Officers honored

TIFFIN — At the Tiffin city council meeting this week, Tiffin Police Chief David Pauly honored two officers for their work. Officer Chris Perry was honored first for the actions he took last month when called out for a routine welfare check. He approached a residence to speak with a family member when he heard a voice coming from a nearby shed. Upon approach, Perry discovered a man about to take his own life. "Officer Perry remained calm and spoke with compassion and used his training to de-escalate the situation," Pauly explained. "He persuaded the man to remove the cord and ensured he received immediate medical and mental health care. He also initiated follow up services to connect the individual with ongoing mental health help." Perry received his second Life Saving award for his actions that day. Office Cade Garrett was honored next for his work in a theft investigation. "Investigative police work is often a game of persistence, observation and detail," Pauly said. "One recent case demonstrated exactly that. While investigating a complex theft case involving stolen tools and a suspicious vehicle, Officer Cade Garrett displayed an exceptional level of commitment." Garrett was honored with a Distinguished Service award for his "thoroughness and initiative at every step," Pauly concluded. In other news Members of NOPEC, a gas and electric aggregation cooperative consisting of a council of governments organized under state law. According to Kyla Presto, relationship manager for NOPEC, the organization has over 240 members that gather to "harness competitive rates for their citizens in addition to securing different benefits that NOPEC offers to its member communities." Tiffin has been a member of NOPEC since 2014. Aaron Marcovy, director of economic development and community investment for NOPEC, explained that the Tiffin Boutique Hotel approached the organization about financing through the PACE program. He explained that the hotel project is "the tip of the spear" to be able to create the energy special improvement district. The PACE program enables the Tiffin Boutique Hotel to operate "without necessarily having their creditworthiness impacted" because it is a special assessment rather than debt. According to Marcovy, the city and the entirety of Seneca County will be part of the Special Energy Improvement District, which will be a tool to get businesses interested in coming to the county. He concluded by saying the PACE program and grant funds come from the energy suppliers not from citizens. Brandon Burner, superintendent of the Public Works Department, gave his annual report next. The department contracted work to complete an inventory of trees in Tiffin as well as opportunities for planting. Burner said the contract was paid for with grant funds and if the work had not been contracted, it would have taken his department about 40 years to have a complete inventory. Burner touched on grant funding, sharing that his department has received $68,644 in funding since 2023. That funding resulted in better planning, site preparation and forecasting along with a complete tree inventory, 50-60 trees planted every year and the removal of 17 elevated risk trees. Also at the meeting During public comment, resident Marv King requested that council consider renaming Court Street to Montz Court in recognition of former Mayor Aaron Montz. "During Mayor Montz's time in public office, Tiffin has gone from a two to a 10," King said. "The city is a model today for a lot of small towns. I've lived in Seneca County for almost 80 years and I'm amazed at what's happened to the city of Tiffin." Law Director Zach Fowler said that Court Street already has an honorary designation after Nettie Cronise Lutz and Florence Cronise, sisters and the first female lawyers in Ohio. He asked if King had another suggestion, but King did not and said council should decide. President Bridget Boyle suggested council should discuss the idea further when all council members are present. Council then passed the following resolution and ordinances: Resolution 25-27: approving a Petition for Creation of an Energy Special Improvement District and for Special Assessments for Special Energy Improvement Projects and Affidavit; a plan for public improvements and articles of incorporation of the Tiffin Energy Special Improvement District, Inc. and declaring the necessity of acquiring, constructing and improving certain public improvements described in the plan for public improvements in cooperation with the Tiffin Energy Special Improvement District; and declaring an emergency. Ordinances 25-25: authorizing the mayor to take all actions necessary to grant an easement in the right of way adjacent to real property located at 806 W. Market Street. 25-27: authorizing the mayor to take all actions necessary to accept a donation of a post clock from the Rotary Club of Tiffin. 25-28: amending the 2025 Budget Ordinance 24-94 to appropriate funds into the Law Director's Budget and the Street Department Budget. 25-38: amending the 2025 Budget Ordinance 24-94 to appropriate funds into the City Administrator's Budget. 25-41: to amend Section 303.09 of the Codified Ordinances to change the limit on the amount of time a motor vehicle can be parked on private or public property stations and declaring an emergency. 25-42: determining to proceed with the acquisition, installation, equipment, and improvement of certain public improvements in the City of Tiffin, Ohio, in cooperation with the Tiffin Energy Special Improvement District and declaring an emergency. 25-43: levying special assessments for the purpose of acquiring, installing, equipping and improving certain public improvements in the City of Tiffin, Ohio in cooperation with the Tiffin Energy Special Improvement District; approving an Energy Project Cooperative Agreement and a Special Assessment Agreement in connection with such improvements and special assessments and declaring an emergency. The next meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on May 5 at city hall, 51 E. Market St.