Findlay Mayor Acknowledges use of First Diversity Staffing
BY PATTY KLEIN
FINDLAY - Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn publicly acknowledged the city’s connection to First Diversity staffing at the October 1 meeting of Findlay City Council. First Diversity has been highlighted by some news organizations for being associated with human trafficking. Reports from the Jewish Journal publication have exposed that First Diversity CEO George Ten is currently the subject of investigations at the state and federal levels.
At the meeting Muryn acknowledged issues with First Diversity Staffing.
“I am aware of allegations against one of the staffing agencies on human trafficking," Muryn said. "That is simply an allegation. We have not had any red flags raised in our community other than they are living in bad conditions but that’s the housing that is available.”
Muryn’s statement elicited groans and murmurs from council chambers prompting City Council President John Harrington to shout “Quiet” at those sitting in the audience.
Discussion between Councilwoman Holly Frische and Mayor Muryn continued during the new business part of the meeting agenda. Muryn expressed that she speaks regularly with federal and state elected officials and noted that she has not spoken with Senator JD Vance or Congressman Bob Latta, but does frequently speak with Ohio Governor DeWine and he is aware of the local concerns. Muryn informed council that she speaks with the local schools and health department because they are the most impacted by the migrant issue.
City Auditor Jim Staschiak weighed in on the issue, encouraging city council members to consider how economic development is impacting the Findlay job market.
“If you continue to develop ground with jobs that people aren’t interested in filling, and companies spend millions and millions of dollars investing in that ground to put a company in, they are going to find the labor they need to fill those jobs,” Staschiak said. ”You do have the ability to control what type of development happens in your community, to some if not a major extent.”
While city administrators have discussed actions taken to address cultural education, Councilwoman Frische asked the city to look more closely at the public safety perspective.
“If we are seeing people that are uncomfortable and they are not feeling safe in our community, we are not meeting that benchmark for our citizens,” Frische said. “We as city council can be addressing some of this with our public safety and our safety services and increasing our police force.”
When addressing hotel and motel occupancy, where some have said many of the incoming immigrants are staying, Frische suggested being more proactive with fire safety.
Other city business at the meeting included a discussion about food truck licensing, which has increased in popularity in recent years. City council members expressed an interest in increasing enforcement between licensed and unlicensed vendors before 2025.
Findlay City Council meetings can be viewed on the City of Findlay YouTube channel.
