Moraine City Council committee approves drafting legislation on ordinances, leases, waste plan, bridge permit and vehicle replacement

The Moraine City Council’s committee of the whole voted to send a set of housekeeping and implementation items to legislation during a roughly 11-minute meeting that ended with the council moving to an executive session on city-owned real estate.

Council members approved motions to draft ordinances or resolutions covering (1) the quarterly supplement to the Moraine Codified Ordinances, (2) legislation to implement recommendations from the Community Reinvestment/Tax Incentive review bodies, (3) ratification of the Montgomery County Solid Waste Management District plan update, (4) renewal of two city farm leases, (5) a land-use permit with the Miami Conservancy District for the Halls Creek pedestrian bridge, and (6) replacement of a building-maintenance van. The council also voted to excuse Councilman Daughtry from the meeting and to enter an executive session at the end of the public meeting.

The motions were procedural: members directed staff to prepare draft legislation or resolutions for consideration at upcoming council meetings. For the codification item, council was asked to authorize an ordinance with an emergency clause so changes in the Walter Drane quarterly supplement (revisions through January 2025) could take effect immediately upon passage. The city planner reported that Walter Drane (the publisher handling codification) supplied the first quarterly installment and staff recommended preparing an ordinance.

On the Community Reinvestment/Tax Incentive item, staff said the city must submit paperwork by the March filing deadline and asked that legislation be drawn to implement forthcoming recommendations of the Community Reinvestment Housing Council (CRHC) and the Tax Incentive Review Council (TIRC). The city noted the CRHC meeting is scheduled for the coming Monday and the TIRC meeting is handled by the Montgomery County Auditor’s Office and is scheduled for March 25; final recommendations will be brought to council before the next meeting.

Council also approved staff requesting ratification of the Montgomery County Solid Waste Management District plan, which the county updates every five years. Staff said a county representative (John Meniere, assistant director of Montgomery County Solid Waste) will present the plan at the March 27 council meeting and legislation to ratify the plan will be prepared for that meeting.

The committee approved selecting the incumbent tenants as the successful bidders for two agricultural leases the city advertises roughly every three years. The city planner reported that legal notice ran Feb. 21–March 3, 2025, and that the only bids received were from the previous tenants: Mark Allison for Lyleburn Farm and Chip Getter for the farm at Shoulders Home. The planner reported Allison bid $110 as a flat fee for Lyleburn Farm and Getter bid $4,560 per year for the Shoulders Home property; staff asked for legislation to formalize the leases and terms (the documents will specify the renewal structure of one-year terms with two additional options, as noted by staff).

Council also authorized drafting a resolution to renew an agreement with the Miami Conservancy District for the Halls Creek pedestrian bridge land-use permit (permit number given in the packet as 13-3177-1). Staff recommended the resolution be prepared for the next meeting so the city’s authorization to continue the bridge permit is in place.

Finally, the committee approved drafting legislation for a budgeted replacement of a building-maintenance van. Staff said the vehicle replaces a roughly 20-year-old, high-mileage vehicle and that the purchase is within the current budget; staff also said the selected van is an outfitted Ford Transit model already ordered and ready for service upon delivery.

Most motions passed on unanimous roll calls. After business concluded, the law director asked for an executive session at the end of the meeting to discuss disposition of city-owned real estate; the council approved that request and recessed into executive session with no public business to follow.

Votes at a glance - Motion to excuse Councilman Daughtry from the meeting — approved (roll call: Mayor Murphy; Mr. Miller; Mr. Perchett; Mrs. Witt; Mrs. Allen; Ms. Marcus — recorded as “Yes”). - Motion to hold an executive session to discuss disposition of city-owned real estate — approved (roll call: Mayor Murphy; Mr. Miller; Mr. Perchett; Mrs. Witt; Mrs. Allen; Ms. Marcus — recorded as “Yes”). - Motion to draft legislation implementing CRHC/TIRC recommendations and to put the item on the next regular council meeting agenda — approved (roll call: Mayor Murphy; Mr. Miller; Mr. Perchett; Mrs. Witt; Mrs. Allen; Ms. Marcus — recorded as “Yes”). - Motion to prepare an ordinance (with emergency clause) adopting the Walter Drane quarterly supplement to the Moraine Codified Ordinances (revisions through Jan. 2025) — approved (roll call: Mrs. Webb; Mrs. Allen; Mayor Murphy; Mr. Miller; Mr. Brichette; Ms. Marcus — recorded as “Yes”). - Motion to prepare legislation to ratify the Montgomery County Solid Waste Management District Plan update (presentation scheduled for March 27) — approved (roll call: Mayor Murphy; Mr. Miller; Mr. Perchett; Mrs. Witt; Mrs. Allen; Ms. Marcus — recorded as “Yes”). - Motion to prepare lease legislation for Lyleburn Farm and the Shoulders Home farm selecting Mark Allison and Chip Getter as the successful bidders — approved (roll call: Mrs. Allen; Mayor Murphy; Mr. Miller; Mr. Burchat; Mrs. Witt; Ms. Marcus — recorded as “Yes”). - Motion to prepare a resolution authorizing an agreement with the Miami Conservancy District for land-use permit 13-3177-1 (Halls Creek pedestrian bridge) — approved (roll call: Mr. Miller; Mr. Buscchutz; Mrs. Witt; Mrs. Allen; Mayor Murphy; Ms. Marcus — recorded as “Yes”). - Motion to prepare legislation for the budgeted replacement building-maintenance van (Ford Transit, outfitted) — approved (roll call: Mayor Murphy; Mr. Miller; Mr. Burchat; Mrs. Witt; Mrs. Allen; Ms. Marcus — recorded as “Yes”).

No ordinances, resolutions or contracts were adopted during this committee session; council directed staff to draft legislation for consideration at upcoming meetings. The meeting then recessed to executive session to discuss disposition of city-owned real estate with no public business to follow.