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At its regular meeting at 4:00 p.m. today, Toledo City Council is expected to vote on ordinances that would increase salaries for Toledo Mayor and Council Members. Ordinance 175-17 would increase the Mayor salary from $122,400 to $136,000. Ordinance 176-17 would increase the City Council salary from $27,500 to $39,500, and Ordinance 177-17 is an alternative that would instead increase the Council salary to $31,500. The increases would be effective January 2018 and would not apply to district council members as the city charter prevents Council salaries from being changed during their time in office. These proposals are recommended by the Salary Review & Recommendation Commission, a seven-member panel appointed every four years in accordance with the charter that includes individuals representing the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce, Greater Northwest Ohio AFL-CIO, NAACP, Lucas County Democratic Party, and Lucas County Republican Party. Two at-large city residents also serve on the Commission. The Chamber supports the Commission recommendations, which are based on making compensation for these offices more comparable to peer cities and more equitable considering the time commitments required in these roles. Also, Council is expected to vote on the following legislation: • Ordinance 206-17 which would modify the hours of operation of the Downtown Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) approved by City Council last September. The revised hours of noon to midnight, seven days a week, were developed by participating proprietors in consultation with City officials. The Chamber, along with other partners, has supported downtown businesses with their plans to establish and implement the DORA. The DORA is set to go live on Thursday, June 15. • Ordinance 207-17 which would authorize $6,850,000 in bond anticipation notes to provide approved funding for projects in the 2017 Capital Improvements Program. Projects include street and bridge construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation and resurfacing. Council will likely refer to its Zoning & Planning Committee Ordinance 203-17 which would make a number of updates to Toledo’s signage code regarding Electronic Message Centers. Currently, all applications for these signs must be granted a variance by the Board of Zoning Appeals. Council referred proposed changes to the Toledo Plan Commission in August for their analysis, and this Ordinance reflects its research. The ordinance includes standards for zoning, allowed number of signs, allowed sign type, dimensions, message movement and frequency, design elements, brightness, and operation in residential areas. The Chamber has been involved in the stakeholder discussions concerning updates to the signage code. Council will likely give first reading to Ordinance 215-17 which would authorize a five-year lease agreement with the State of Ohio for municipal office space in One Government Center. The Ohio General Assembly and Toledo City Council previously approved transfer of ownership of the building to the City, however, according to the City, negotiations to finalize the transfer are at an impasse over disagreements about terms for addressing deferred maintenance. All Council meetings are held in Council Chambers on the first floor of One Government Center, located on Jackson Boulevard in downtown Toledo.