A moratorium on treatment facilities for substance abuse or mental health in Maumee will give city officials time to examine zoning and other regulations for a service that has become taxing to police and fire.

At Monday’s meeting, city council approved an 18-month moratorium on the establishment, expansion, construction, and conversion of treatment facilities for substance abuse or mental health treatment, or the use of motels, hotels, apartment buildings, or other structures for transitional housing, or commencement of construction or rehabilitation of transitional housing.

Maumee Law Director Alan Lehenbauer said the city is in the process of modifying the zoning code for this service because of the cost of providing city services to various treatment facilities.

“It becomes an expensive venture,” he said at the council meeting. “There is community support for this moratorium.”

After the meeting, police Chief Josh Sprow said the three existing treatment facilities in Maumee result in many calls to police and fire for overdoses and disorderly conduct. There has also been one for a rape incident.

He said there have been 400 runs, which he documented in a recent city report, to Midwest Detox Center on Indian Wood Circle. The other treatment facilities in Maumee, which are Arrowhead Behavioral Health and Brightview, do not have as many calls to police, Chief Sprow said.

Some of the calls, such as ones over property when a person is discharged or wants to leave, could be handled by the facilities if they had their own security and ambulances or more employees, he said.

This is where a zoning code update could come in, enacting firm regulations, Chief Sprow said.

Many times, when police are called out, the EMS squad also responds, he said.

Frequent changes in administration at the facilities sometimes are problematic, Chief Sprow said.

“We meet with their administration out there and have a plan in place, and then we end up right back out there,” he said. “Now that staff member no longer works there.”

“It’s frustrating,” Chief Sprow said. “They are a needed service, the rehab. But I also think they need to work out solutions so they’re more self-sufficient.”

City officials would never discuss eliminating emergency service to these facilities, he said.

“Obviously, if somebody’s overdosing, is having a heart attack — yeah, we’re going,” Chief Sprow said. “But if somebody needs an evaluation, that shouldn’t be on our residents.”

The moratorium discussion came up when another treatment business was looking at possibly starting operations in Maumee, he said.

No business should drain the city’s resources, Chief Sprow said.

“If we’re getting called there so often, there’s obviously an issue that they need to address internally,” he said. “We’re always going to go for life-threatening stuff — that’s never a concern. It’s the more administrative failings that we’re going there for.”

Justin Ochmanek, executive director for Midwest Detox Center, issued a statement, in response to The Blade’s request for comment.

“We are committed to providing our clients with the highest quality care and strive to be a positive part of the Maumee community. Ohio continues to face an opioid epidemic. When emergency services are called from our facility, it is with the safety of our clients and public in mind,” he said. “By ensuring everyone has access to comprehensive care, we not only support their journey to recovery but also towards a healthier community.”

The resolution also states city officials will review and study Maumee ordinances, including zoning, building, and business regulation sections, to assure that such facilities are properly zoned, safe for residential use, have management and security guidelines, and are properly constructed or rehabilitated to mitigate the potential harmful impact such facilities can have on residential and commercial areas.

In addition, city council will also study the impact of these entities on the public health and safety of surrounding communities. Studies in other cities have shown that the saturation of cities or villages with numerous substance abuse or mental health facilities and/or transitional housing, have an ultimately damaging effect on economic well-being of the people residing in facilities not designed for extended stays, according to the resolution. They can also reduce property values and access to a healthy living environment. Additionally, studies have raised concerns about property values, safety, and security in areas surrounding these facilities and housing.

First Published March 4, 2025, 8:50 p.m.