Vandalia council approves summer schedule, tax levies, EMS fee changes and park purchases in unanimous vote

The Vandalia City Council on Oct. 20 approved a package of resolutions and ordinances, each by unanimous roll-call vote, covering meeting scheduling, tax levies, emergency medical services fees, engineering contracts for street resurfacing, a bridge cooperation agreement with the Ohio Department of Transportation, and playground purchases at Helkey Park.

Key actions approved included:

- Resolution 25-R-44: the council adopted a summer meeting schedule for June, July and August 2026, proposing one meeting per month on the third Monday (study session at 5:30 p.m., regular business at 7 p.m.), with official dates June 15, July 20 and Aug. 17, 2026. The motion passed 7-0.

- Resolution 25-R-45: the council accepted amounts and rates for tax year 2025 as determined by the budget commission and authorized necessary tax levies; the Montgomery County auditor’s packet noted revenue estimates assume 95% collection and that amounts may change with elections and value adjustments. The motion passed 7-0.

- Resolution 25-R-46: the council approved updated emergency medical services (EMS) fees aligned with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rates and agreed to a staff recommendation to allow the billing contractor MediCount to send nonresident accounts to collections at the end of the standard billing cycle; residents would continue to be billed under the existing process. The motion passed 7-0. Staff presented the change as intended to reduce write-offs and to better align fees with surrounding jurisdictions.

- Resolution 25-R-47: the council accepted federal STP grant funding managed through the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission for resurfacing Poe Avenue, Weiss Road and Miller Lane (total project estimate $1,228,560, with up to $843,334 covered by the grant) and awarded preliminary engineering and design services to Choice 1 Engineering of Sidney, Ohio for $51,400. The motion passed 7-0.

- Resolution 25-R-48: the council authorized cooperation and contracts with the Ohio Department of Transportation for the Johnson Station Road bridge replacement project (PID 120484), which has received $1,382,327 in federal funding through the municipal bridge program plus $200,000 for preliminary design; council authorized ODOT to manage bidding and construction phases and acknowledged final approvals expected in 2026 and construction to begin in January 2027. The motion passed 7-0.

- Resolutions 25-R-49 and 25-R-50: the council waived formal bidding and authorized purchases for Helkey Park swing-area improvements. Resolution 25-R-49 authorized purchase and installation of safety surfacing from Forever Lawn of Ohio through Sourcewell contract 031622-FVL at a cost not to exceed $60,000. Resolution 25-R-50 authorized purchase of swing-area equipment from Landscape Structures through Ohio State contract RSC026359-STS640 at a cost not to exceed $51,000. Combined spending for the swing-area project was not to exceed the budgeted $111,000. Both motions passed 7-0.

- Ordinance 25-26 (first reading): council held first reading and approved rezoning of approximately 15.478 acres at 770 Bolton Abbey Lane from RSF-2 to RSF-4 and agricultural districts; the applicant, Campbell Burling Development, proposes 35 single-family homes as Section 8 of the Foxfire Subdivision. Planning Commission recommended approval 2-1 on Sept. 23, 2025. The first reading passed 7-0.

- Ordinance 25-24 (second reading): council approved amendments to the Parks and Recreation fee schedule, following a presentation to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board that recommended the fee changes. The second reading passed 7-0.

- Ordinance 25-25 (emergency): council approved an emergency ordinance assessing individual property amounts for delinquent stormwater, trash, sewer and water charges, weed cutting and property maintenance and directed the finance director or designee to certify amounts to the county auditor. The motion to adopt as an emergency passed 7-0.

Additional consent items included approval of board and commission minutes and acceptance of the September 2025 bill listing totaling $4,912,288.96; monthly expenses over $25,000 and the monthly purchase card detail of $27,954.76 were also presented and approved.

Why it matters: The measures set the council’s 2026 meeting cadence, finalize tax-levy certifications for county collection, adjust EMS billing practices and fees, authorize road resurfacing engineering tied to a federal grant, partner with ODOT on a federally funded bridge replacement, and fund playground improvements — actions that affect city budgeting, infrastructure projects and municipal services.

Procedural notes: Most items were presented by city staff in the council packet with staff recommendations; each item was adopted by roll-call vote 7-0. Where external funding or contracts were involved, staff identified expected timelines and outside approvals (county auditor, ODOT, state procurement and Sourcewell agreements).