MAUMEE, Ohio — Since it became a law on June 17, residents in Maumee have been raising questions and concerns about ordinance 20-2024, both online and in-person, to city officials about what it means for their wallets and futures.
One of the hot-button questions has been "Do I have to get my home inspected if I am not actively selling it?"
Let's VERIFY what we know about the ordinance and its meaning.
THE SOURCES:
WHAT WE FOUND:
Ordinance 20-2024 was passed unanimously on June 17, 2024, in an emergency measure, by the Maumee City Council.
The ordinance requires that properties for sale get sewer line connections inspected and repaired by the property owners if needed.
According to MacDonald, the reason for the emergency vote was due to a need to submit materials to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency by a deadline.
"When it came time, it was like, 'we have to move on this now' because we're running out of time," he said.
Maumee, after self-reporting decades of illegal sewer discharge into the Maumee River, is now required by the EPA to submit a Sewer System Evaluation Study by July 21.
An SSES is the final plan for how the city proposes it will fix excessive sanitary sewer discharges that can contribute to sanitary sewer overflows, as well as water in basements of properties.
"They [EPA] don't offer solutions, they just tell you what you have to do," MacDonald said. "So when we offer a solution, they usually get back with us and say 'it's acceptable' or they tweak it."
MacDonald also said the city has tried to apply for grants from the state and federal governments in the past for help and has been denied.
So for officials, the ordinance is the available solution.
"We're trying to do the least impactful thing on our citizens and make it so we can try to make a difference, and have some success, and we can show that to the EPA," MacDonald said.
WTOL 11 spoke with Lehenbauer on Wednesday afternoon about the ordinance and what property owners can do in the meantime.
One of the aspects of the ordinance involves an amnesty program, which Lehenbauer said lasts for six months (Dec. 17, 2024), and can be extended based on provisions included in the ordinance by city council.
The program is available for all property owners, regardless of selling status, and inspections cost $100 for the first hour and $200 for every potential hour needed after.
What else can be done? Escrow accounts.
"Money can be put into escrow, you can go ahead and close your home, and you can move on with the sale, as long as there is some sort of a plan to fix the issue," MacDonald said.
WHAT WE CAN VERIFY:
The ordinance only mandates properties for sale to have their sewer line connections inspected and repaired if needed. Homes and properties that are not for sale, within Maumee city limits, are not required to get inspections done.