Written by Police Fire and Health Committee
The Police Fire and Health Committee reviewed a federal fire apparatus grant opportunity, progress on the city wide sewer smoke testing program, and upcoming revisions to local mobility device regulations.
Fire Department Tanker Truck Grant
The Fire Department reported that the federal Assistance to Firefighters Grant unexpectedly reopened, creating a short application window that closes on June 23. The department is seeking a new water tanker truck with an estimated cost of $1.2 million. Under the federal 95 to 5 cost share, the city’s contribution would be approximately $50,000.
The department’s current tanker is nearing 20 years of service and will fall into the oldest classification category by the time a replacement arrives. The committee advanced the legislation to full council with an emergency clause to meet the federal deadline.
Regional Sewer Inflow and Infiltration Smoke Testing
Contracted crews continue city wide inflow and infiltration smoke testing to identify structural failures in the sewer system. Non toxic synthetic smoke is pushed through sewer mains to reveal cracks, broken laterals, illegal downspout connections, and cross connections between storm and sanitary lines.
Smoke exiting through a home’s roof vent or chimney flue indicates a properly sealed system. Smoke emerging from the ground, storm grates, or yards signals a defect. Crews mark these locations with pink survey flags and pink paint.
Testing began June 10 and has already covered more than 40,000 linear feet of pipe out of the 110,000 feet scheduled. Both municipal buildings at Heise Pool tested correctly. Crews will pause for 2 weeks at the end of June and return in July for a final 4 week push.
Other Business
The Police Chief will present proposed revisions to regulations governing electronic bikes, motorized scooters, and similar devices at the July committee meeting.
Economic Development and Airport Committee
The committee reviewed the proposed sale of the East Side Fire Station and discussed revisions to quarterly reporting from the Crawford Partnership.
Resale Action for the East Side Fire Station
The city previously attempted to sell the East Side Fire Station in 2024 with a minimum bid of $80,000, equal to 50 percent of its appraised value. No bids were received.
The building remains in deteriorated condition. Although a new roof was installed in 2015, structural settling and water infiltration continue.
Three new inquiries have been received. The committee agreed to re bid the property with a minimum price between $25,000 and $30,000. Proceeds will return to the Fire Department lines of the general fund.
The station currently houses miscellaneous storage and the city’s largest bucket truck. A new storage location will be required before any sale is finalized. The committee advanced the ordinance to full council.
Crawford Partnership Quarterly Reporting Revisions
The committee outlined required changes to future quarterly reports from the Crawford Partnership. The city requested a clearer breakdown of corporate prospects, including early inquiries, due diligence, site visits, commercial real estate negotiations, and project closures.
Reports will also categorize prospects by industry sector and identify infrastructure limitations that cause companies to withdraw. The committee requested that future reports highlight Galion specific activity rather than county wide summaries.
A $2,000 promotional video highlighting recent economic development activity was also discussed.
Finance Committee
The Finance Committee reviewed amended appropriations, wastewater treatment plant engineering requirements tied to ongoing compliance issues, the Peace Lutheran Church structural crisis, and staffing changes in the Auditor’s Office.
Amended Appropriations Ordinance 2026 49
Clay Street Demolition: The original $300,000 appropriation was reduced to $200,000 after competitive bids came in significantly lower. The expected winning bid is between $120,000 and $130,000. The city will front the cost and be reimbursed in full by the Land Bank. The project will remove all trailers, pads, and overgrowth and convert the area to green space by the end of October.
Permissive Tax Paving Advance: The city advanced $100,000 into Fund 203 to allow paving contracts to be signed earlier in the season. The permissive tax generates approximately $200,000 to $220,000 annually, allowing the advance to be repaid as revenue accumulates.
Route 598 Overpass Engineering: The committee authorized a $440,000 engineering appropriation for the railroad overpass redesign. The city previously returned a $6.5 million construction grant after updated estimates exceeded available funding. The state allowed the city to retain the $440,000 engineering portion, which will be reimbursed once design work is completed.
Wastewater Treatment Plant and EPA Mandates
The committee approved $190,000 for the wastewater treatment plant’s architectural and engineering line. Combined with $40,000 already budgeted, this funds the $234,000 No Feasible Alternative study required by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
The study is being mandated because Galion is out of compliance with its NPDES permit and has a multi year pattern of wet weather violations, bypass events, and treatment failures. Prior documentation shows repeated exceedances of hydraulic and biological capacity during storm events, resulting in untreated or partially treated sewage entering the Olentangy River system.
Historical issues include:
High flow bypassing during storms that exceed the plant’s structural 8.5 MGD bypass threshold.
Biological mass collapse events where activated sludge was washed out, leaving the plant unable to meet permit limits.
Chronic inflow and infiltration overwhelming the plant during rain events.
OEPA violation notices issued between 2023 and 2026 for exceedances of ammonia, CBOD, TSS, E coli, and flow limits.
A compliance schedule warning requiring corrective action to avoid escalated enforcement.
The OEPA is requiring the No Feasible Alternative analysis to determine the maximum wet weather volume the plant can biologically treat and to evaluate whether bypasses can be engineered out of the system. Completion of the study is necessary for the city to maintain its NPDES permit and avoid daily administrative penalties. Legislation authorizing the contract will appear on the next council agenda.
The Peace Lutheran Church Structural and Legal Standoff
The Port Authority requested an emergency $75,000 appropriation to remain solvent while addressing the structural crisis at the former Peace Lutheran Church. The request has drawn significant public attention, as the project has become one of the most contentious property issues in the city.
The church, built in 1874 using unfired bricks, suffered major structural failures after windstorms in 2024. The property was transferred to the Port Authority after the parish dissolved. A proposed $185,000 demolition of the tower and sanctuary was denied by the Design Review Board, and the Board of Zoning Appeals upheld the denial.
The Port Authority spent $175,000 removing the top 20 feet of the tower. A $100,000 insurance settlement was exhausted, and contractors are unwilling to attach a roof cap due to the fragility of the remaining brick. Monthly overhead is approximately $2,200, and the Port Authority’s only significant land asset, the Renchville property, lacks infrastructure and has not attracted a master developer.
Community Response and Public Concerns
The request for $75,000 in city funds has generated substantial public debate. Many residents have expressed concern that the project has become an open ended financial liability with no clear path to resolution.
Some citizens argue that the Port Authority should not receive additional public funding until a full accounting of past decisions is provided. Others question why the Port Authority accepted the property without securing the financial capacity to stabilize or demolish it.
A recurring concern is the possibility that the city will ultimately inherit the property and its liabilities. Residents note that if the Port Authority becomes insolvent, the entire structure, including all demolition or restoration costs, would fall directly onto the city’s general fund.
Some residents have also questioned the fairness of using city tax dollars to support a project originating from a private religious institution, particularly when the building’s condition has worsened under Port Authority ownership.
A smaller group of residents has expressed interest in preserving the remaining structure if feasible, citing historical significance. However, even preservation advocates acknowledge concerns about cost, structural viability, and the absence of a financially capable redevelopment partner.
Legislative Action
The committee advanced the $75,000 ordinance to full council for a first reading on June 23. Additional structural assessments and financial disclosures are expected to be reviewed before any final decision.
Additional Reporting: MarionWatch.com Investigates and Galion City Watch File Extensive Public Records Request
MarionWatch.com Investigates and Galion City Watch have jointly submitted a comprehensive public records request to the City of Galion seeking documentation related to critical infrastructure, regulatory compliance, and utility system management. The request was filed under Ohio Revised Code 149.43 and spans multiple departments, including water, wastewater, stormwater, finance, and administrative operations.
The request follows ongoing reporting on system failures, bypass events, regulatory violations, and operational concerns raised by current and former utility personnel. The documents sought are intended to clarify the city’s handling of wastewater treatment, sludge disposal, hydraulic overloading, meter accuracy, water loss, valve maintenance, staffing levels, and financial transfers involving utility funds.
Category 1: Critical Infrastructure Failures and Regulatory Mandates
Requested records include the operational status of the city’s 2 wastewater digesters and any directives, logs, or correspondence involving the dumping of lime sludge or water plant residuals into the sanitary sewer system or directly to the wastewater treatment plant.
The request seeks documentation of drying bed utilization, the availability of sludge hauling equipment and personnel, and records showing how sludge has been managed without overloading the wastewater treatment process.
Additional records requested include documentation of hydraulic exceedances of the permitted 2.7 MGD average design flow limit over the last 24 months, and all wet weather bypass logs. The request also seeks the fully executed contract with the engineering consultant retained on or about January 29, 2025 to perform the No Feasible Alternative analysis, along with any draft or completed portions of that evaluation.
The request asks for the current status of the NFA analysis, the number of bypass events at unauthorized internal bypass locations since April 1, 2023, and all semi annual wastewater progress reports required to be submitted to the Ohio EPA under the November 2025 Director’s Final Findings and Orders.
Category 2: Resource Loss, Distribution Maintenance, and System Accountability
The request seeks all main line valve turning logs, valve exercise records, and any documentation of an AWWA compliant valve maintenance program. It specifically asks for the total number of valves turned in 2024, 2025, and year to date in 2026.
Additional records requested include unaccounted for water calculations, water loss reports, meter age logs, and the date of the last system wide meter replacement program.
The request also asks the city to confirm whether an engineering estimate of approximately $40,000,000 for full replacement of Galion’s water, wastewater, and storm systems was produced by a specific engineering firm, and to identify that firm and provide related reports or correspondence.
Category 3: Plant Safety and Operational Standards
Requested documents include electrical maintenance logs, safety inspection records, and any internal incident reports regarding bypassed safety switches, disabled interlocks, or lockout or tagout compliance failures at the water or wastewater treatment plants over the last 24 months.
The request also seeks staffing rosters, daily sign in logs, vacancy reports, and job descriptions for the water and wastewater departments from 2020 to 2026, alongside the sections of the Operation and Maintenance manuals that establish mandatory staffing requirements.
Category 4: Financial and Boundary Practices
The request asks for all financial transfer records, ledger entries, and authorizing ordinances or resolutions from 2014 to 2026 involving Water or Sewer Funds being transferred into non utility accounts.
It also seeks all ordinances, resolutions, directives, engineering analyses, or cost recovery studies regarding water and sewer tap fees, development subsidies, and annexation exceptions.
In addition, the request asks for a complete list of service addresses for all properties located outside city limits that are actively connected to city utilities.
Category 5: Additional Compliance and Infrastructure Documentation
The request includes wastewater plant Monthly Operating Reports, inflow and infiltration studies, and wet weather bypass event logs from 2020 to 2026.
It seeks all NFA and consultant records, including the contract and any draft or completed portions of the No Feasible Alternative analysis, and all semi annual progress reports required under the November 2025 Director’s Final Findings and Orders.
Additional items requested include all correspondence, emails, and meeting minutes between city officials and Ohio EPA staff regarding NPDES permit compliance milestones, missed deadlines, Notices of Violation, and the November 2025 Orders.
The request also covers water loss and distribution logs, meter replacement schedules, and all engineering reports, facility evaluations, and contracts related to the estimated $40,000,000 infrastructure replacement projection.
Finally, the request seeks electrical safety inspection records, staffing documentation, tap fee and annexation records, and non annexed property logs.
Purpose of the Request
The records request is intended to verify operational claims, clarify regulatory obligations, and provide transparency regarding the city’s handling of critical infrastructure and utility systems. The request notes that partial responses are acceptable and asks the city to identify any statutory exemptions if records are withheld or redacted, as required by Ohio Revised Code 149.43.
