Vermilion council adopts 2025 appropriations, confirms appointments and authorizes vehicle bids

Vermilion City Council on March 3 adopted the city’s 2025 appropriations ordinance, confirmed several committee appointments and approved requests to solicit bids for two public-works vehicles while sending a $2 million streets-design request to committee for further study.

The council voted unanimously to adopt Ordinance 2025-6, the city’s final appropriations for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2025. The ordinance will be submitted to the Erie County Auditor to meet statutory deadlines, Finance Director Amy Hendricks told council during her report.

That vote followed a series of motions on personnel and procurement. Council approved three appointments: John Gabriel to the Board of Zoning Appeals to complete an unexpired term ending Dec. 31, 2026; David Turkin to the Stormwater Management Committee for a four-year term ending Dec. 31, 2028; and an appointment to the planning commission effective April 1, 2025 (motion text identifies the appointee as Mike Kriegman and the unexpired term ending Dec. 31, 2028). Each appointment passed on recorded voice votes.

Council also approved two motions authorizing the administration to go out to bid: one for a new snowplow truck and one for a dual-axle dump truck with a stainless-steel bed. Council discussion noted long lead times for trucks and the age of current equipment: officials said the oldest snowplow will be removed from service at the end of the season and that some trucks in fleet service are 18–27 years old.

A separate motion to authorize the city engineer to prepare design plans for street improvements funded by $2,000,000 from the streets fund failed on a roll-call vote, after members said they wanted a committee review and a prioritized list of candidate streets. Council subsequently voted to refer the proposal to the Streets, Buildings and Grounds committee for evaluation and a recommended list.

Other business included first- and second-reading placements for several ordinances and a resolution; Ordinance 2025-8 (a memorandum of agreement) and three first-reading ordinances (2025-10, 2025-11 and 2025-12) were scheduled for future readings. Council moved Ordinance 2025-12 — an amendment to chapter 8207 regarding credit for tax paid to other municipalities — to the legislative committee for discussion.

Votes at a glance

- Ordinance 2025-6 (2025 appropriations): Adopted. Recorded: Councilmember Worley — yes; Councilmember Lucas — yes; Councilmember Holmes — yes; Councilmember Drew — yes; Councilmember Wes — yes; motion carried.

- Authorize administration to go out to bid for new snowplow truck: Approved (motion carried). Recorded voice votes indicated unanimous support from members present.

- Authorize administration to go out to bid for dual-axle dump truck with stainless-steel bed: Approved (motion carried). Recorded voice votes indicated unanimous support from members present.

- Authorize city engineer to prepare design plans for street improvements funded by $2,000,000 from the streets fund: Motion failed on roll-call (majority voting "no"); later referred to Streets, Buildings and Grounds committee (referral motion carried).

- Appointment of John Gabriel to Board of Zoning Appeals (term to 12/31/2026): Approved (motion carried).

- Reappointment of David Turkin to Stormwater Management Committee (term to 12/31/2028): Approved (motion carried).

- Appointment to Planning Commission effective 04/01/2025 to fill unexpired term ending 12/31/2028 (motion records appointee as Mike Kriegman): Approved (motion carried).

What passed will be reflected in the minutes and in the city’s posted agenda materials; ordinances on first reading will return to council for additional readings before final action.