Cortland council rejects Lakeshore consulting contract after heated public comments on hiring and emergency purchasing

The Cortland City Council on Aug. 18 rejected an emergency ordinance to hire Lakeshore Strategic Consulting LLC to assist with creation of a tax-increment financing (TIF) district and brownfield environmental coordination for the former school building at 264 Park Avenue.

The vote followed more than an hour of public comment criticizing repeated emergency contracting, payments to two consultants and the mayor’s handling of hiring for the interim service director role. Several residents urged council to investigate whether the city bypassed procurement rules and to refer potential tax- or procurement-related misconduct to outside authorities.

Why it matters: The ordinance would have hired Lakeshore Strategic Consulting for work tied to a city-owned former school property and to provide economic development assistance. Opponents said the proposal was part of a broader pattern of piecemeal emergency purchases and private contracts that channel city funds to two repeat consultants; supporters said the work was time-sensitive and tied to a possible redevelopment strategy.

Council business and vote: Council first voted to take the Lakeshore item off the agenda table so it could be considered. After debate and public comment, council voted on the ordinance’s emergency designation and the ordinance itself. The roll call on the emergency failed; the ordinance therefore did not advance.

Public comment and allegations: Multiple residents used the meeting’s public-comment period to describe a multi-year sequence of city contracts, staffing changes and consulting agreements. Speakers identified two recurring contractors — a consultant who has billed to the city under Lakeshore Strategic Consulting LLC (referred to in public comments as "Sean Radakin" when acting as interim service director) and another consultant tied to multiple contracts (referred to in public comments as "Jeffrey Jing").

Former city employee Michael Smith, who testified during public comment, described an internal change in practices after the interim service director began working for the city and criticized decision-making behind closed doors. "The city deserves better. We cannot have leaders who are rarely present, who ignore staff, and who make decisions behind closed doors while employees and residents pay the price," Smith said.

Another commenter urged referrals to the Ohio attorney general and to federal tax authorities, saying the repeated use of single-person LLCs as contractors allowed the individuals to claim self-employment tax benefits. At one point a speaker said, "The mayor should resign immediately," and later said he would file a complaint with the Ohio attorney general.

Council and staff responses: Several council members said they lacked enough information and time to evaluate the proposal fully; one council member told the record they had spent a weekend reviewing TIF mechanics before deciding their vote. Finance staff told the meeting that the general fund balance was roughly in the $750,000–$800,000 range and that the general fund is legally available for any city purpose, though staff cautioned the fund serves as a cash float in the first months of the year.

Related motions and prior actions: Earlier in the meeting the council approved routine business including minutes, a schedule of bills to be paid and a bank reconciliation. The council approved two resolutions to advertise a zone-change public hearing and to declare the city's intent to reimburse the general fund for West Main Street water-main replacement work from OPWC proceeds. The council also approved emergency ordinances for spay-and-neuter services for feral cats and for extending project funding with a contractor on the West Main Street waterline replacement project.

What the council directed next: There was no formal direction recorded to staff to rework the Lakeshore proposal that same night. Several members of the public asked the finance director to compile records on payments to the consultants and to request an external review; one commenter said they would pursue complaints with the Ohio attorney general and the IRS.

Votes at a glance: - Motion to take ordinance O-45-25 (Lakeshore contract) off the table: passed (roll call recorded in transcript as multiple council members voting yes). - Emergency designation for O-45-25 (Lakeshore contract): failed (roll-call excerpts recorded: Don Moore — yes; Dr. Carey — no; Scott Raley — no; Jim Bradley — no; Tim McClain — no; Kathy/"Kim" Paris — no; ordinance did not advance). - Other items earlier in the meeting: approval of minutes (approved); schedule of bills $258,836.05 (approved); bank reconciliation ending 07/31/2025 (approved); resolution R-36-25 (zone-change public hearing) (approved); resolution R-37-25 (intent to reimburse general fund for West Main Street water main) (approved); emergency ordinance amending O-2-25 for feral cat spay/neuter (approved); emergency ordinance to extend West Main waterline funding with PK Excavating (approved); a separate ordinance was tabled by motion earlier in new business (item not specified in the record).

Context and background: Many public speakers traced the current package of ordinances and purchases to a sequence of consulting agreements and short-term hiring ordinances over the past two-plus years. Speakers said one consultant was first contracted for a zoning/"new program" book and later for additional work; another consultant served as interim service director under emergency postings and purchase orders. Commenters said the city paid roughly $255,000 to the two consultants in recent years and argued the pattern merited review; council and staff disputed or declined to confirm some of those arithmetic totals in the meeting.

What’s next: With the emergency designation rejected, the Lakeshore contract did not move forward that night. Council members and residents asked for more documentation, including procurement and payment records, resumes and the law director's written opinion on emergency purchasing. Several public commenters said they would pursue outside complaints if the council did not act to investigate.

Ending: The meeting closed after further departmental reports and public comment. Council members will decide whether to reintroduce the Lakeshore contract or to request additional staff work on TIF/brownfield options in a future agenda.