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Canal Fulton council approves payroll ordinance under emergency, accepts hires and grant, and OKs purchase orders
Summary
City council passed an emergency payroll ordinance to set 2025 safety-force pay rates, swore in new public-safety hires, accepted a Firehouse Subs grant for fire equipment, and approved a batch of purchase orders and November bills.
Canal Fulton City Council passed an ordinance under suspension and declared an emergency Wednesday to adopt new 2025 pay rates for safety forces and part-time employees, swore in new public-safety personnel, accepted a grant for fire equipment and approved a package of purchase orders and the city's November bills.
The council voted to pass Ordinance 2-25, amending pay rates for safety forces and part-time employees and repealing conflicting ordinances, under suspension and declaring an emergency so the rates could take effect Jan. 1 for upcoming payroll. Mayor Joseph Schultz and council members completed a roll call vote to adopt the ordinance.
The ordinance matters because payroll needs to reflect the new rates before the next pay run, finance staff told council. During the same meeting council also approved a series of purchase orders covering employee stipends, utilities, sewer capital work, software renewals and dispatching services. Council received the city's November bills totaling $1,294,943.
The meeting began with two swearing-in ceremonies. The council administered the oath to Dylan Gregorich as a police cadet; Chief Wilson introduced Gregorich as a Northwest High School graduate and a U.S. Air Force veteran returning to his hometown to join the police department. The council then swore in Alex Volmer as a firefighter/EMT for the fire department. Motions to accept the cadet and the firefighter were made and seconded and approved by roll call.
Fire Chief Gary reported that Firehouse Subs awarded the department a grant of $19,556.48 to replace an aging inflatable "rack, trailer and motor" used for rescue operations; the money had been anticipated in last year's capital plan and finance had shifted funds in expectation of receiving the grant. Council accepted the grant by motion and roll call.
Council also moved and approved purchase orders collectively, including: - $176,000 for an overhead airline to a holding tank at the sewer plant - $123,000 for 2025 dispatching services - $31,952.98 for finance, payroll and tax software annual fees - $16,785.39 for records management system annual fees - $13,450 for 2025 communications services - $13,500 for 2025 employee stipends - $11,000 for water and sewer chemicals - $10,000 for billing services - $6,000 for annual policy-manual renewal
Council also approved receiving the bills for November.
No amendments to Ordinance 2-25 were recorded in the meeting minutes provided. Council later moved into an executive session to discuss personnel matters.
Votes at a glance - Ordinance 2-25 (payroll rates): Passed under suspension and declared an emergency; motion made and seconded; roll call approved. - Acceptance of Dylan Gregorich as police cadet: Motion made and seconded; roll call approved. - Acceptance of Alex Volmer as firefighter/EMT: Motion made and seconded; roll call approved. - Acceptance of Firehouse Subs grant ($19,556.48): Motion made and seconded; roll call approved. - Purchase orders and November bills (listed above): Motion made and seconded; roll call approved.
Attendance and procedure notes: The meeting repeatedly used roll-call votes for motions. Several motions were moved and seconded from the council floor; when council sought to accelerate Ordinance 2-25 it suspended the normal three-reading process and declared an emergency so the pay changes would apply immediately for payroll processing.
