Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council adopts emergency appropriations ordinance; city to issue $750,000 purchase order for inclusive playground
Summary
Fostoria council suspended three readings and adopted an ordinance to reallocate funds including a $750,000 purchase order for an inclusive playground; the council heard Finance Committee figures showing first-quarter balances and was told the city's IT vendor will stop service June 1.
The Fostoria City Council voted to adopt an emergency ordinance that amends 2025 appropriations, transfers funds among city accounts and moves money into the Iron Triangle Rail Park Fund. Council also approved suspending the three-reading rule to expedite the measure.
Council's Finance Committee reported first-quarter figures showing total cash balances of $20,677,212, with $10,396,668 in the General Fund and an unencumbered General Fund balance roughly $2,400,000 below the Finance Director's original expectation. Committee members noted that real estate and income-tax revenues are on target. The Finance Director told the committee that the city's current IT provider will stop providing services on June 1; staff are seeking a replacement and warned that IT costs will be higher, which could prompt future appropriation changes.
Council discussed a planned inclusive playground to be built by Wood County Place. City staff said a $750,000 purchase order will be issued; an Ohio EPA grant will cover $147,000 of that amount and the city will appropriate the grant match. The city expects to receive an 8% discount by using a purchasing cooperative and will ask council to suspend the three-reading rule at the next meeting to secure equipment with a long lead time. Wood County Place will handle most fundraising and volunteer assembly; the city will purchase the equipment through the cooperative to qualify for the discount.
Votes at a glance: - Motion to approve minutes of the previous meeting — mover: Mendoza; second: Baker. Roll call: Lehman: yes; Podak: abstain; Cassidy: yes; Baker: yes; Grine: abstain; Mendoza: yes; Lake: yes. Outcome: motion carried with two abstentions. - Ordinance adopting and amending permanent 2025 appropriations (declared emergency) — motion to suspend three readings (mover: Lake; second: Lehman): roll call unanimous yes; motion to adopt (mover: Cassidy; second: Baker): roll call unanimous yes. Ordinance recorded as number 2025-30.
City officials said they will present specific legislation at the next meeting to appropriate the playground funds and to request suspension of the three-reading rule so the purchase order can be issued; staff said the target installation week is July 23 but equipment lead times require earlier ordering.
