Findlay Government Becoming HOA? Council Contention Erupts Debating New Loitering Ordinance
BY PATTY KLEIN
FINDLAY - The Findlay City Council chambers were filled to standing-room-only capacity at the November 5 council meeting. A group calling itself Findlay For All rallied community members to oppose a loitering ordinance proposed by the City of Findlay administration.
During the meeting, several outbursts were heard from the crowd, prompting Council President Pro Tem to call for order and ask attendees to control their vocal reactions.
According to a letter sent to Findlay City Council, Mayor Christina Muryn and Law Director Rob Feighner received multiple complaints about individuals loitering in the downtown area. Feighner subsequently drafted the following ordinance:
UNLAWFUL CONGREGATION
(a) No person shall linger, alone or with others, on any sidewalk or street corner, within any park or public ground, or in or about any retail business district of the City—including but not limited to any area designated by the property owner for off-street parking or the ingress and egress thereto, driveways, sidewalks, malls, service areas, and entranceways into stores and buildings—without any apparent purpose or in any manner which obstructs or interferes with the free passage of others using such areas, or which causes annoyance to shoppers, pedestrians, or residents in the immediate vicinity. No person shall refuse to move from such a place when ordered by a police officer of the City.
Several residents, including Matthias Leguire, Robby Leatherman, and Attorney Lisa A. Miller, Esq., spoke before council in opposition to the proposed legislation. Leguire criticized the ordinance and other recent proposals that he said restrict the rights of Findlay residents.
“The more restrictions you create, the more people will show up at your council meetings,” Leguire said. “It’s the restrictions—that’s why people are here. If you keep on doing whatever the emperor wants, eventually people are going to stand up and say enough is enough.”
Leguire also referenced other ordinances related to the regulation of farm animals and zoning rules that limit building projects within the city. He argued that the city is starting to resemble a homeowners association (HOA) and suggested that council members who prefer such restrictions should move to neighborhoods that have them. He concluded by urging council to rescind all recent restrictions.
Robby Leatherman cited case law declaring similar loitering laws unconstitutional. He questioned why the city would propose legislation that is likely to be challenged in court, potentially costing taxpayers considerable money.
“I’d love to be the one to get arrested for this—it’s a lottery ticket,” Leatherman said. “You can’t linger without any apparent purpose. ‘Without any apparent purpose’ is not a legal standard—it’s a vibe. And vibes are not lawful.”
Chris Chilcote, organizer of Findlay For All, also addressed council, arguing that the proposed ordinance threatens fundamental rights.
“The proposed loitering ordinance challenges something much larger than it may seem on paper,” he said. “It challenges one of the most fundamental rights we share—the right to simply exist in public spaces.”
Chilcote, too, cited prior court rulings that have struck down similar loitering laws as unconstitutional. Next, Attorney Lisa A. Miller, Esq., expressed disappointment with the proposal, calling it “absurd” and “clearly unconstitutional.”
“If you are cited under this law, please call my office,” she told attendees. “You don’t marginalize people just to create an aesthetic look. That’s disgusting—and this is so unconstitutional it’s ridiculous.”
Miller reiterated that she would represent anyone charged under such an ordinance.
Speaking in support of Ordinance 2025-134 was Jill Wagner, a downtown property owner and president of the Downtown Findlay Improvement District. Wagner, who is also the spouse of newly elected Councilman-at-Large Brad Wagner (term beginning January 2026), voiced concerns about the impact of the homeless population on local businesses.
Wagner agreed that much of the issue stems from homelessness and mental illness but said the city must “nip it in the bud.” She described incidents she believes involved drug activity and harassment and questioned whether University of Findlay students would rent apartments downtown “if they had to look out the window at people doing nothing all day.”
Councilwoman Holly Frische engaged Wagner in a discussion about the role of The City Mission in the growing number of homeless individuals. Frische suggested that an “uncomfortable conversation” may be needed between the city and the Mission, questioning whether some individuals may be taking advantage of its services.
“What we need to do is address The City Mission,” Frische said. “It’s a tough, hard conversation because we are a giving community. But the more we give, you get that roll-off effect—and I think that’s more what you’re wanting, because I don’t think you want to pass an unconstitutional ordinance.”
Mayor Christina Muryn later spoke to provide background on the ordinance’s creation. She said she had received numerous calls from parents and business owners, including one from Music Together, a children’s music studio operated by Amanda Sprague, wife of Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague. The business reported that a group of men routinely gathered outside for long periods, sometimes engaging in suspected drug use.
“It is folks that are, at times, seemingly targeting the business and creating an unsafe and uncomfortable environment for children,” Muryn said.
Muryn explained that the city currently lacks legal means to remove individuals from public areas unless another law is being broken.
City officials agreed to continue discussing the proposed ordinance during a Committee of the Whole meeting scheduled for Thursday, November 12, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. in council chambers.
Additional debate also arose over proposed legislation regarding residents keeping farm animals and new restrictions on building project completion timelines.
Meetings of the City of Findlay Council can be viewed live or recorded on the City of Findlay YouTube channel.
