Cortland council approves package of staffing changes, emergency purchases and infrastructure repairs

Cortland City Council on April 7, 2025 approved a package of ordinances and resolutions that realigned positions in the city service department, created a compliance‑coordinator position and authorized several emergency purchases and infrastructure repairs.

The measures were presented as a coordinated effort to streamline the service department and to respond to time‑sensitive equipment needs ahead of spring operations. The council declared multiple items as emergencies so work or purchases could proceed immediately.

Among the actions the council approved were: adoption of emergency ordinances to repeal two prior ordinances that established wages and benefits for the associate service director positions and to reassign those employees; an emergency ordinance appointing and setting wages for a newly created compliance coordinator position; an ordinance to pick up statutory employer contributions for that position under the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (cited with IRC section 401(h)(2) in the ordinance summary); and an update to the city’s distribution of wages to reflect the new position.

Council members also approved emergency purchases and repairs for public‑works equipment: authorization for the interim service director to buy an Exmark zero‑turn mower; to purchase a utility trailer; to secure a refurbished blower motor for a city utility truck; and to authorize ASI Environmental to replace guide rails and brackets in Pump Warehouse No. 2. The interim service director said the guide rails had rusted to the point that pumps could not be safely lifted or lowered and characterized the replacement as essential to maintaining water service.

Council declared each purchase an emergency because of the seasonal workload and, in some cases, the risk of equipment failure. For the mower, staff said one existing mower was high‑maintenance and unreliable; for the blower motor and trailer, staff described safety and reliability concerns that would affect spring cleanup and storm‑water work.

The council was told the staff realignment and reassignments are intended as a housekeeping and efficiency move; staff estimated the reorganization would reduce service‑department costs going forward (the meeting record reported a projected savings of about $120,000 per year). The pickup of retirement contributions and the wage changes were described as internal reallocations rather than requests for new ongoing funding.

All of the emergency ordinances and related motions were approved by roll call during the meeting; the clerk recorded that members present voted in favor. The council then moved on to department reports and a scheduled executive session on personnel.

Votes at a glance (selected items): - Ordinances repealing prior associate service director wage ordinances and reassigning those positions — approved by roll call (emergency). - Ordinance appointing and setting wages for the compliance coordinator (emergency) — approved by roll call. - Ordinance to pick up OPERS contributions for the new position (emergency) — approved by roll call. - Exmark zero‑turn mower purchase (emergency) — approved by roll call. - Utility trailer purchase (emergency) — approved by roll call. - Refurbished blower motor for utility truck (emergency) — approved by roll call. - ASI Environmental pump‑station guide‑rail replacement (emergency) — approved by roll call.

The meeting record shows these items were advanced with limited debate and described as necessary for safety, continuity of service and departmental efficiency. The council adjourned the public session to an executive session to discuss personnel matters.