The City of Maumee completed the project to switch from a combined sewer system to separate storm and sanitary sewer systems. For the next nearly 25 years, the city reports 0 sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) into to the Maumee river to the EPA, even though it was still happening.
The illegal discharges are discovered and reported to the EPA. As a result of self-reporting the violation, the state issued a “Director’s Findings and Orders” requiring the City of Maumee to stop illegally discharging sewage into the Maumee River. It also stipulates and requires massive testing and study of the problem.
EPA levies a $30,000 fine and order Maumee to complete the following: a Sewer Evaluation Study(“SSES”), a Public Notification Plan, an Emergency Response Plan, and Capacity, Management, Operation, and Maintenance Program (CMOM).
Maumee City Council passes Emergency Ordinance 027-2021. Water rates increased from $9.60 to $10.05 per 1000 gallons, and sewer rate increased from $7.64 to 11.80 per 1000 gallons, and institute a minimum charge of 6000 gallons per quarter.
Maumee City Council passses Ordinance 040-2022, stating “The owner of any building situated within the City shall be required, at his their expense, to disconnect all existing roof drains, sump pumps or other clean water connections from sanitary sewers in accordance with the provision of this section within 180 90 days after the date of official notice to do”
Maumee City Council passes Emergency Ordinance 027-2022. Water rates increased from $10.05 to $10.95 per 1000 gallons, and sewer rate increased from $11.80 to 12.55 per 1000 gallons. The minimum charge of 6000 is renamed to “readiness to serve charge.”
Maumee City Council passes Ordinance 050-2022, stating “A property owner is responsible for maintenance, repair, or replacement of the building sewer (lateral) to the point of connection to the City of Maumee sanitary or storm sewer.” This shifted responsibility to homeowners of sewer laters in the right-of-way (ROW) instead of the City.
Maumee City Council passes Ordinance 064-2022, Creating a Stormwater Utility Fund, stating “… the Administration has developing plans to create a stormwater utility…” and “That Council hereby authorizes the creation of Storm Water Utility Fund to receive… all revenues collected in association with the imposition of a stormwater utility fee (measured as “Equivalent Residential Units or ERUs).”
Per Emergency Ordinance 027-2022, Water rates increased from $10.95 to $12.95 per 1000 gallons, and sewer rate increased from $12.55 to 12.60 per 1000 gallons. The readiness to serve charge is stays at a minimum of 6000 per quarter.
Maumee City Council passes Ordinance 007-2023, establishing procedures to assess properties, stating “The City Administrator… shall have the authority to compel the making of or relocation of sewer, water, gas, electrical, fiber, communications and other utilities and/connections whenever in view of contemplated street improvements, or as a sanitary regulation, such connections should in their judgment be relocated or constructed.”
Maumee City Council passes Ordinance 014-2023, assessing 6 homes along Riverview Street in Maumee nearly $14,000 to $28,500 each for total of $113,700 for the construction of extending the sanitary sewers.
Maumee City Council passes Emergency Ordinance 026-2024, assessing 23 homes along High Street in Maumee nearly $14,000 each for total of $230,572 for the construction of storm sewers and road improvemet.
Maumee City Council passes Emergency Ordinance 027-2024, assessing 29 homes along Inwood Place in Maumee nearly $10,000 each for total of $268,868 for the construction of road improvement to benefit the sanitary sewer system.
Maumee City Council passes Emergency Ordinance 015-2024. Water rates increase to $13.36 per 1000 gallons, and sewer rates increase to $17.01 per 1000 gallons. Th readiness to serve charge remains at a minimum of 6000 gallons per quarter.
Maumee City Council passes Ordinance 017-2024, declaring any property discharging storm water or pollutants into the sanitary system to be a public nuisance.
Maumee City Council passes Ordinance 020-2024, creating a Real Property Conveyance Code that mandates that all homes being sold under go a city sewer inspection and fix any problems found within 90 days.
Upon recieving quotes of anywhre from a few thousand dollars to over $40,000 to be in compliance with Ordinance 020-2024, citzens grew alarmed and began discussing the issue on social media.
A citizen-led meeting was planned for July 16th, 2024 at 7pm, at the Maumee Elks Club for residents to learn and discuss the issue.
When the media reported that a citizens meeting was planned to discuss the ramifications of the new conyeyance ordinance on June 12, 2024, the City released that they too will be hosting an informational meeting about the issue – and scheduled it for the same day and time as the citizen-led meeting. Citizens pivot and change the day of their meeting to the 15th, so people can attend both.
500 people attended the citizens meeting, with estimates as high as 300 turned away at the door due to venue capacity. Several residents, real estate professionals, and contractors spoke at the meeting. The main take away from this meeting is that this is a community issue, not an individual homeowner issue. Citizens brought up various ways to fund these repairs, such as grants, assessments, taxes etc. The citizens want a collective way to address the issue. Attendees created a list of questions for the city to answer.
Hundred of Muumee Citizens showed up to this meeting, but because the council chamber is a smaller room, only about 170 people were actually able to attend. City officials said they were suprised at the exorbitant costs, but defended the need for the conyeyance code. They said they can’t rely on residents to to voluntarily make repairs, and that they can’t offer any assistance to homeowners with grants, loans, assessments, or taxes because pulbic money cannot be used on private property.
Citizens, frustrated that the ordinance still stands, start an effort to get an initiave on November’s ballot to repeal ordinance 020-2024. Since it was passed by emergency and therefore not eligible for referendum, this was the only option. Due to the date, ctizens only had 24 hours to gather enough signatures to make it on the ballot. They ended up with triple the amount needed.
In this city council meeting, in an attempt to relieve some of the burden of this ordinance by creating a grant program that assists home owners with the costs of replacing or rehabilitating sewer laterals wilthin the right-of-way. Citizens are quick to point out that two years ago, they wouldn’t have been responsible fot those repairs anyway.
At this meeting, citizens realised that the city wasn’t budging. The first ideas of a committee were formed to find alternative solutions to solving the sewer issues, and to also spread awareness about what was going on.
After the initiative petition success and realizing that citizens were not going to back down, City council officially repealed 020-2024. Another ordinance, 031-2024 was introduced that was essentially a watered down version of the first, but was it was not voted on. The mayor directed citizens to look for solutions and work with the city.
Throughout the month of August, a series of City-led rountable discussion, citize-led committee meetings, and council-member info-gathering sessions were held. Citizens spent an enourmous amount of time conferring with other goverment officials, EPA representatives, and learning more to be better informed. The City took questions and heard citizens concerns.
The citizens commitee officially registers with the State of Ohio as a 501(c)4 non-profit social welfare association, with the pillars and mission of Education, Advocay, and Representation for the citizens of Maumee. Subcommittes including Fundraising, Optics, Legal/Political, engineering and action are formed.
CMAC has a booth at the Maumee Summer Fair, talking to hundreds of citizens and distributing flyers to spread awareness about the committee and sewer issues. Many sign up for CMAC updates.
City Council votes to allow the creation of a grant program that reimburses residents who complete repairs to sewer laterals within the public right-of-way. Citizens are quick to point out that this grant only applies to property that previously wasn’t residents’ responsibility, and won’t help much with the bigger problem.