Fostoria council approves PFAS-testing measure

FOSTORIA — Fostoria City Council on Tuesday night untabled and passed a measure that will allow Law Director Stephanie Kiser to enter into a contract for legal representation to potentially seek funds in the event that PFAS chemicals are found in the city's water supply.PFAS refers to manmade "forever" chemicals that may be found in water and may be harmful to humans and animals.Council tabled the matter earlier this month, but voted on it Tuesday night at the request of Kiser, who did not attend Tuesday's meeting.Kiser has said that PFAS chemicals have not been found in Fostoria waters dispensed to consumers, but the contract would clear the way for testing at no cost to the city with the possibility of joining a class-action lawsuit if the chemicals are found locally."Our output for our drinking water facility is cleaning out PFAS," Kiser has said. "We're not detecting any in the drinking water that's going out to the customers. But that doesn't mean that our water's not contaminated. It just means that our carbon filter is doing its job, doing what it's supposed to do. So, our water may still be contaminated, and if it is, then we should get money. They should give us money for carbon filters or for any remediation we have to do."Council also passed a resolution allowing Safety Service Director Eric Keckler to apply for participation in the Ohio Public Works Commission State Capital Improvement and/or local transportation improvement programs in order to receive financial assistance for capital improvements to the Hart Subdivision area.Also, an ordinance was passed allowing for $10,000 to be appropriated from the general fund to the Fostoria Police Division for computer maintenance; for $30,000 to be appropriated to the Refunds-City Cleanup fund; and for $65,000 in the sewer fund to be put toward the purchase of a new truck.