A $27 million overhaul of Tiffin’s wastewater treatment plant is headed to construction within months, City Council learned Monday. In a separate appeal during the same meeting, a local youth-sports leader pressed council to pursue a dedicated athletic complex that officials say the city cannot yet afford to build.
Over a roughly 80-minute session, council also held a public hearing on the 2027 tax budget that drew no public comment, passed a utility easement on an emergency basis, advanced a tax-increment financing measure, and referred new traffic-signal and sewer-replacement legislation to committee. All seven council members were present, and Council President Bridget Boyle presided.
$27 million wastewater plant upgrade
Water Pollution Control Center Superintendent Kevin Hughes briefed council on the next major phase of the plant’s long-term upgrades: a high-rate treatment system that will sharply increase how much flow the city can treat during heavy rain. Hughes said the project carries a price tag of about $27 million, that the construction bid was recently awarded to Adena, and that work is expected to begin in the next couple of months, with the system set to be online by July 2028.
The system, a cloth-media filtration technology marketed as AquaStorm, will treat up to 32 million gallons a day, Hughes said. Combined with the existing plant, that would let the city treat up to 45 million gallons a day during consecutive rain events. Hughes tied the work to the city’s long-term control plan, which aims to limit combined sewer overflows — events that send untreated sewage into the Sandusky River — to no more than four per year. A 2021 upgrade had already raised the plant’s capacity from 4 million to 13 million gallons. Background on the plant’s history is available on the city’s Water Pollution Control page.
Hughes also told council the city has signed a contract with Voltus, a “virtual power plant” operator that pays large energy users to cut electricity demand during grid stress by running their own generators. He said the arrangement pays the city $12,000 a year plus $1,425 an hour during curtailment events, and took effect June 1.
A push for a youth sports complex
During oral communications, Curt Mellott, president of the Tiffin Big Sticks little league and the Tiffin Honor Games, urged council to keep pursuing a dedicated youth athletic complex, saying local fields can no longer keep pace with demand.
Mellott said the Big Sticks program has grown from 58 players in 2015 to 285 children across 22 teams this year, and that the organization expects about 180 games this season at Hedges-Boyer Park, Oakley Park and the Columbian softball field, plus 60 to 75 practice slots a week. He said the Tiffin Honor Games — a 501(c)(3) that raises money for military veterans — grew from 10 teams in 2025 to 39 this year, raised about $17,000 last year and expects closer to $30,000 in 2026.
Citing the city’s athletic-complex feasibility study, Mellott said projections included roughly $5 million in annual regional economic impact, about 100 jobs, $150,000 in profit by year four and 35,000 to 40,000 visitors. “Are we going to help our kids? Are we going to help our community financially?” he asked, framing the projections as the study’s findings rather than guarantees.
In response, officials pointed to two unresolved obstacles. The Hedges-Boyer Park site sits in a floodplain — a concern reinforced by flooding this spring — and a developer that had offered to finance a facility would require the city to carry the cost for the first several years until it became profitable, which officials said the city is not in a position to do. Boyle said she wanted to help find a solution.
Parks: July 4 fireworks, pump track, labyrinth
Parks and Recreation Director Bryce Kuhn delivered a mid-year update. He said the city’s Independence Day fireworks will be relocated within Hedges-Boyer Park — to the football fields on the north side — for a larger show marking the nation’s 250th anniversary, with the area near the YMCA closed for safety. July 4 falls on a Saturday this year.
Kuhn said the new pump track at Hedges-Boyer Park now has about $257,000 behind it — $100,000 council appropriated in 2025 plus roughly $157,000 raised from foundations, agencies and businesses — with construction expected to begin in late July and a completion target of mid-September. He said a 44-foot-diameter labyrinth will be dedicated Saturday, Aug. 15, at 10 a.m., and described a separate donor-funded project, called South Point, that will overlook the wetlands; Kuhn credited private donor John Egbert.
Easements, tax budget and TIF
Council voted 7-0 to suspend its three-reading rule and pass Ordinance 2026-38 as an emergency, authorizing a sanitary and stormwater sewer easement with the Seneca Industrial & Economic Development Corp. Councilmember John Hays said the emergency was needed to align with the timeline for a pending property sale so the easements are in place before ownership changes. A related easement with Trilogy Real Estate Tiffin, LLC (Ordinance 2026-37) received a second reading.
The public hearing on the 2027 tax budget (Ordinance 2026-41) drew no comment, and that ordinance also received its second reading. Council gave a first reading to Ordinance 2026-43, a tax-increment financing measure that would declare improvements to a parcel a public purpose, exempt them from taxation and require the owner to make service payments in lieu of taxes under state law. Council then voted 7-0, again suspending the three-reading rule, to pass Ordinance 2026-44, a budget amendment appropriating two donations — $150 to the Police Department and $40 to Parks and Recreation.
New legislation referred to committee
Three of Mayor Lee Wilkinson’s requests for legislation were referred to committee: traffic and pedestrian signal improvements at Teakwood Drive and West Market Street (to Streets, Sidewalks & Sewers); a repeal of the Fire/Rescue residency requirement under Codified Ordinance 143.07 (to Personnel & Labor Relations); and authorization to seek bids and enter a construction contract for the Shawhan Avenue and Second Avenue sewer replacement project (to Streets, Sidewalks & Sewers). The city announced this month that it had received a $150,000 Ohio Public Works Commission grant toward that sewer replacement.
Hays announced a Streets, Sidewalks & Sewers Committee meeting Monday, June 22, at 5:15 p.m. in Council Chambers to discuss the signal and sewer-contract measures, with a Personnel & Labor Relations Committee meeting on the residency-requirement repeal to follow immediately after.
Finance and other business
Finance Director Jill Lindhorst reported that May 2026 income tax receipts totaled about $1.06 million, an increase of roughly $119,809 over May 2025, though year-to-date receipts are down 3.14%. She put the general fund balance at about $5.34 million and the unexpended balance across all funds at about $45.8 million. Council accepted the report and bank reconciliation.
Law Director Zachary Fowler said his office has hired a summer legal intern, Colton Price, for a position council had previously funded, and briefed council on a new state confidentiality law affecting applications for financial assistance such as Community Reinvestment Area agreements; he said the General Assembly has since narrowed the provision to cover only payroll and individualized compensation information.
Wilkinson noted an informational meeting on a Community Development Block Grant downtown revitalization program set for Wednesday, June 17, at 6:30 p.m., and reminded residents that this week is Rumpke bulk-pickup week, with collection limited to five bulk items per household. He also said crews on the North Sandusky Street project planned to pave the northbound lanes, weather permitting, before beginning the next phase at the Six Corners intersection.
A $27 million overhaul of Tiffin’s wastewater treatment plant is headed to construction within months, City Council learned Monday. In a separate appeal during the same meeting, a local youth sports leader pressed council to pursue a dedicated athletic complex that officials say the city cannot yet afford to build. Over a roughly 80 minute session, council also held a public hearing on the 2027 tax budget that drew no public comment, passed a utility easement on an emergency basis, advanced a tax increment financing measure, and referred new traffic signal and sewer replacement legislation to committee. All seven council members were present, and Council President Bridget Boyle presided. $27 million wastewater plant upgrade Water Pollution Control Center Superintendent Kevin Hughes briefed council on the next major phase of the plant’s long term upgrades: a high rate treatment system that will sharply increase how much flow the city can treat during heavy rain. Hughes said the project carries a price tag of about $27 million, that the construction bid was recently awarded to Adena, and that work is expected to begin in the next couple of months, with the system set to be online by July 2028. The system, a cloth media filtration technology marketed as AquaStorm, will treat up to 32 million gallons a day, Hughes said. Combined with the existing plant, that would let the city treat up to 45 million gallons a day during consecutive rain events. Hughes tied the work to the city’s long term control plan, which aims to limit combined sewer overflows — events that send untreated sewage into the Sandusky River — to no more than four per year. A 2021 upgrade had already raised the plant’s capacity from 4 million to 13 million gallons. Background on the plant’s history is available on the city’s Water Pollution Control page. Hughes also told council the city has signed a contract with Voltus, a “virtual power plant” operator that pays large energy users to cut electricity demand during grid stress by running their own generators. He said the arrangement pays the city $12,000 a year plus $1,425 an hour during curtailment events, and took effect June 1. A push for a youth sports complex During oral communications, Curt Mellott, president of the Tiffin Big Sticks little league and the Tiffin Honor Games, urged council to keep pursuing a dedicated youth athletic complex, saying local fields can no longer keep pace with demand. Mellott said the Big Sticks program has grown from 58 players in 2015 to 285 children across 22 teams this year, and that the organization expects about 180 games this season at Hedges Boyer Park, Oakley Park and the Columbian softball field, plus 60 to 75 practice slots a week. He said the Tiffin Honor Games — a 501(c)(3) that raises money for military veterans — grew from 10 teams in 2025 to 39 this year, raised about $17,000 last year and expects closer to $30,000 in 2026. Citing the city’s athletic complex feasibility study, Mellott said projections included roughly $5 million in annual regional economic impact, about 100 jobs, $150,000 in profit by year four and 35,000 to 40,000 visitors. “Are we going to help our kids? Are we going to help our community financially?” he asked, framing the projections as the study’s findings rather than guarantees. In response, officials pointed to two unresolved obstacles. The Hedges Boyer Park site sits in a floodplain — a concern reinforced by flooding this spring — and a developer that had offered to finance a facility would require the city to carry the cost for the first several years until it became profitable, which officials said the city is not in a position to do. Boyle said she wanted to help find a solution. Parks: July 4 fireworks, pump track, labyrinth Parks and Recreation Director Bryce Kuhn delivered a mid year update. He said the city’s Independence Day fireworks will be relocated within Hedges Boyer Park — to the football fields on the north side — for a larger show marking the nation’s 250th anniversary, with the area near the YMCA closed for safety. July 4 falls on a Saturday this year. Kuhn said the new pump track at Hedges Boyer Park now has about $257,000 behind it — $100,000 council appropriated in 2025 plus roughly $157,000 raised from foundations, agencies and businesses — with construction expected to begin in late July and a completion target of mid September. He said a 44 foot diameter labyrinth will be dedicated Saturday, Aug. 15, at 10 a.m., and described a separate donor funded project, called South Point, that will overlook the wetlands; Kuhn credited private donor John Egbert. Easements, tax budget and TIF Council voted 7 0 to suspend its three reading rule and pass Ordinance 2026 38 as an emergency, authorizing a sanitary and stormwater sewer easement with the Seneca Industrial & Economic Development Corp. Councilmember John Hays said the emergency was needed to align with the timeline for a pending property sale so the easements are in place before ownership changes. A related easement with Trilogy Real Estate Tiffin, LLC (Ordinance 2026 37) received a second reading. The public hearing on the 2027 tax budget (Ordinance 2026 41) drew no comment, and that ordinance also received its second reading. Council gave a first reading to Ordinance 2026 43, a tax increment financing measure that would declare improvements to a parcel a public purpose, exempt them from taxation and require the owner to make service payments in lieu of taxes under state law. Council then voted 7 0, again suspending the three reading rule, to pass Ordinance 2026 44, a budget amendment appropriating two donations — $150 to the Police Department and $40 to Parks and Recreation. New legislation referred to committee Three of Mayor Lee Wilkinson’s requests for legislation were referred to committee: traffic and pedestrian signal improvements at Teakwood Drive and West Market Street (to Streets, Sidewalks & Sewers); a repeal of the Fire/Rescue residency requirement under Codified Ordinance 143.07 (to Personnel & Labor Relations); and authorization to seek bids and enter a construction contract for the Shawhan Avenue and Second Avenue sewer replacement project (to Streets, Sidewalks & Sewers). The city announced this month that it had received a $150,000 Ohio Public Works Commission grant toward that sewer replacement. Hays announced a Streets, Sidewalks & Sewers Committee meeting Monday, June 22, at 5:15 p.m. in Council Chambers to discuss the signal and sewer contract measures, with a Personnel & Labor Relations Committee meeting on the residency requirement repeal to follow immediately after. Finance and other business Finance Director Jill Lindhorst reported that May 2026 income tax receipts totaled about $1.06 million, an increase of roughly $119,809 over May 2025, though year to date receipts are down 3.14%. She put the general fund balance at about $5.34 million and the unexpended balance across all funds at about $45.8 million. Council accepted the report and bank reconciliation. Law Director Zachary Fowler said his office has hired a summer legal intern, Colton Price, for a position council had previously funded, and briefed council on a new state confidentiality law affecting applications for financial assistance such as Community Reinvestment Area agreements; he said the General Assembly has since narrowed the provision to cover only payroll and individualized compensation information. Wilkinson noted an informational meeting on a Community Development Block Grant downtown revitalization program set for Wednesday, June 17, at 6:30 p.m., and reminded residents that this week is Rumpke bulk pickup week, with collection limited to five bulk items per household. He also said crews on the North Sandusky Street project planned to pave the northbound lanes, weather permitting, before beginning the next phase at the Six Corners intersection.
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