Recognizing the importance of a healthy Lake Erie, the Lucas County commissioners are taking their case to the top, seeking assistance from U.S. President Joe Biden.
At the March 16 meeting, the commissioners passed a resolution urging the President to sign an executive order enacting federal oversight of a phosphorous reduction plan for the lake. That plan prioritizes collaboration among state and local governments and includes tools to ensure accountability.
“It’s vital the country realize what a resource we have in the Great Lakes,” Commissioner Gary Byers said. He noted that climate change has been impacting Lake Erie with increasing waves dredging up water that lacks oxygen and nutrients, effecting fish survival.
“We must understand and appreciate it,” he said of the lake reiterating, “it is our most important resource.”
In the resolution, the commissioners point out that Lake Erie is the “12th largest freshwater body in the world” and is the “warmest and most biologically productive body of water of all the Great Lakes.”
They noted its importance as the most productive walleye fishery in the world and that more than 11 million people rely on Lake Erie for clean, safe drinking water.
The commissioners are worried about the increasing harmful algal blooms that form each summer in the lake, infiltrating the water system and causing an estimated loss of $123 million loss to local economies.
“It impacts the sport and commercial fishing industry, recreation and Lake Erie tourism through beach and water quality advisories, and communities must pay extra to treat drinking water with chemicals to remove toxins,” they wrote.
The commissioners remind President Biden that in the 1960s, Lake Erie was declared dead by new media due to pollutants from the businesses dumping into the lake’s tributaries.
It wasn’t until the Cuyahoga River caught fire in 1969 that Congress took notice, subsequently passing the Clean Water Act in 1972.
The law led to restoration of the lake in the 1970s and 1980s and the recovery was seen as a “globally-known success story.”
However, since the 1990s, nutrient loading has caused the algae to reappear in the lake, and in the early 2000s the blooms increased substantially, they noted.
Commissioner Tina Skeldon Wozniak said the county is asking the President to sign an executive order similar to one former President Barack Obama enacted in 2009 for the Chesapeake Bay.
They point out as a result of that order, the bay has seen a reduction in nutrient run-off in the watershed, improved water quality and biodiversity and thriving tourism and fisheries.
“An executive order of this kind for Lake Erie could be beneficial in achieving the 40 percent phosphorous reduction the lake needs to prevent toxic algae from plaguing it every summer,” they concluded.
Other Business
In other business, the commissioners:
•Renewed a software maintenance agreement with Tyler Technologies of Dallas, Texas, for $335,630.
•Awarded the county bridge repair program for 2021 to Bridge Specialists Inc. of Canfield for $237,588, which is below the engineer’s estimate of $315,000. The commissioners also awarded the annual resurfacing project to Gerken Paving Inc. of Napoleon for $2.36 million.
•Authorized the county engineer to apply for an H2Ohio program grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for the Ford Ditch drainage improvement project. They are seeking $450,000 for the two-stage channel and restoration work.
•Approved a joint cooperation agreement with Monclova Township for the Salisbury and Holloway roads roundabout project. Estimated cost for the roundabout is $1.38 million, of which $932,105 will be provided through the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments.
•Entered into an agreement with Bergmann Architectural Associates Inc. of Toledo for architectural and design consulting services at a cost of $26,800. The firm will conduct a facility assessment of the Lucas County Canine Care and Control building, 1301 Monroe Street, Toledo.
“The assessment will help us with determining the best use of the building moving forward,” explained Ms. Skeldon Wozniak.
In a related matter, the board also contracted with Rudolph Libbe Inc. of Walbridge to serve as construction manager at risk. The company will determine the feasibility of developing a new canine care and control facility at the Monroe Street site.
•Renewed with the Hylant Group one-year auto liability coverage for $268,081 and medical professional liability, $99,650. The policies expire April 1, 2022.
•Approved an agreement with Suburban Girls Softball for management of softball and baseball fields and related premises at the Lucas County Rec Center for 2021.
“We’re happy to partner with them on this,” said Jessica Ford, deputy administrator. She noted they have done a “wonderful job” in the past.
•Appointed Jack Jolley to the Toledo-Lucas County plan commission for a threeyear term starting April 1 and expiring March 31, 2024.
•Approved an agreement with Jones & Henry Ltd. of Toledo to update the sanitary sewer use regulations at a cost of $20,510.
•Appointed Lauren Notestine and Charletta Slaughter as at-large representatives to the Toledo/Lucas County Commission on Disabilities. Their terms run from March 1, 2021 to February 28, 2023.
•Amended the policy regarding COVID-19 sick leave following an executive session. The board modified the policy to include limited paid leave for county employees with vaccine appointments.
They also adjusted the table of organization for the facilities department to reflect the creation of a property and lease manager and property coordinator for the rec center.
