Tiffin City Engineer Curtis Eagle gave an update to city council Monday night on the long-term control plan to combine sewer overflows.
Eagle said he would like to use a "partial separation" system and take more sewage flows directly to the water treatment plant, as opposed to separating the entire downtown sewage system.
"I felt it would be very disruptive if we tried to totally separate the downtown" Eagle said. "So we're looking at some other methods that would eliminate tearing up downtown and putting several businesses out of business."
Mayor Aaron Montz said he is willing - even if it costs more - to avoid separating the downtown sewers.
"The downtown is finally at a period where it's beginning to turn around," he said. "If large sections of the downtown were to be shut down for an extended period of time, it would be crippling to the downtown community. That's the last thing I want to see happen."
He said the city will bid out the project once the plan has been modified.
Also at the meeting, Steve Lepard spoke in favor of the city income tax levy, which proposes a one-quarter-percent increase.
"This legislation is not about improvement, but simply maintaining what we currently have," he said.
He spoke of the popularity of parks programs, which would be eliminated if the income tax does not pass. He also talked about safety services, which would face cuts.
"Can you afford the gamble of losing a son or daughter, spouse, parent, friend or neighbor for $1.75 per week?" he said. "This scenario is not a threat, it the harsh reality of services that will be lost."
Director of Finance Gwynn Reinhart gave a finance report to the council.
As of Oct. 31, the city's general fund unencumbered balance is $1,390,808.81, which is down 18.8 percent from 2008.
She also said the total known lost revenue from the state from 2008-2014 about $870,000 annually.
She said local government funds could be reduced again by the state in the July 1, 2013-June 30, 2015 two-year state budget.
In other business, the board unanimously passed a resolution approving the mayor's appointment of Jim Boroff to fill an unexpired term on the income tax board of review until Dec. 31, 2016.
The board also unanimously passed an ordinance to revise the codified ordinances by adopting replacement pages thereto, and declaring an emergency.
