At the Feb. 2 meeting of Sylvania City Council, members approved several recommendations from Service Director Joe Shaw related to upcoming infrastructure and equipment projects.

Council President Mary Westphal reported that following a discussion, members of the Finance Committee agreed upon adding the Rite Aid property at Centennial Road and Sylvania- Metamora Road, the Summerplace neighborhood and the Church 321 plaza as potential new Community Reinvestment Areas (CRA). She noted the schools will be made financially whole with this new CRA. There was was no opposition to adding a new CRA.

Council accepted the $530,158.25 bid from Helms and Sons for resurfacing Convent Boulevard from Whispering Oak Drive to the railroad tracks, and Little Road between Palisades Drive and Erie Street. The Ohio Public Works Commission will fund 27.1 percent of the cost, or $143,673.

Council members also approved Shaw’s recommendation to accept American Structurepoint’s $100,073 bid for construction management services for the pedestrian hybrid beacon project serving Highland and Sylvan elementary schools, McCord Junior High School, and Southview High School.

In addition, members approved Shaw’s recommendation to accept the $25,900 proposal from Feller Finch & Associates to provide professional surveying and engineering services for the Monroe Street repaving project from Main Street to Harroun Road.

Council approved a $28,965 proposal from Utility Technologies LLC for new utility tracer and leak detection equipment for the city’s water division.

Shaw reported that the Lucas County Sanitary Engineer notified the city in late November 2025 of invoicing oversights on their behalf for ongoing repairs from 2020 through 2025 at the Lucas County Water Resources Recovery Facility and associated upstream piping. The city of Sylvania’s share of those repairs totals $407,803.92. This expense was not included in the 2026 budget, and to help offset this expense Shaw recommended deferring budgeted expenses for a new jet truck and plow truck in the Sewer Division to 2027. Council approved the payment and Shaw will look to include the jet truck and plow truck in the 2027 budgeting process

Shaw was also authorized to begin the solicitation for letters of intent for design engineering services for the Monroe Street waterline improvement project from Silvertown Drive to Whiteford Road.

In other business, Sylvania Schools administrators received permission to hang a banner across Main Street in downtown Sylvania, congratulating the Class of 2026 graduates.

The mayor and finance director were authorized to enter into agreements with Archer Energy to provide natural gas and with Dynegy to provide electricity to residents and small commercial customers.

Human Resources Manager Laura Smith’s recommendation to accept a proposal from WellSpring to provide professional human resources support and consulting services was also approved.

A proposed Sylvania Resource Conservation and Equal Access Ordinance, introduced by Councilman Doug Haynam, was not added to the agenda for a first reading but will be discussed during a Committee of the Whole meeting scheduled for 6 pm, Feb. 17, before the next council meeting. According to Haynam, the bill would limit the use of city resources for federal immigration enforcement.

“It is important for the city to spend its resources on the needs of citizens for services such as plowing snow, collecting leaves, and repairing roads,” he said.