Huntington City Council on Sept. 22 approved a slate of ordinances and resolutions. Major actions included final bonding steps for the wastewater-treatment plant, expansion of a housing tax incentive, repeal of a mandatory recycling provision to reflect voluntary service, procurement for 75 sets of firefighter turnout gear, a one-year legal-services contract for the development department, and a contract for structural rigging upgrades at the Marshall Health Network Arena.

Key vote and contract outcomes from the meeting:

• Ordinance 2025-O-24 (third reading) — Approved. Authorizes payment of a prior note and financing for extensions and improvements to the city's public sewerage system. (Roll call recorded nine yes votes; three absentees.)

• Ordinance 2025-O-27 (second reading) — Approved. Expands a tax incentive for construction or substantial renovation of residential housing to allow up to eight units per parcel, removes a first-time homebuyer requirement, permits contractors/subcontractors to claim an exemption from business & occupation tax for eligible projects, requires recipients to be current on city taxes and fees, and includes a sunset provision ending the incentive on Dec. 31, 2027.

• Ordinance 2025-O-31 (second reading) — Approved. Repeals parts of a prior 1993 ordinance that would have made curbside recycling mandatory and codifies the existing voluntary recycling program while retaining authority to contract with third-party recyclers.

• Resolution 2025-R-85 — Approved. Authorizes purchase of 75 sets of Lion-brand turnout gear. Chief Fuller reported a responsive bid from Phoenix Safety Outfitters (Springfield, Ohio) for $327,000.75 and recommended a five-year lease-purchase at 5.89% interest with a total refinance amount of $379,192.70 to provide two sets of gear per firefighter.

• Resolution 2025-R-86 — Approved. Authorizes a one-year contract, with options to renew up to four additional years, for legal services to the Department of Development and Planning. Saint Parsley, the plan director, said Campbell Woods Law Firm was the sole responsive submission; funding will come from federal grants that support development-led housing initiatives.

• Resolution 2025-R-87 — Approved. Authorizes a contract for catwalk and structural rigging upgrades at the Marshall Health Network Arena. The city received two bids; NeighborGolf Construction's bid was value-engineered from $3,390,720 to $2,000,000. Funding will come from Huntington Building Commission lease revenue refunding bond series 2024.

• Resolution 2025-R-91 — Approved. Supplemental resolution providing terms for the sewer revenue bond series 2025; adopted by voice vote and described by staff as the final step to allow the sanitary board to move forward with bonding.

Several agenda items were taken up on first reading or discussed without final vote, including a first reading of an annexation ordinance for the new Meadows School property and related roadway annexation; that item will return for additional readings and is subject to contract and recording requirements for stormwater (MS4) and service contracts.