LUCAS COUNTY, Ohio — Homeowners across Fulton, Lucas and Henry counties are not happy after receiving a notice on their door about an annual fee to clean creeks and drainage systems.
In 2021, the village of Whitehouse proposed a plan to the surrounding county boards to begin work on the Swan Creek watershed.
Lucas County Engineer Mike Pniewski says his office has seen more ditch-related issues popping up lately, which was part of the reason behind the proposal.
"As a result (of the issues) we're starting to see signs of failure, we're starting to see some pretty big log jams across the county," he said. "A lot of our ditches that a lot of our roads and subdivisions and streets drain into are starting to fill with sediment, and because of it we're starting to see more localized flooding."
The engineer's office plans to use the funds to clear out log jams and remove excess sediment in an effort to return the creeks and ditches back to their original state.
According to Pniewski, the plan would take six years and cost $20 million.
However, Monclova homeowner Carol Halloway said the previous drainage work on her property caused severe flooding and erosion on her property and that the engineer's office has done nothing to help her deal with the expense.
"For 10 years, I've tried. For 10 years, I have talked to the township and the Lucas County engineers have come out and they know how bad things are. I lost my leech fields, the septic system fell in, and that had to be replaced. I have put a lot of money in trying to hang on," she said.
Halloway said her family has lived at the same home for over 60 years. During that time, she alleges she's never had any issues with her property until the count installed drains adjacent to her property with no outlet, except for her yard.
Since then, she said severe flooding and erosion have caused multiple issues, including crumbling foundations, uneven land and cracked pavement.
"They say, 'we're working on it.' And I know they are, and I know they know this is a problem when they're coming through here to get to the creek from that housing," Halloway said.
Then Halloway got the letter saying the new ordinance, if passed, would cost her $800 dollars for one of the parcels her land resides on. The other, she said, would cost $500, adding up to $1,000 a year in ditch maintenance fees.
The engineer's office says a computer malfunction caused some residents to get incorrect estimates and that new estimates will be sent to those homeowners.
Halloway said until her property is fixed, she doesn't want to pay.
"It's just another thing I think when they took away so much of what I had and then they want to charge me to fix it. I think that's wrong," Halloway said.
However, Pniewski says responsibility falls on the homeowner.
"What happens on people's properties is their own responsibility, so this takes care of more of a global larger scale," he said.
The final hearing for the Swan Creek Watershed petition is Aug. 6 at 2 p.m. The joint board of commissions will reconsider and review the petition and decide to dismiss or reaffirm it.
Before the final decision, there will be two public meetings for residents and community members to ask questions and share concerns. The first is at the Swanton Public Library on July 23 from 4-7 p.m. and the second is at the Whitehouse Village Hall on July 30 from 4-8 p.m.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the time of the July 23 meeting.