
“I’m madder than hell,” said his neighbor, Bob Sowle. “I’m retired, living on a fixed income, and I’m thinking I’m living in paradise — this great, fantastic town.
“And now they’re kicking us in the butt with this water thing that they’ve known about for years,” he said.
During audience comments at the meeting, Danny Cobb, of Holgate Avenue, asked council to fire Mr. Burtch.
“I would like to cite public humiliation,” he said as the reason for termination.
“We’re not going to have an attack on someone that’s sitting up in these chairs,“ Mayor MacDonald said. “That’s just decorum.”
The city will continue holding community roundtable discussions on its sewer issues, Tuesdays and Thursdays this month.
“I appreciate the spirited discussion that’s occurred in those meetings, and the facts that have been put out as to what the city is up against,” Mayor MacDonald said.
Between 1996 and 2020, the city dumped millions of gallons of sewage-contaminated water into the Maumee River. Maumee officials have estimated that the cost of a 20-year project to fix the city’s sewer problems will be $150 million.
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