Norwalk council adopts emergency budget amendments to buy AEDs and cover health-insurance changes

The Norwalk City Council voted to adopt an emergency ordinance that amends the 2025 budget to add supplemental appropriations for several city needs, including four automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and related enclosures.

Finance staff told council the ordinance adds $10,500 in the Park and Recreation fund to purchase four AEDs and protective enclosures “as required by Ohio House Bill 47.” The units will be installed at Baines Park, Mogwon Park, Sepphires Park and JC Park, the finance summary said. The ordinance also increases the street lighting/signals budget by $5,850 to pay for health-insurance costs arising from a change in an employee’s status and adds $1,500 in the General Capital Improvement Fund to pay schools according to enterprise-zone agreements.

Council moved to suspend the usual two-reading rule, declared the ordinance an emergency and approved the amendment and adoption after a roll-call vote. Councilmembers recorded affirmative votes in the roll call and the clerk read the ordinance before adoption. Council also corrected a decimal/comma formatting error in Section 3 during the meeting before final adoption.

The ordinance text amends appropriation line items across the general fund, park and recreation fund and general capital improvement fund and authorizes the finance director to issue warrants when proper certification and vouchers are provided. The emergency declaration cited the city charter and cited the need to make supplemental appropriations in accordance with state law.

The ordinance was adopted at the meeting and the finance director summarized the intended uses for the additional funds.