FOSTORIA Residents Upset Over Loophole Storm Wastewater Fees Implemented Without Their Consent

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In the heart of Fostoria, Ohio, a storm is brewing among residents who are suddenly facing storm wastewater fees on their utility bills. What’s stirring the controversy?

The City of Fostoria’s alleged use of a legal loophole, possibly inspired by a Supreme Court case, to bypass the need for voter approval in charging residents for storm wastewater management. As tensions rise and questions mount, it’s crucial to delve into the details of this contentious issue and its impact on community trust and democratic processes.

The Controversial Practice:

Residents in Fostoria have been taken aback by the appearance of storm wastewater fees on their bills, seemingly out of the blue. These fees, aimed at funding stormwater management initiatives, have stirred confusion and frustration among homeowners. What’s particularly concerning is the suspicion that city officials may have exploited a legal loophole, similar to a recent Supreme Court case, to circumvent the democratic process and impose fees without residents’ consent.

The Impact on Residents:

Beyond the financial burden, the imposition of storm wastewater fees has shaken residents’ confidence in local governance. By implementing fees without voter approval or meaningful community input, city officials have left residents feeling marginalized and disempowered. Moreover, the lack of transparency regarding the purpose and allocation of these fees has deepened residents’ skepticism and fueled concerns about government accountability.

The Use of Legal Precedent:

Interestingly, the City of Fostoria may be leveraging a recent Supreme Court case, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer Dist. v. Bath Twp., to justify its actions. In this case, the court ruled in favor of a regional sewer district’s authority to establish stormwater management programs and charge fees, despite challenges from local entities and landowners. Fostoria’s officials may be citing this ruling as legal precedent to defend their decision to implement storm wastewater fees without voter approval.

The Call for Transparency and Accountability:

In the face of mounting discontent, residents are demanding greater transparency and accountability from city officials. They’re calling for a thorough review of the legal basis for the storm wastewater fees and an explanation of how the Supreme Court case is being interpreted and applied. Additionally, residents are advocating for increased civic engagement and community involvement in local decision-making processes to ensure that their voices are heard and respected.

Moving Forward:

As Fostoria navigates this storm of discontent, it faces a critical test of its commitment to democratic principles and civic engagement. City officials must heed the concerns of residents, engage in open dialogue, and take concrete steps to restore trust and accountability in local governance. By upholding transparency, respecting democratic processes, and actively involving residents in decision-making, Fostoria can pave the way for a more inclusive and responsive community.

Antitrust Laws: Understanding Their Significance and Who Can File a Lawsuit

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In the realm of business and commerce, maintaining fair competition is paramount to fostering innovation, ensuring consumer choice, and driving economic growth. Antitrust laws play a crucial role in safeguarding competitive markets by prohibiting anti-competitive practices and promoting a level playing field for businesses. Understanding the fundamentals of antitrust laws and who has the authority to enforce them is essential for protecting the integrity of our market economy.

What Are Antitrust Laws?

Antitrust laws, also known as competition laws, are regulations enacted by governments to prevent anti-competitive behavior and promote fair competition in the marketplace. These laws aim to protect consumers from practices such as monopolies, price-fixing, and unfair business practices that can harm competition and limit consumer choice. Antitrust laws vary by country but generally serve similar purposes and principles.

Key Components of Antitrust Laws:

  1. Preventing Monopolies: Antitrust laws prohibit companies from dominating or controlling a market to the extent that competition is significantly reduced or eliminated. Monopolies can harm consumers by restricting choice and allowing companies to set prices without fear of competition.
  2. Prohibiting Price Fixing and Collusion: Antitrust laws prohibit agreements among competitors to fix prices, allocate markets, or rig bids. These practices harm consumers by artificially inflating prices and reducing competition.
  3. Regulating Mergers and Acquisitions: Antitrust laws regulate mergers and acquisitions to prevent companies from becoming too large or powerful. Authorities assess whether proposed mergers would harm competition and may require companies to divest certain assets or make other concessions to address anti-competitive concerns.
  4. Preventing Predatory Practices: Antitrust laws prohibit predatory pricing, where a company deliberately sets prices below cost to drive competitors out of the market. This practice harms consumers in the long run by reducing competition and allowing the predatory firm to raise prices once competitors are eliminated.

Who Can File a Lawsuit?

While government agencies such as the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are primarily responsible for enforcing antitrust laws, private individuals and businesses also have the right to file lawsuits to enforce these laws. Here’s who can typically file a lawsuit:

  1. Consumers: Individuals who have been harmed by anti-competitive behavior, such as overcharges or restricted choices, may file a lawsuit seeking damages or other remedies.
  2. Competitors: Businesses that have suffered economic harm as a result of anti-competitive conduct, such as price-fixing or monopolization, may file a lawsuit to seek compensation for their losses.
  3. Class Actions: Private antitrust lawsuits may be brought as class actions on behalf of a group of individuals or businesses that have been similarly harmed by anti-competitive behavior. Class actions allow plaintiffs to pool their resources and share the costs and risks of litigation.

Conclusion: Antitrust laws are essential for promoting fair competition, protecting consumers, and fostering economic growth. By understanding the fundamentals of antitrust laws and who has the authority to enforce them, individuals and businesses can play a role in ensuring that markets remain competitive and vibrant. Whether it’s a consumer seeking redress for overcharges or a competitor challenging anti-competitive conduct, the ability to file a lawsuit is a powerful tool in upholding the principles of fair competition and consumer welfare.

Health & Environmental Risks Caused by Landfills Leaching Gasses Above EPA Limits

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If a landfill is leaching gases into the air above EPA maximum levels, this situation poses significant health and environmental risks. Landfills emit a variety of gases, primarily methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), along with a mixture of other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and potentially hazardous air pollutants. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, while VOCs and other emissions can have various health and environmental impacts. The risk levels associated with these emissions exceeding EPA standards include:

Health Risks

  1. Respiratory Problems: Exposure to certain landfill gases, especially VOCs, can cause or exacerbate respiratory issues such as asthma, bronchitis, and other chronic respiratory diseases.
  2. Neurological Effects: Some VOCs and hazardous air pollutants have been linked to neurological effects, including headaches, dizziness, and, in extreme cases, long-term cognitive impairments.
  3. Cancer Risk: Prolonged exposure to certain chemicals, such as benzene and vinyl chloride, which can be present in landfill gases, has been associated with an increased risk of cancer.
  4. Developmental Issues: Exposure to high levels of certain pollutants can affect fetal development and may lead to birth defects or developmental delays in children.
  5. Skin and Eye Irritation: Direct contact with or exposure to high concentrations of landfill gases can cause skin and eye irritation.

Environmental Risks

  1. Climate Change: Methane is a greenhouse gas with a global warming potential more than 25 times greater than that of carbon dioxide over a 100-year period. Excessive methane emissions contribute significantly to climate change.
  2. Air Quality Degradation: The release of VOCs and other pollutants can contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone and particulate matter, which are key components of smog and poor air quality.
  3. Vegetation Damage: Certain gases and chemicals can be toxic to plants, leading to vegetation damage or reduced crop yields.
  4. Wildlife Health: Wildlife can be affected by the same health risks as humans due to exposure to high levels of landfill gases, potentially leading to population declines or disruption of local ecosystems.
  5. Ozone Layer Impact: Some landfill gases, particularly those that are chlorinated or fluorinated, can contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer if they reach the upper atmosphere.

Risk Management and Mitigation

Managing and mitigating these risks involves several strategies, including:

  • Improved Gas Collection: Enhancing the efficiency of landfill gas collection systems to capture and either flare or utilize the gas before it is released into the atmosphere.
  • Regular Monitoring: Conducting regular monitoring of gas emissions to ensure they remain within safe and regulatory compliant levels.
  • Use of Gas as a Resource: Capturing landfill gas to use as an energy source, thus reducing the reliance on fossil fuels and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Public Health Measures: Implementing public health measures and providing information to nearby residents about potential risks and precautions.

Compliance with EPA standards is crucial for minimizing these risks. The EPA provides guidelines and regulations specifically designed to manage landfill emissions effectively, protecting both human health and the environment.

Fostoria water complaints surge again -water table pollution?, pumping from Res. #4 reveals a submerged SUV

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Epsteines List of Associates RELEASED! The Full 943 Page Epsteine Documents

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94 Acres of Farmland to be Destroyed in Hancock County, OH. – Farmer Pushback Nowhere to be Found

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WASHING TOWNSHIP, OH: WinWaste / Sunny Farms Landfill LLC is the current operator of the Seneca County Industrial Waste Depository south of Fostoria. The Company is attempting to purchase 94 acres of farmland in Hancock County, remove 20′ of topsoil and use it to cover out-of-state waste. 7,500tn of waste by railcar from the east coast arrives daily to be injected into the Earth. Some feel instead of destroying our land that Sunny Farms should pay to haul in out-of-state dirt and leave our farmland alone.

Below is the video of the recent township meeting regarding this matter.

 

2023 | MTD YTD Revenue Reports | The City of Fostoria |

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2023 | MTD YTD Revenue Reports | The City of Fostoria

MTD YTD Revenue Reports, often referred to as “Month-to-Date (MTD) Year-to-Date (YTD) Revenue Reports,” are financial documents that provide a detailed breakdown of an organization’s revenue (income) for the current month and the year-to-date period. These reports are widely used in business and financial management to track and analyze an entity’s revenue performance. Here’s what they typically include:

  1. Monthly Revenue (MTD): This section of the report shows the total revenue earned during the current month. It may further break down revenue sources, such as sales, services, or product categories, to provide insights into which areas are contributing the most to the current month’s revenue.
  2. Year-to-Date Revenue (YTD): This part of the report summarizes the total revenue accumulated from the beginning of the fiscal year up to the current date. It includes all revenue sources, providing a year-to-date perspective on income.
  3. Comparison to Prior Periods: MTD YTD Revenue Reports often include a comparison of the current month and year-to-date revenue figures to the same period in the previous year or other relevant periods. This helps assess growth or decline in revenue over time.
  4. Revenue Sources: The report may provide a breakdown of revenue by sources, such as product lines, services, geographic regions, or customer segments. This breakdown can be essential for identifying areas of strength or weakness in the revenue stream.
  5. Trends and Analysis: These reports may include commentary and analysis on the factors influencing revenue performance, highlighting significant events, trends, or changes in the revenue stream.

MTD YTD Revenue Reports are valuable for various purposes, including financial planning, performance evaluation, and decision-making. They help organizations keep track of their financial health, make adjustments to their revenue-generating strategies, and set targets for future revenue growth. These reports are commonly used in businesses, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies to monitor financial performance.

MTDYTDRevenueReport.Oct

MTDYTDRevenueReport-8.Sept

MTDYTDRevenueReport-7.Aug

MTDYTDRevenueReport-6.Jul

MTDYTDRevenueReport-5.Jun

MTDYTDRevenueReport-4.May

MTDYTDRevenueReport-3.Apr

MTDYTDRevenueReport-2.Mar

MTDYTDRevenueReport-1.Feb

MTDYTDRevenueReport-9.Jan

UAW-CAP Council Endorsed the Following Fostoria Candidates: Elliott Shaffer, Brandon Hall, & Robert Podach

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The Following Candidates that Fostoria Area UAW-CAP Council are endorsing:

Local Area:

 

Wood County:

Jan Materni – Perrysburg City Council

Buddy Ritson – Lake Township Trustee

Joseph DeMare – Bowling Green Mayor

Jeffery Dennis – Bowling Green Council-At-Large

 

Seneca County:

Elliott Shaffer – Fostoria Mayor

Braden Hall – Fostoria Council-at-Large

Robert Podach – Fostoria Council-at-Large

Lee Wilkinson – Tiffin Mayor

Aaron Jones – Tiffin Council Ward 1

Gina Grandillo – Tiffin Director of Law

James Fruth – Tiffin-Fostoria Judge of Municipal Court

Cheyane Thacker – Tiffin Council-at-Large

Nearby City Financials & Council Notes

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Findlay, OH
Recreation Budget YTD

Parks Maintenance Budget YTD

2023.10.17 minutes

2023.10.03 minutes (rev 10-10-23)

Tiffin, OH

9-30-23 P & R budget report (1)

City Council meeting minutes

Q&A With Fmr. Fostoria City Council President | Why Did He Resign?

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October 12th, 2023 7:20PM
Author: JT Tolento | Investigative Journalist

FOSTORIA- Recently resigned Fostoria City Council President Steve Kauffman answered questions today submitted by community members. Kauffman resigned from City Council last month and submitted a letter of resignation effective Sep 30th, 2023. In his letter he briefly mentioned that City Government does not prioritize the best interest of Fostoria Citizens.

Below are (9) questions submitted by community members this week, and Steve’s responses. Steve is married to Heidi Kaffuman, in which Heidi hired Hoover Law Officer and served the City with a litigation hold on March 10th, 2023; 1 day after her early termination.

Q&A

1. During your term from 2016 – 2023 – Do you have any ethical concerns regarding City Government?
 There is a general misunderstanding of open meetings/ “Sunshine” laws regarding what can and cannot be discussed in private conversations, as well as the purpose of the executive session restrictions. I have nothing that I would consider as a major reportable infraction.
2. During the last several months of your term you said that your watched the body stray from their primary function to represent the best interest of Fostoria – Can you elaborate further and give examples of what you witnessed?
The best example of this is the personality conflicts that caused the council to, essentially, remove the finance director. According to all of the emails between Mr. Cassidy and Mr. Mennel, they acknowledge that she was the best we have had in many years, but they did not like her approach. Therefore, they went against the will of the people to move to a hired finance director after the expiration of the term and found what they believed to be a loophole to push her out, colluding behind the scenes to make it happen. They would rather have no one in that role for six months than have to deal with someone they did not like.
 
3. In your resignation letter you mention City Council’s refusal to act – Can you elaborate future, give an example, name specific parties?
I cannot recall a time in the last 12-18 months where the mayor or the safety service director were challenged on any topic. Their word is considered law. I asked for a water update in a meeting in the spring. I was told the issue was fixed, when it was clearly worse than it had been. 
 
4. When citizens speak at council meetings, which members of Council have you witnessed rolling their eyes, or having dismissive behavior?
Not just the council, but there are many examples on video where those in the jury box get very defensive when asked about issues or when it is brought to their attention that no one at the city building can be reached.
5. In your resignation letter, what are some of the evident signs you briefly mention?
I think of three things that would help our citizens feel much better about their taxes being spent well: 
    The ongoing water issues. How many years have we been told that it either cannot be fixed or that “the fix is on the way?” It sure wasn’t like this when I moved here.
    The lack of availability. I received numerous emails about voicemail boxes being full and emails going unanswered. When asked about it at meetings, the reply is always that people should just schedule a meeting. How?
     Where is the splash pad? Money was budgeted in this budget. The mayor said at a meeting it would be open by Memorial day ’23. Was he ever questioned on it by anyone in council?
6. What ever happened to the Covid money that did not get used ? Was it really used for fire and police dept PPE?
To my knowledge it was all used. We didn’t get much. Past that, those answers lie in the finance department.
7. How did the city wind up in financial distress- has anyone been held accountable?
It was that way when I was appointed. I do know that the issues no lie not in money, but in lack of proper procedures and the refusal to follow them. The mayor said in a meeting that every finance director has their own way of doing POs. Not true. There is Ohio law for that.
8. Why can’t we have a transparent city checking account to help prevent future problems?
We can. Heidi was planning that when her term was ended. The mayor opposed it.
9. Who owns the City Lofts? Why is FEDC involved.
I have no knowledge of FEDC. They are not a city entity. I also don’t know who owns the lofts. I would think a property search would show that.