At the May 24 meeting, the Lucas County Commissioners approved an amendment to an agreement with the Toledo Mud Hens baseball club for the use and operation of Fifth Third Field.
In 2001, the commissioners entered into a long-term lease agreement for the Mud Hens to use the field. That agreement was amended three times– 2011, 2012 and 2018.
The current amendment pertains to additional parcels acquired by the ball club and a grant the team secured from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for $1.48 million in 2015.
The funding was used to develop, construct, operate and maintain the sports plaza property adjacent to the ballpark.
With the parcels now developed, the baseball club is seeking to transfer ownership of the parcels in the sports plaza to Lucas County as required under the ballpark lease. Personnel/Board
Personnel/Board Appointments
The commissioners acted on a number of personnel and board appointment matters.
Following a 90 minute executive session, the commissioners approved the hiring of DaVon Featchures and Robert Knight, custodial workers in facilities, $15.13 per hour; Aaron McFall, community engagement manager at Canine Care and Control, $34.62/hr.; Charlana Brown, Latashia Dennis and Pamela Hill, eligibility specialists at the Department of Job and Family Services, $17.51/hr.; Kimela Taylor, administrative assistant, $22.99/hr., and Lindsay Szymczak, senior project liaison, $38.47/hr.
The commissioners approved several board reappointments. Laurie Adams has been reappointed to the access management appeals board. Her four-year term begins July 1 and runs through June 30, 2026.
Eight people were reappointed to the county’s citizens levy review committee. They are Jesus Salas, public sector; Mark Wilson, labor; Paula Ross, senior citizen community; Jim Lindsay, business; Jewell Lightner, fiscal/accounting, and at large members Thomas Susor, Andrea Price and Sarah Skow. Their four-year terms began June 1 and run through May 31, 2026.
Other Business
In other business, the commissioners:
•Awarded Miller Brothers Construction of Archbold the Angola and King roads roundabout and widening project in Springfield Township at a cost of $1.7 million.
•Amended the table of organization and chart of positions with specific compensation changes for the department of emergency services.
•Authorized a change order with Hank’s Plumbing and Heating Co. for the Heldman Ditch drainage improvement project at a cost of $126,686. Unanticipated changes necessitated additional conduit.
•Approved a plan of finance for the issuance of up to $5 million Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority Development revenue bonds. The bonds for the Toledo School for the Arts would be used to acquire, construct, furnish and improve the school’s 90,000-square-foot building.
•Authorized the sheriff’s office to seek bids for the purchase of five Jeep Grand Cherokees at a cost not-to-exceed $210,000.
•Extended through June 30 an agreement with Republic Services for refuse collection services.
•Entered into an agreement with the Salvation Army of Northwest Ohio for the purchase and distribution of student backpack kits. The Department of Job and Family Services will purchase 2,400 backpack kits at a cost not to exceed $30,000 for students in grades kindergarten through 12.
•Agreed to advertise for bids to refurbish the Juvenile Justice Center showers at 1801 Spielbusch. The cost is estimated at $170,000.
•Accepted the engineer’s filings of surveys, plans, maps and more for the final hearing on the Niles Ditch watershed improvement project and Wilhelm Ditch watershed improvement project in Jerusalem Township.
•Contracted with Seneca and Van Wert counties to provide autopsy services. Each county will pay the Lucas County coroner’s office $1,450 per autopsy and the standard IRS mileage rate.
The next county commissioners meeting will be at 11 a.m., Tuesday, June 7, at the commissioners’ hearing room, first floor, One Government Center, Toledo, and is open to the public.
~Jane Maiolo
