Defiance City Council members on Nov. 11 voted to adopt a series of ordinances authorizing property interests and easements needed for the Ottawa Avenue corridor improvements and the Ralston Avenue roundabout project.

City staff identified several small, targeted takings and purchases meant to allow storm drainage and roadwork to proceed. "This will help us ensure that we have proper drainage for the Ottawa Avenue corridor project," said Mister O'Donnell, city staff, during the presentation.

The council approved an appropriation of an easement interest at 1105 Ottawa Avenue to provide drainage for the Ottawa Avenue corridor. Staff described this as a fifth-amendment matter and said the city's good-faith deposit for that parcel would be $1,150 to be escrowed with the court. The ordinance was adopted following a motion to suspend the rules and a roll-call vote.

Council also authorized filing for acquisition of an interest at 1115 Ottawa Avenue after passing a resolution of necessity at the prior meeting. O'Donnell described title issues and said the city would pursue eminent-domain as the simpler route to obtain the needed channel easement; the stated good-faith offer for that parcel was $1,200, which will be deposited with the court.

Separately, the council reviewed a proposed fee-simple purchase at 1203 Ralston Avenue to allow construction of a storm sewer for the Ralston Avenue roundabout project. O'Donnell said the parcel is 0.021 acres and indicated a higher good-faith offer (recorded in the meeting transcript as "2,000, 210"). Council chose to "let this issue lie" (postpone) for further consideration at a later reading.

Finally, the council adopted an ordinance to acquire a perpetual channel easement of 0.012 acres for the Ottawa Avenue corridor; the negotiated good-faith offer for that easement was stated as $1,200. Each adopted ordinance was passed after motions to suspend the call or the rules and roll-call votes.

What happens next: adopted ordinances that appropriate property interests will allow staff to deposit the stated good-faith offers with the court and proceed with filings; items tabled or set for further readings — such as the fee-simple interest at 1203 Ralston Avenue — will return for later council consideration.