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Liquor permit approved for Chipotle Grill By Kelly J. Kaczala News Editor kkaczala@presspublications.com
Fall fishing Steve Hoffman, of Fremont, glides his boat down a marshy area of Maumee Bay State Park in search of Large Mouth Bass. Hoffman was checking which lures work best in preparation for a fishing tournament he was planning to attend. (Press photo by Ken Grosjean)
Toussaint project cost less than estimate By Press Staff Writer Final costs for the Toussaint Creek improvement project are $235,127 less than the original estimate, according to figures from the project’s joint board of supervisors. Bills have been mailed to 5,102 parcel owners in Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood counties, said Mike Libben, program administrator for the Ottawa Soil and Water Conservation District. The project cost $622,484 and was completed in June. The estimated cost was $857,127. Libben said property tax assessments unpaid after Nov. 14 will be certified with county auditors and placed on the property tax duplicates for 10 equal collections with 3 percent interest. The assessments will be paid semi-annually for five years. A first-year maintenance assessment of 10 percent of the base assessment will be collected during the next tax period, he said. Property owners who pre-paid for their share of the project can expect a refund from their respective counties. The project began in October 2014 with a petition filed with the Wood Soil and Water Conservation District. About 34 miles of the Toussaint cuts through the three counties and the creek’s watershed covers more than 47,000 acres. Technicians from soil and water conserva-
Log jams like these were cleared during the improvementproject. (Photo courtesy of Ottawa SWCD) tion districts in the three counties walked that stretch of the creek during the winter of 2014-15 and identified more than 200 log jams and about 6,000 dead and leaning trees. After the formation of a joint board of supervisors from the three counties, the Ottawa Soil and Water Conservation
District was tasked as the lead organization for implementing the petition process. The Ottawa SWCD then made final revisions to the assessments and included any parcel change information. D&M Earthmoving, Wakeman, O., was awarded the contract, having submitted the lowest of 11 bids for the project.
Oregon City Council last week approved a liquor permit for Chipotle Mexican Grill, which plans to open this year at 2924 Navarre Avenue. The restaurant is currently renovating the building, previously a Frisch’s Big Boy Restaurant at the intersection of Navarre Avenue and Harbor Drive. The liquor permit had previously been reviewed by the city’s building and zoning department, the finance director, the tax commissioner, and the police and fire chiefs. None found reasons to object to the liquor permit request. Two building permits for the restaurant have also been approved by the city. The popular franchise will be the first in Northwest Ohio to have a drive through window. Council also approved a liquor permit for the Dollar General Store, 2450 Woodville Road, and the transfer of a liquor permit for Big Apple Deli, 2130 Woodville Road. Also at the meeting, council: •Entered into an agreement with O’Reilly Auto Enterprises, LLC, for the acquisition of a perpetual waterline easement at 3171 Navarre Avenue for the Navarre Avenue Waterline Replacement Project. The city and O’Reilly agreed to a purchase price of $4,893 for the easement. “We may have one more beyond this, and we’ll have all of the easements for that project,” said Public Service Director Paul Roman. The project won’t start until next summer, when the Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) funding will become available to the city, he added. •Authorized the renewal of the Ohio Plan Insurance Pool coverage administered by the Hylant Group, of Toledo, for property and liability insurance coverage in a premium amount of $214,618. The city’s liability insurance has been covered by the Ohio Plan since 2004. The city requested proposals and again chose the Ohio Plan in Continued on page 4
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