The Village of Cleves conducted a second reading on adopting a consolidated code of ordinances prepared with American Legal Publishing, a process officials said addresses decades of scattered, outdated rules and will make local laws available online and in printed binders at municipal offices.

Mayor Chuck Berkelts and village administrator Justin Hamy described the multiyear effort to collect ordinances passed over the last 20 years and to have legal review and model-code integration by American Legal Publishing. Justin Hamy said the company “blend[s] it and make[s] a master manual, but they also do a legal and procedural review to make sure that our ordinances meet legal muster.”

Why it matters: Officials said the codification corrects inconsistencies with state and federal law, closes enforcement gaps (for example, creating a noise ordinance), and will increase transparency by publishing the code online. The mayor said the village spent “a little bit under $20,000 over the last 2 years,” split between fiscal years.

Details: The draft code will be published online immediately upon adoption and a printed binder will be available at municipal locations including the municipal building and the water department for residents without internet access. Staff said American Legal will provide model ordinances in the future to streamline drafting and legal review.

Actions and outcome: This item was presented as a second reading; council progressed the adoption process. No additional ordinances were adopted at this meeting beyond continuing the readings and planning publication. The mayor emphasized this is an ongoing work to identify and close gaps such as noise and tall-grass enforcement.

Ending: Officials asked residents to use the published code to understand rights and obligations and said the codification will improve the village’s credibility and transparency.