The first meeting of Fostoria’s Financial Planning and Supervision Commission takes place today.  The meeting will officially trigger the 120 day timeline for the city to find a solution to Fostoria’s budget crisis.  If the city does not come up with an answer to Fostoria’s projected deficit of $800,000 for 2016, the state will take over.  In order to get out of fiscal emergency, city officials must eliminate Fostoria’s deficit and then present a five-year forecast showing those conditions will not arise during the five years.

The Findlay City School Board of Education extended Superintendent Ed Kurt’s contract for an additional five years upon the end of his current one that ends in 2017.  Kurt’s new contract includes a salary raise to $150,000 in the first year of the new contract and subsequent raises of 2 percent for each year of the contract.

The Village of McComb began discussions of the installation of an ice rink over the village parks’ basketball courts during the winter.  One option would be for village workers to install a roofing-like material over the courts and surround the rink with plywood at a cost of $9,900.  A second plan would be to obtain an ice rink kit, which could cost $4,300. That sum could be reduced if the village provided the plywood.  Village officials estimated a rink would require 11,000 gallons of water, probably drawn from a reservoir.

An effort to provide several school bus stops inside the village of Carey has been delayed because of a lack of bus drivers.  There is a shortage of substitute bus drivers in the school district, too.  Efforts to advertise for more bus drivers have been unsuccessful.