Seeking a public vote, Waterville residents looking to overturn a resolution to construct a large concert venue in the city have turned their petition into the city, campaign members confirmed Monday.
The final petition consisted of 1,101 signatures gathered in six days, all from Waterville residents who want to see the administrative action adopted 4-2 by Waterville City Council on Nov. 28 be put before voters in an election.
“I know that even though we unfortunately couldn’t get to everyone, that 1,101 of my friends and neighbors put pen to paper to stand up for what’s right,” Wayne Wagner, lead organizer of the referendum campaign, said in a Facebook post on Dec. 20.
“I’m so proud of everyone who froze their butts off outside collecting signatures,” he also wrote. “In one week at Christmas in 20-degree temps you showed exactly why we chose to live here. Your love and dedication to the Anthony Wayne community is unmatched.”
In an interview, Mr. Wagner said the petition was submitted Wednesday and that the city has 10 days to submit the signatures for verification and then 30 days following that to decide if they want to challenge the result or let the initiative actually go to a referendum.
“If it were summertime and 70 degrees with everyone outside mowing their grass, maybe we would have kept going just to give everyone a chance,” Mr. Wagner said Monday. “Right before the holidays, it was so cold though.”
The Lucas County Board of Elections stops counting after the required signature number of 550, regardless of how many signatures over that are submitted, he said.
The project in question, to be called the Waterville Landing Entertainment District, would construct an amphitheater with a maximum capacity of more than 9,000 individuals that would potentially bring in big national acts.
Shannon Bostelman, a resident of Waterville and leader in the anti-amphitheater campaign from its inception, said that the only thing to do now is to wait and see.
Ms. Bostelman was able to help at a petition signing event that Mr. Wagner held. She said that she has enjoyed watching others rise up and take on leading roles in the petition-gathering process.
“We are waiting to see if they accept it,” Ms. Bostelman said. “If they say no, I think we can take it to court based on the fact that it is part legislative.”
The argument has centered around whether the process surrounding the amphitheater resolution, adopted as an administrative action, also contained some legislative aspects. City officials have contended that there is no argument on the matter and that a referendum on an administrative action would not be legal.
Ms. Bostelman also described a similar, parallel effort to recall two members of council, which is now ongoing.
“The group came to the conclusion that if you want to see movement, you need to take two people out,” she said of recalling the councilmen. “We want the best for the city, and we do not feel like they are fully doing that.”
This effort is centering around recalling Councilman Anthony Bruno and Councilman John Rozic. They are the two members of council elected most recently, with terms expiring in January, 2025. Both voted for the amphitheater resolution.
Mr. Bruno faced questions in October over his possible residence outside of Waterville within Stone Oak Country Club in Holland, something he has denied through intermediaries.
Mr. Rozic lost a bid to become Lucas County recorder in November.
Mr. Rozic and Mr. Bruno did not respond Monday to the requests for comment.
Last week, Waterville Law Director Philip Dombey confirmed that he is aware a recall effort is under way.
“It does not hurt to try,” Ms. Bostelman said. “I do not know if it will work, but it does not hurt to try. If it does go to court, I think it will look way better to the judge if we tried the referendum route, if there is a legal possibility. It sounds like there is, but we do not know for sure.”
“We had the elderly, and people in walkers going out in 20-degree weather to get signatures,” she said. “That is how passionate the community is about this. It is a huge thing, but if anything, this has brought the community together.”
An election date of a proposed referendum and recall are not known.
The Ohio Revised Code states that any recall effort has 90 days to get the required number of signatures, which is 15 percent of the total votes cast in the last municipal election. This gives the Waterville group until mid-March to move that effort forward.
First Published December 26, 2022, 10:14 p.m.
