Reynoldsburg City Council voted 8-0 on July 14 to amend and approve ordinances adding emergency language to several contracts and projects so work can move forward before the council's August recess.

Council reconsidered Ordinance No. 31-2025, authorizing the mayor to enter into a contract with DLZ for construction inspection services for the Parks and Public Service Facility project, and amended it to include emergency language to allow inspection services to begin immediately. The motion to amend was made by Council Member Pacquero and seconded by Council Member Savanti; the amended ordinance passed on an 8-0 roll call.

The council took the same steps for Ordinance No. 32-2025, an ordinance authorizing a contract with EMH&T for engineering design services for Birchview Drive (East Green Boulevard to Bell Tree Drive). Director Dormey/Dorman told the committee city staff needed to align with ODOT's federal calendar and reporting system (referred to in the record as ELIS/Ellis) to complete design work in 2025, which motivated the request for emergency language. Council voted 8-0 to amend and approve that ordinance as well.

Other design and inspection items discussed in committee meetings that were forwarded to council with emergency language included contracts and amendments to allow pipe inspection (CCTV) work in the Herbert neighborhood, design services for a new public water main tied to the parks/public service facility, and construction inspection for the larger facility project. Several committee chairs and department directors explained the emergency language is intended to keep projects on a federal or seasonal schedule and to allow the city to begin work while council is in recess.

Why it matters: the emergency amendments permit immediate starts on time-sensitive engineering, inspection and construction tasks tied to capital projects. Officials said delays could push work into later federal funding cycles or cause scheduling conflicts with contractors.

Meeting details: for Ordinance 31-2025 the clerk recorded an 8-0 vote to amend and to approve the ordinance as amended. For Ordinance 32-2025 the clerk likewise recorded an 8-0 vote to amend and approve. City staff repeatedly tied the need for emergency language to scheduling constraints and to compliance with outside funders' timelines (ODOT and other grant administrators).