Judge Best updates Tiffin council, mayor

TIFFIN ---- At the Tiffin city council meeting Monday evening, Tiffin-Fostoria Municipal Court Judge Rhonda Best gave council and the mayor an update on what is happening in the court. "Since I took over last December, we've instituted quite a few more programs," Best said. "We've obtained a grant and we're working on getting that finalized to spend that money to upgrade the probation system. We've also gotten involved with PIVOT Drug Recovery Court again and it is back in municipal court every Thursday for the first time since 2020. "I am presiding over it for the rest of the year every Thursday," she continued. "We're really proud of the work we're doing there. I've referred several people, probably over 30 at this point this year. Several of them were admitted." Best has instituted a driving under suspension docket. It was established so people could work on driving issues. "People that have 19, 20 different open suspensions they don't know where to start," she explained. "We've been working with them. I'm working with folks one-on-one myself and going through their driving records and what they can do to get those cleaned up so we can have more valid drivers on the streets of Tiffin, Fostoria and Seneca County." She has also been referring people to the Downtown Clean Up events. "We had a great time with the group not that long ago. I hope to see that expand and keep doing that." During Mayor Dawn Iannantuono's report, she provided an update on the Ella Street Bridge project. The deck was poured last Tuesday, and E. Perry Street should be open by the end of the week. Tiffin Police Officer Elizabeth Miller is set to graduate from K-9 school Oct. 27, so Tiffin will be seeing its K-9 unit soon. Council also passed the following resolutions: 23-60: ordinance responding to petitions 2023-01, 2023-02 and 2023-03 vacating a portion of Walker Street and adjacent and nearby alleys in the first and fourth wards of the city of Tiffin. 23-70: ordinance amending 2023 budget ordinance 22-108 to appropriate a total of $100,000 into the Fire Department and Finance budgets to cover insurance expenses for the rest of the year and any income tax refunds. 23-71: ordinance amending 2023 budget ordinance 22-108 to appropriate a total of $5,000 into the Finance Department budget to cover fees for third party administration for ambulance billing. The next Tiffin city council meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Nov. 6 in council chambers at City Hall, 51 E. Market St., Tiffin.