Columbiana council adopts emergency asphalt contract, appoints Mark Edwards as police chief and approves salary, records ordinances; CRA abatements continued

The Columbiana City Council on April 1 approved several measures by roll-call vote, including an emergency contract for asphalt services, ordinance changes addressing salaries and public-records video production charges, and a resolution approving Mark Edwards as the city’s new chief of police effective April 2025.

Emergency asphalt contract: The council adopted Ordinance No. 25-OD-3287 (emergency), authorizing the city manager to enter into a contract with Tri County Asphalt Materials Inc., P.O. Box 338, North Lima, Ohio 44452, for asphalt work. The ordinance was moved, seconded and adopted as an emergency; the transcript records affirmative roll-call responses for those voting.

Police chief appointment and swearing-in: The council adopted Resolution No. 25R-663 (emergency) approving the city manager’s appointment of Mark Edwards as chief of police, effective April 2025. The clerk noted a typographical error in the resolution’s draft (a misspelling of the appointee’s name) and said it would be corrected; the council voted to approve the appointment as corrected. Following the vote, Edwards recited the oath of office before the council.

Salary and records ordinances: The council read and approved an ordinance amending Ordinance No. 24-O-3227 to set salaries and employment conditions for certain appointed personnel (identified in the meeting as Ordinance No. 25-OD-3288). Separately, council completed a second reading of an ordinance amending chapter 208 (public records) to authorize amounts charged for the production of video records (ordinance number not fully specified in the transcript).

CRA abatements and bill list: Council concurred with the Gray Housing Committee’s unanimous recommendation to continue residential CRA abatements issued between 2019 and 2023. The council also approved the bill list and took a motion to read ordinances by title only where appropriate.

Votes and procedure notes: Several items were approved as emergency measures by motion and roll call. The clerk recorded “Yes” votes across the roll calls as items were adopted; the transcript indicates unanimous affirmative votes where recorded. Where the transcript contains minor typos (including a typographical error in the resolution naming the chief), staff said corrections would be made before final documents are executed.

Other business and executive session: City staff provided several routine manager’s report updates (transportation partnership discussions with Salem, contractor registration reminders, stormwater/culvert replacement funding pending award, recent public works repairs). The council went into executive session later in the meeting to discuss pending litigation under Ohio Revised Code section 121.22(3).