Perrysburg · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Perrysburg public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
City-Township Growth Areas and the 99-Year Agreement
Residents questioned why township land appears in Perrysburg's plan. Officials cited the decades-old 99-year agreement making the west side of I-75 the city's primary growth area, with the east side left to township or voluntary owner-initiated annexation.
E. River Road Rezone to Institutional
The city bought the former Mercy Health building to move municipal services there, but the property's zoning (office/service and single-family residential) doesn't allow that use. Rezoning to 'institutional' fixes that and lets the city comply with its own rules. The Planning Commission unanimously backed it in August.
Park bench donations and Municipal Park sunshades
Sunshades over the baseball field bleachers at Municipal Park are being priced for installation, possibly by the end of 2026 — matching the design already in place elsewhere.
Fall planting and winter pruning plans
Crews recently trimmed 63 trees around Nora Drive and Little Creek Drive, removed 16 stumps, and planted 16 new trees — steady upkeep of the city's street tree canopy.
Tree City USA recertification and Growth Award application
Perrysburg's annual Tree City USA recertification and Growth Award application is due the first week of December. Keeping the designation matters for the city's urban forestry credentials and eligibility for related programs.
Underused parks: Bicentennial and Three Meadows
With the city budget stretched by downtown renovations and the new River Road building, PRAC's 2027 focus is maximizing what Bicentennial and Three Meadows already offer rather than adding new amenities.
Growth of Perrysburg residential subdivisions
The 102-lot single-family, 96 villa-lot, 86 attached-villa PUD near the high school moved forward with final plat approval for its first 31 lots.
Edward Jones storefront improvements at 12855 Eckel Junction Road
Edward Jones wants to update the exterior storefront at its Southpoint Business Park office, and the architectural review committee weighs in on whether the design fits the park's standards. These reviews keep the business park looking consistent but can add a step for property owners before work begins.
Assistant Law Director Position
The 2027 law budget proposes a new assistant law director who would also serve as clerk of council — succession planning and a second attorney for the city. Kuhlman wants outside counsel spending history first and suggested exploring a hybrid prosecutor role.
Research & Development code amendment
New definitions for light and heavy research/testing uses would let R&D businesses locate in Perrysburg without waiting for the full zoning rewrite, with strict buffers keeping heavy testing away from homes. Staff cited interest from a smart-glass firm and Whirlpool.
Senior Utility Discount Program
A proposed discount for residents over 65 or disabled residents with limited incomes was tabled while the committee gathers more details, including whether renters and non-resident rate payers should qualify.
Pedestrian Safety at I-75 Overpass (Route 20)
A resident raised concerns again about pedestrians and cyclists crossing the Route 20 bridge over I-75. Staff will look at signage and grant options; a real fix would likely wait for an ODOT bridge replacement that isn't planned anytime soon.
Rotary Community Park grant pursuit
Rotary raised $140,000 but the $850,000 project needed help: a state beacon grant cut ~$300,000, $200,000 is in the 2027 budget, and a $500,000 Meta grant application is pending.
Animal Control Officer
The Safety Committee will revisit the animal control officer position eliminated years ago at its October 20 meeting — a frequent community request.
Invisible Fence Company Grant
The committee was scheduled to discuss a grant from the Invisible Fence Company. The purpose and value of the grant were not detailed in the published agenda.
Fire Station 38 Renovation
The fire station kitchen/day-room renovation is about 40-45% done, with cabinets and flooring going in now. The goal is completion by end of November — ahead of the contractor's end-of-year target.
2027 Budget Requests
Tax, IT and Law departments want new positions and tech: a Deputy Tax Commissioner, an IT administrator, an Assistant Law Director/Clerk hybrid, and 12 network switch replacements.
Deputy tax commissioner and enforcement
The tax division wants a deputy tax commissioner (about six months of the year) to handle enforcement — landlords, contractors, delinquencies — plus reminder postcards to boost filings. Tax accounts grew 13% in one year.
2026 Budget Adjustments
Council approved about $75,000 in 2026 budget adjustments — mostly extra money for street and refuse vehicle repairs — and certified the county-determined tax levy amounts, which show only a nominal increase for 2027.
IT staffing and cybersecurity spending
The IT budget adds an administrator and replaces 12 end-of-life network switches, with a big jump in Microsoft licensing tied to cybersecurity needs.
Income tax collections trend
September was soft but year-to-date collections are up 0.8%. Net profit taxes are down ~29%, offset by individual and withholding gains, and refunds are running $500,000 lower than last year.
Appointment to Park & Recreation Advisory Committee
Anwer Ali, a physician with mental health experience, wants to help spread the word about recreation programs and pursue grants; the committee forwarded his appointment to Council.
Record 2026 recreation participation and 2027 programming
The committee drafted 13 ideas for the Recreation Committee's February 9 meeting, including an e-bike rules workshop with police input, kayak workshops at Three Meadows pond, and QR-code court schedules to make reservations easier.
2027 Engineering budget and ADA transition plan
The 2027 Engineering budget, up 6.8 percent, funds a new employee, a required ADA transition plan covering all city facilities, a study of traffic congestion at Woodlands-area schools on Indian Avenue, and Sandusky Street intersection studies.
Nonconforming commercial sign updates
The board must decide whether oversized gas station signs that lost their grandfathered status can stay. The same variances were denied in August 2025 and the signs remain in place, so staff is pushing for denial while offering the applicant a narrower color-only fix.
2027 Recreation Budget
The recreation department had a record 2026 with 4,500+ registrants in 96 programs, and 2027 keeps the same programming. Labor moves into the services line and supplies are cut to match what's actually spent — about a 16% overall decrease.
Road salt supply for winter 2026-27
Locking in 2,500 tons of salt at $93.26/ton keeps winter streets cleared at a price under budget.
New water and sewer rates
First readings of ordinances updating water and sewer rate structures — the actual rate numbers and vote are still to come, likely later in October.
Wood County Park District recreation grants
The city is applying at all three grant tiers: a boat dock at Maple Street, safety netting for all five batting cages, and a bench swing on the Hood Park multi-use path. City Council votes on whether to apply at its next meeting.
Fort Meigs Road Multi-Use Path
Council accepted donated land from the schools and a title agency and dedicated park land at Rivercrest and Rotary parks so the safety-funded path along Fort Meigs Road, W. Indiana and Hull Prairie can go out to bid on schedule.
Relocation of municipal services to former Mercy Health site
The city wants to rezone 6.22 acres it bought from Mercy Health so municipal services and Public Utilities can expand there. The commission recommended approval; council hears it October 6.
Partnership with Perrysburg Heights Community Center
The committee's 2027 focus is generating ideas to draw people to Bicentennial and Three Meadows parks. Members also want to make better use of the Perrysburg Heights Community Center, which the city supports with a $20,000 annual donation but has two underused gymnasiums.