TOLEDO, Ohio — The FBI scrutiny into construction in downtown Toledo takes center stage Wednesday.
Members of Toledo City Council will have the chance to ask questions about the Summit Street reconstruction project.
"I would ask you all to drive it and see how much work has gone into Summit Street," councilman Rob Ludeman said.
This is Ludeman's ask of other city council members before they meet Wednesday.
He and councilman Nick Komives are introducing a piece of legislation that asks the city's law department to do whatever is legally necessary to get back taxpayer money spent on moving private utilities.
WTOL 11 has confirmed the city paid $973,000 to Block Communications, Inc. to relocate its equipment.
Block Communications, Inc. owns Buckeye Broadband.
While several other utilities were impacted, Ludeman and Komives say the city didn't pay for their relocation.
City spokesman Ignazio Messina said the administration supports Ludeman's effort to draft a resolution to recoup the money.
“We are exploring different options,” Messina said. “The administration supports efforts by, and intends to partner with, councilman Ludeman in exploring strategies, including litigation, that would help recover costs owed to the City of Toledo.”
Keith Wilkowski, vice president of legal and governmental affairs for Block Communications, provided the following statement when he was asked if Block Communications would fight any attempt to recoup the money:
"In May 2020 the city administration acknowledged that the city – not Buckeye Broadband – was responsible for the cost of relocating Buckeye's fiber-optic communications lines on Summit Street. This streetscape beautification project was being undertaken to improve the appearance of Summit Street in the vicinity of ProMedica's new headquarters and in advance of the 2021 Solheim Cup golf tournament.
"Longstanding Ohio law and precedent support the conclusion that the city is the financially responsible party in this situation, notwithstanding any provisions of the Toledo Municipal Code. As recently as three weeks ago, the city administration again publicly reaffirmed that it had acted properly in covering these costs."
Buckeye expressed that it feels the city is backpedaling on the deal after political pressure.
"But now it appears that after experiencing some political pressure, the administration is backpedaling. If the city decides to spend substantial legal fees in an effort to change the law of Ohio, Buckeye stands ready to vigorously defend its legal position."
WTOL 11 has emails from Law Director Dale Emch where he argues the Summit Street project is a beautification project.
He's now in charge of the city's lawsuit to try and get the money back from Buckeye.
In tomorrow's meeting, we expect to learn exactly how the city plans to get the money back as well as any more details as to why the FBI was looking into the project.
We reached out to both the City of Toledo and Block Communications Tuesday.
Neither party has any new comment on the situation right now.
WTOL 11 will be in tomorrow's special council meeting, we'll have updates online and on your phone with the free WTOL 11 News app.