Parma City Council on July 7 adopted Ordinance 96-25, which enacts new Parma Codified Ordinance (PCO) section 11.21.455, repeals PCO section 11.21.485, and amends PCO section 11.70.03 concerning smoke shops; the council declared the measure an emergency and approved it by roll call vote.

City officials held a public hearing earlier in the evening on the proposed ordinance; no members of the public came forward to speak for or against the change. After the planning committee advanced the ordinance, council moved to place the measure on third reading and passage and then voted to adopt it.

The council’s action replaces the prior codified language and adds the newly numbered PCO provision specified in Ordinance 96-25. Administration had requested third reading and passage after two prior readings and the planning committee review. The council adopted the ordinance on a recorded roll-call vote with all members present voting yes (Councilmen and Councilwomen Early, Kuzma, Lime, Schuman, Soder, Zacharias, Boyd and Divis). The ordinance was passed as an emergency, meaning the council intended it to take effect immediately under the terms specified in the ordinance.

The council noted the planning committee had discussed the item earlier in the evening and that a public hearing was held as required; no public testimony was recorded at the hearing. Council members did not request further delay and moved the measure to final passage.

The text of the new and repealed PCO sections and the emergency clause are contained in Ordinance 96-25; the ordinance will be published as required by city rules and the codified ordinance updates will follow city procedures for inserting the new and amended sections.