[1:36] Good evening and welcome to the Defiant
City Council meeting for tonight,
[1:39] February 24th, 2026. As we get underway,
we have Pastor Scott Williams from the
[1:45] Church of the Nazarene to lead us in
[snorts] prayer before we get underway.
[1:49] Thank you for being our guest this
evening.
[1:52] » Thank you for allowing me to come and
pray for you all. Let's pray.
[1:56] God, it is an honor and a privilege uh
to be able to be in a country that we
[2:00] can come and we can have meetings like
this where we can make decisions and
[2:07] care for our people and our community.
So God, tonight we just come before you
[2:11] and ask for your hand upon this meeting.
God, I don't know everything that's
[2:15] about to happen. I don't know what
even's on the agenda tonight, but God,
[2:19] you know what needs to happen. God, you
put these people in place, everybody
[2:23] who's here, God, you put them in this
place for this time and all of all of
[2:27] eternity. God, I pray you give them
wisdom. I pray you give them insight. I
[2:32] pray you give them compassion and
empathy and uh give them the ability,
[2:37] God, to make wise decisions with with
everything that they have to do. God,
[2:43] they're in the they're in the place that
they have to for so many people and the
[2:47] responsibility of that is great. So God,
I pray that you just be with them that
[2:52] uh you take care of their families as
God they've got issues there that maybe
[2:56] that are weighing them down tonight as
well. God, I pray that you just give
[2:59] them comfort in the midst of those
things so that they can have clear minds
[3:04] to do your business here in our
community. God, thank you for uh the
[3:08] privilege you give us to pray in this
country and for all that you give us in
[3:13] Jesus name. Amen. Amen. [clears throat]
Thank you very much.
[3:18] This meeting is now called to order. Let
the record show that all the members of
[3:22] council are present except we are down
Mr. Waxler and Mr. Mast who are unable
[3:28] to make it this evening. Do we have a
motion to excuse Mr. Waxler this
[3:32] evening?
>> So moved.
[3:34] » Second.
>> Second. Mrs. C Miss Kaufman. All those
[3:37] in favor of excusing Mr. Waxler say I.
>> All those opposed.
[3:42] » And do we have a motion to excuse Mr.
Mr. Mass.
[3:44] » So move.
>> So move.
[3:45] » Second.
>> Second. Miss Kaufman. All those in favor
[3:49] of excusing Mr. Mass this evening also
respond with I.
[3:54] » All those opposed. All right.
[clears throat] Hopefully we'll see them
[3:56] next time. Would you stand with me for
the pledge of allegiance?
[4:03] » I pledge algiance to the flag of the
United States of America and to the
[4:08] republic for which it stands. One nation
under God, indivisible, with liberty and
[4:14] justice for all.
[4:18] [snorts]
[4:21] As we get underway, I have reviewed the
index minutes for our last meeting of
[4:24] February 10th, 2026.
Do we have a motion to correct or amend
[4:29] the index minutes as they're presented?
Without such a motion, I'll approve
[4:34] them.
Do we have any liaison meeting reports
[4:38] or requests?
[clears throat]
[4:42] And do we have any comments from council
this evening?
[4:45] » Miss Kaufman,
>> I'd like to thank the administration for
[4:49] sending me to the uh newly elected
council training seminar that the Ohio
[4:53] Municipal League puts on. They picked up
the registration and I gave my time uh
[4:58] all day on Saturday, but it was
worthwhile. Very well [clears throat]
[5:01] done and I appreciate the opportunity.
Thank you.
[5:06] » Thank you, Mrs. Crutch.
>> Um, this past Saturday was the Shanghai
[5:10] circus that the straight put on. It was
a great little event that they had. A
[5:14] lot of people showed up and it was a
good cultural um awareness for a lot of
[5:19] the children and and the parents, too.
So, it was a great job. And then also,
[5:23] have you heard any news on the 1918
building?
[5:27] » Anything updating on that?
>> Got a little water issue. I heard that.
[5:33] » But it was a it was a water line that we
didn't know existed. That I don't want
[5:38] to say it froze and burst. It may have
froze and burst. It just failed. But
[5:42] something we took care of.
>> Any interest? Have you heard?
[5:46] » Oh, there's a couple things. [snorts]
>> The Defiant Society of Artist is going
[5:51] to continue decorating windows if that
is still okay with the city that we
[5:55] still do that.
>> Sure.
[5:57] » All right. Thank you.
>> We appreciate him doing that.
[6:01] Thank you.
Any other comments from council this
[6:05] evening?
[6:08] All right. I'm I'm sure we all noticed
in our drop boxes that the financial
[6:13] reports for February were included.
In the absence of any objection or
[6:20] corrections, the payment of bills and
financial reports shall be approved. Are
[6:24] there any objections or corrections?
>> January.
[6:27] » I'm sorry, January.
>> We're still in February. [clears throat]
[6:30] That's right.
>> March.
[6:32] » It's almost over.
>> January. Short month.
[6:35] » Yeah.
>> If there are none, then they are
[6:39] approved,
>> but thank you for sending
[6:43] on to the board of control. Uh, Mayor
McKinnon. Not much for me. Other Mr.
[6:48] President, on March 10th, I will not be
here. Uh every year I attend a health
[6:54] department meeting that's somewhat
mandatory and so that's why we'll be in
[6:59] two weeks.
[7:02] » And that's March. That's all.
>> Thank you. Mr. Mack,
[7:08] » nothing for you at this time, Mr.
President.
[7:10] » Mr.
I would like to request an executive
[7:13] session to consider confidential
information related to the specific
[7:17] strategy of an e economic development
assistance that involves either public
[7:22] infrastructure improvements or the
extension of utilities that are directly
[7:26] related to the economic development
project pursuant to higher code section
[7:31] 121.22 G8.
>> Mr. O'Donnell's requested an executive
[7:36] session. Do we have such a motion?
>> So moved. Second.
[7:40] Second. Mr. Hancock.
>> Mrs. Stretch.
[7:43] » Yes.
>> Mr. Hancock.
[7:45] » Yes.
>> Mr. Corbett.
[7:47] » Yes.
>> Miss Kaufman.
[7:48] » Yes.
>> And Mr.
[7:49] » Yes.
>> Before [clears throat] we adjourn for
[7:51] this evening, we will have an executive
session. And is there anything else?
[7:56] » Not at this time.
>> And Miss Spre,
[7:59] » um, just a couple of purchase orders.
Uh, Mommy Valley Planning their um,
[8:05] revolving loan administration fee
15,000.
[8:08] finance uh workers comp the 2026 true up
17,1
[8:16] water treatment plant the lime sludge
contract um that original PO is 350,000
[8:22] they took a draw $9,111
uh UBO um Ferguson Enterprises for
[8:30] meters 20,000 water pollution control
uh engineering services with the siphon
[8:37] cleaning 49 9,750
parks and wreck, Smith and Wheeler uh
[8:43] repair and coat tennis and basketball
courts at Latty's Veterans Park, uh
[8:49] 35,120.
And we also received a grant to help
[8:55] offset the cost of that 35,000 for
$10,000
[8:59] from the Defiance Area Foundation.
So just FYI on that. in engineering uh
[9:05] sharewood drive payment improvement
preliminary engineering $49,950.
[9:12] And then just one other note, um Julian
and Groo is the company that's going to
[9:19] be doing the 2025 audit. You would have
received an email from them on a fraud
[9:25] questionnaire. So if you haven't, please
just click on the link. It's not very
[9:30] many questions and get that back to
them. Um but they're going to start
[9:34] working on the 25 a so the regular state
will not be coming in
[9:41] that's why
>> well thank you very much [clears throat]
[9:46] we do have two items of legislation
[9:54] » we do have public hearing
I guess
[10:01] there we
>> [snorts]
[10:05] » Uh, we do have a public hearing this
evening.
[10:14] There we go.
Uh, for the map amendment and resoning
[10:19] request and variance requests and plat
review.
[10:23] » Mr. O'Donnell.
>> Thank you, Mr. President. This uh
[10:26] involves an applicant requesting what we
call a planned unit development overlay.
[10:31] uh to a R1 lowdensity residence
district. And um you might recall uh
[10:40] passing a pair of resolutions last year
where where the board of commissioners
[10:45] for the finance count county ultimately
approved the annexation of this u
[10:50] property that looks like the state of
Michigan and into the city. and
[10:56] um it does come in as the lowest density
uh or or the least or most restrictive
[11:03] use uh for that type of use. So here
that would be R1 that that's automatic
[11:08] anytime there's an annexation
[clears throat]
[11:10] u based on the most recently adopted
comprehensive land use plan
[11:16] and
uh the applicant's requesting an
[11:19] overlay. It has a number of advantages.
uh you can do zero lot line dwellings,
[11:26] you can have greater housing density for
the project and um section 1171.06c4
[11:34] uh for planning zoning code requires a
public hearing and that's what you're
[11:38] doing tonight um before we would have an
ordinance before you
[11:45] for that overlay. Um, I did want to
clarify uh the count the clerks
[11:50] mentioned variances. The planning
commission has approved the sole
[11:53] variance that the applicant requested
[clears throat]
[11:57] and they are here too.
>> Excellent.
[12:00] » Mr. Han.
>> Yeah. With this with this development
[12:03] we're looking at how many units do we
>> I don't know off the top of my head.
[12:13] » Yeah. Please do 125.
125.
[12:16] » Yes.
[clears throat]
[12:18] » Oh, we're asking are they all single
single homes?
[12:22] » Yes, single family homes and then also
one amenity site for the entire
[12:26] development.
>> Okay,
[12:29] » Mr. Hancock.
>> And you know the range of cost
[12:34] sales cost you're looking at like 200,
two and a quarter, 300, you know.
[12:42] I do not know that number. Okay.
[12:48] Get rolling.
>> What's that?
[12:50] » Get rolling.
>> Still a year away.
[12:54] The actual home building
might be a little premature.
[12:59] » Thank you.
[13:04] » We have any other questions from
council?
[13:09] » Another question. Just a comment. Once
again, thank you guys for your
[13:12] commitment to defiance and what you're
doing with your developments that
[13:16] they're already in place and look
forward to seeing the new one go up. So,
[13:21] thank you.
>> And any questions or comments from any
[13:26] of our guests?
[13:31] Easily resolved. Thank you, Mr.
O'Donnell.
[13:39] » You want me to do it? There we go.
>> First reading by caption only an
[13:44] ordinance authorizing and ratifying
entry into a contract for the purchase
[13:48] [clears throat] of electricity for
street lights and declaring emergency.
[13:52] » Mr. O'Donnell.
>> Thank you, Mr. President. Uh much like
[13:55] the ordinances that you have for the
electricity purchases for the city
[14:00] facilities or sort of like the electric
aggregation program. Uh we have to get a
[14:06] little creative with this ordinance
because of the uh volatility of the
[14:09] energy markets. Um this is for the uh
street uh street light network that the
[14:15] city maintains so that all our residents
can be safe, visitors can be safe when
[14:20] they're traversing throughout the city.
Uh the proposal that we have recommended
[14:25] to you is for a 36-month electricity
supply contract uh for that street light
[14:31] network. Uh the our consultants are
estimating a cost an annual cost of
[14:38] $52,000.
It comes out to about $4,300 a month for
[14:42] the city. Obviously, that's a contract
uh that requires your approval. And um
[14:48] due to those the uncertainty of the the
energy markets, we are asking for the
[14:53] authority for the city administrator to
sign the contract with the lowest and
[14:59] best uh supplier. Uh that can change,
but lowest and best we'll be able to
[15:06] determine that minute by minute. Um
obviously
[15:11] five members here, so u suspending the
rules is not an option for tonight.
[15:17] But you can't do a reading.
>> Do we have any questions for Mr.
[15:21] O'Donnell in these regards? Mr. Corbett.
>> Motion let
[15:27] motion let lie.
>> Second.
[15:28] » Mr. Angel, all those [clears throat] in
favor of letting this issue lie and then
[15:32] bringing it up next time we're together
say I.
[15:35] » I.
>> All those opposed, we will let this
[15:38] issue lie.
[15:42] » First reading by caption only. ordinance
authorizing a contract for the
[15:46] construction of Ottawa eminent corridor
improvements project and declaring
[15:51] emergency.
>> Mr. O'Donnell.
[15:53] » Yes, Mr. President. Council sat through
a litany of ordinances last year and
[15:59] partially [snorts] into 2024
uh from that range from grant
[16:03] applications to the design to over a
dozen property acquisition ordinances
[16:10] specifically
regarding this project. And it's finally
[16:14] time to execute the construction
contract. So I think it's safe to say
[16:17] this will be the last one for Ottawa
Avenue,
[16:21] the corridor improvements. Advanced
Escavating and Demolition of Mcome, Ohio
[16:26] submitted the lowest and best bid of
just over $2.7 million. The uh budgeted
[16:34] amount was $3 million, so that came in
lower. And as a reminder, uh the project
[16:41] uh involves
Yes, thank you. the replacement of the
[16:46] the water line along Ottawa. That's the
red here. Um
[16:52] and then new sidewalks and shared use
paths throughout. Could you uh scroll
[16:56] down? Thank you. Um so some of these are
are shared use paths right here, the
[17:03] dotted uh turquoise line. And then even
down here on Cleveland line, Cleveland
[17:08] Avenue uh this dotted line, that's a
sidewalk that's going to connect uh to
[17:13] the Heirsville Avenue project uh that
started yesterday. And so when this is
[17:19] all said and done, hopefully at the end
by the end of the construction year, uh
[17:23] someone could walk from Deon Road to the
YMCA and school facilities. uh they
[17:30] could access East Side Park um and even
into uh town there in Kings Kingsbury
[17:36] Park and those other amenities. That was
very important uh to the respondents and
[17:41] residents that uh took the time to take
the [clears throat] survey for the parks
[17:45] master plan and we want to deliver that.
>> Excellent.
[17:51] Any any questions for Mr. O'Donnell in
these regards?
[17:55] » Mr. Mr. Angel.
>> Motion to let lie.
[17:57] » Second.
>> Motion to let lie, Mr. Engel. Second,
[18:00] Mrs. Crutch. [clears throat] All those
in favor of letting this issue lie until
[18:04] next time, say I.
>> I.
[18:06] » All those opposed. Right. We will also
let this issue lie.
[18:12] With both items of legislation
addressed, do we have any citizens
[18:15] concerns?
Any any questions for council?
[18:20] Did any council members come with any?
All right. and we can stretch our legs a
[18:25] few minutes before we enter executive
session.
[18:30] » Oh, I'm sorry. I did not see you.
>> Is this the time where we can stand up
[18:34] and speak?
>> Yes. Please come up to the microphone
[18:37] and
[18:41] give us your name. If you have a a
question or comment for council,
[18:44] » it's it's a it's a comment. Uh yesterday
on Facebook, this is speaker.
[18:52] » Um Speculation data centers coming to
defiance Ohio.
[18:59] Um data centers Ohio now has currently
um probably 200 data centers. The US has
[19:07] currently 400 data centers. This year
they want to 3,000 data centers put up
[19:14] in the US. Data centers create air,
water, noise, health and energy
[19:20] concerns. Um if a data center is coming
to our community, we need advanced
[19:28] warning so we can mitigate the risks and
there are many data centers do not
[19:35] provide jobs after the construction
phase is done. Small data centers use 15
[19:42] to 20 people. Medium-sized data centers
use 30 to 40 people and a large data
[19:49] center may use a 100 people. Communities
that have that Columbus now has almost
[19:57] 133 data centers. Many of those
communities that have those data centers
[20:03] now regret regret that they are there.
Um last week Archbold had a meeting on a
[20:12] data center that is they think could be
coming to their area. Over 400 people
[20:19] showed up to that meeting and they did
not want the data center. Usually when
[20:25] data centers come into a community, it
is rushed through legislation and the
[20:32] community and its citizens do not have
time to make sure our air, water, noise,
[20:40] health, and energy needs are met. Energy
needs are paid by the citizens in that
[20:47] community unless you can really pin
these centers down. And you're talking
[20:52] about Apple, Google, Meta,
um you name it. They got all the money
[21:00] in the world. Yet they want us, the
community, to pay to upgrade the energy
[21:06] grid so these centers can can work. A
small data center, one data center can
[21:14] be like running a small 20,000 to 30,000
populated city.
[21:22] that will escalate our energy costs.
These data centers put off air
[21:30] pollution, very small, tiny air
pollution that gets trapped in people's
[21:35] lungs and respiratory system. One data
center can use 5 million gallons of
[21:41] water per day, depending on the size.
Where is that water going to come from?
[21:46] What are they going to do with the
discharge? And how is our city, if one
[21:51] is planning on coming here, how are we
going to mitigate that? Where where
[21:57] would we get this water from? Last
summer, we went through five months of
[22:01] drought. I watched our rivers lose more
and more water. I could walk across the
[22:08] old glaze river and parts of the Miami
River, Mommy River by the end of the
[22:13] summer.
We do not have an endless supply of
[22:18] water.
So,
[22:22] number one, is this true? I don't know.
I Googled it yesterday. I took my
[22:28] computer out, Googled, is there a data
center coming to Defiance, Ohio? Guess
[22:34] what it said? Speculative data center
coming to Defiance, Ohio somewhere on
[22:40] the road. That's the information I got.
But I want to really really stress that
[22:48] if one is coming, citizens need to know
about it. We need to be prepared and we
[22:54] need to know
h how we're going to mitigate. How are
[23:00] we going to keep our health? How are we
going to protect people from the noise?
[23:05] These centers create 247 noise that
radiates out two miles. Two miles a
[23:12] constant home.
light. There's light pollution.
[23:17] So, you know,
these are questions that we need to get
[23:22] in front of rather than behind because
believe me, Ohio is fifth fifth in the
[23:29] nation as far as putting into data
centers. And and Ohio doesn't care about
[23:34] the science of Ohio. Ohio cares about
the big guys. They they're not in it for
[23:40] the little guys. And we are little. And
that's why they're coming here. They
[23:44] want the land. They want the water. And
they want rural areas because there's
[23:49] very little push back.
[23:54] Has anyone on city council heard heard
anything? Have you heard about what
[24:00] happened in Archbold last week? It was
in the present news. Your
[24:04] » your time is up. Do you have any wrap-up
statements you would like to make before
[24:07] you're done?
>> I just want to know if you heard about
[24:09] it.
Um [clears throat] I read in the
[24:14] crescent that there was a meeting in
Archbold.
[24:18] » Yeah. Three to 400 citizens showed up.
>> And and because I I would like to do
[24:23] some homework. Uh I I saw that you were
referring to notes perhaps information
[24:28] where you gathered about the air, water,
noise, and health pollution. Do you have
[24:32] like a a site that I would be able to go
to?
[24:34] » Yeah, I went to the University of uh
Utah site. um um
[24:42] uh in in uh in Utah. But this
information is all over.
[24:48] » Yeah. It just pops up.
>> You made several statements about the
[24:53] range of noise and light and about
contaminants that is minuscule but get
[24:58] in our lungs and about 5 million gallons
and stuff. And what I would like to do
[25:02] is be informed because I got to admit I
am not super informed about this. if you
[25:06] were referring to these statistics. I
didn't know if there was a site that I
[25:09] could go to in order to do
>> site where I got um the water came off
[25:14] of a um environmental and energy
institute data on data centers about the
[25:22] 5 million gallons of water. You can
Google this and just
[25:27] » Well, no, I I was specifically wanting
to know where the statistics that you
[25:31] quoted. Okay. Well, I'll give you one.
This one on the 5 million gallons of
[25:36] water environmental energy institute.
>> Okay,
[25:40] » that's the side I was on.
>> Got it. And I'm sorry, I didn't even I
[25:43] didn't even ask you your name.
>> My name's Barb.
[25:46] » All right. Thank you. And thank you for
being our guest this evening.
[25:54] Were there any other citizens concerns
before we stretch our legs before
[25:57] executive session?
[26:02] All right. Well, then you can take a
short break.