Germantown council adopts emergency budget changes, creates Creek Bank Fund and okays police cameras and cruisers

Germantown — The Germantown City Council on Feb. 3 approved an emergency ordinance amending the city’s 2025 appropriations, created a new Creek Bank erosion fund, authorized a five-year contract for automated license-plate cameras and approved purchase of two patrol vehicles, all by unanimous roll call.

The actions were presented by Finance Director Pat Shively and city staff during the regular meeting. "Ordinance number 25 02 is the ordinance to amend the appropriation that we passed for 2025 back in December of 20 24," Pat Shively said, explaining the largest line-item is a $350,000 planning-and-zoning appropriation tied to an EDGE grant that will be reimbursed by the county. Shively told council the police-levy fund appropriation increases by $90,900 to cover items not included in the original 2025 budget; the department also received a $25,000 donation last year that will offset some purchases.

Police Chief Matt Burns asked council to approve replacing a cruiser destroyed in a Dec. 26 crash and to proceed with an additional vehicle already budgeted. Speaking about the department’s plan for automated-license-plate-system cameras, Burns said the five-year contract "is gonna add out to be about $31,300. There's $6,000 a year. However, the first year, it's gonna cost a little bit more to put the cameras up." He asked for council permission to move forward; council approved the camera contract and the vehicle purchase as part of the consent and subsequent resolutions.

Council also approved Resolution 25-09 authorizing the city to apply for a U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development grant seeking $100,000 to establish a revolving loan fund to assist downtown businesses, and adopted Resolution 25-06 to continue participation in the Montgomery County multi-jurisdictional hazard-mitigation plan.

The council created a new Creek Bank erosion fund by emergency ordinance (24-54) to set aside money annually for future erosion repairs and declared the ordinance an emergency to establish the fund immediately. Shively said the fund will be established first and appropriations to seed it will be brought back later.

Several consent-agenda items that passed without separate discussion included a new contract and fee schedule with the city’s building code contractor (National Inspection Corporation), two liquor-permit recommendations sent to the state (for Parkside Pizza and Las Margaritas), and two separate resolutions declaring surplus property and authorizing its sale.

Public comment was not offered on the emergency appropriation during the hearing; the council opened the hearing, had no speakers and closed it before voting. After completing legislative business the council recessed into an executive session under Ohio Revised Code 121.22(G)(2) to consider purchase of property.

Votes at a glance

- Emergency Ordinance 25-02 (amend 2025 appropriations; emergency) — Approved, roll call 7–0. - Ordinance 24-54 (create Creek Bank erosion fund; emergency) — Approved, roll call 7–0. - Resolution 25-06 (continue participation in county hazard mitigation plan) — Approved as part of consent, roll call 7–0. - Resolution 25-09 (apply for USDA Rural Development $100,000 revolving-loan grant) — Approved as part of consent, roll call 7–0. - Resolution 25-05 (contract and fee schedule with National Inspection Corporation) — Approved as part of consent, roll call 7–0. - Resolution 25-10 (contract with Flock Group Inc for camera system) — Approved as part of consent, roll call 7–0. - Resolution 25-11 (purchase two Dodge Durango patrol vehicles) — Approved as part of consent, roll call 7–0. - Other consent items (liquor-permit recommendations, surplus-property resolutions, Dora-hours alteration authority, America250 Ohio support) — Approved as part of consent, roll call 7–0.

What this means

City staff said the planning-and-zoning appropriation ($350,000) covers work required under a previously approved EDGE grant (approved June 5, 2023) and will be reimbursed; the police levy fund increase ($90,900) covers items not included in the December appropriation and is partially offset by a $25,000 donation. The Flock camera contract is a multiyear agreement whose annual cost was estimated at about $6,000 after an initial higher installation year. The USDA grant application, if awarded, would seed a downtown revolving-loan fund; council approved applying but did not approve award acceptance conditions beyond the authorization to apply.

Background and next steps

Ordinance 25-08, which would revise the council pay schedule to align with OPERS standards and add an annual cost-of-living adjustment, was introduced and scheduled for public hearing March 3, 2025. Staff said they will return with appropriation ordinances to fund the newly created Creek Bank Fund. The council convened an executive session later in the meeting to consider purchase of property under ORC 121.22(G)(2).

(Reporting by City staff presentations and council roll-call votes recorded on the Feb. 3, 2025 Germantown City Council meeting transcript.)