Sandusky charter-review commission flags multiple charter provisions for further study

The Sandusky Charter Review Commission met in a hybrid session Oct. 12 to review past charter amendments, hear a primer on parliamentary procedure and flag a series of charter provisions for additional research and possible ballot recommendations.

The meeting opened with a presentation by Mr. Hastings, who summarized prior charter amendment efforts dating to 2015 and explained methods previously used to place changes before voters. “Some have come from the charter review process, which is what we're doing right now,” Hastings said as he walked the commission through a color-coded list of past proposals and election results.

A short primer on Robert's Rules of Order followed. Stuart, serving as the meeting parliamentarian, told commissioners the rules are intended "to make it easier for people to work together even when they disagree." He also noted that Sandusky maintains an eight-page local overlay that incorporates the current edition of Robert's Rules and that the chair's rulings under the local rules are final on parliamentary procedure.

The bulk of the meeting was devoted to moving through charter sections and identifying where commissioners want to dig deeper. Commissioners flagged the following topics for future meetings: reconsidering the preamble’s reference to “almighty God” and gendered-language clauses; reexamining whether Sandusky should keep its at-large commission or return to a ward-based system; clarifying residency and qualification requirements for elected office and appointed posts; revising the vacancy appointment sequence; adjusting procurement thresholds tied to competitive bidding; reviewing the charter language on emergency declarations and emergency purchases; clarifying the mayor/president title language (including use and capitalization of “ex officio”); and simplifying or relocating detailed civil service provisions to ordinance rather than charter.

On procurement, staff noted a large gap between the city’s current $10,000 threshold for formal bidding and the Ohio Revised Code threshold (which staff said was $75,000 in 2024 and increases annually under state law). Michelle, identified in the meeting as a city staff member, said that higher thresholds have led to operational inefficiencies — for example, purchasing replacement pumps or undercover vehicles requires more administrative steps than it once did. Commissioners signaled interest in reviewing whether to raise the local thresholds or instead manage thresholds by ordinance rather than charter amendment.

Commissioners also discussed ambiguity in provisions governing whether appointed officials (including the city manager) or advisory board members must live inside the city and how that requirement interacts with state law. A city attorney present explained that state law and court rulings limit the charter's ability to require city employees to reside in the city, and commissioners agreed to review current charter language and relevant state authority before proposing changes.

Members asked for staff and legal follow-ups on multiple items, including: comparisons of Sandusky practice to other Ohio cities on bidding thresholds; copies of recent city job descriptions and the city manager job posting; prior charter-review minutes and ballot language examples; and a clearer drafting option for the mayor/president language and for the residency/qualifications language for boards and managers.

The meeting ended after commissioners set the next meeting agenda and a motion to adjourn was made and seconded; the chair closed the meeting at approximately 6:30 p.m.

The commission did not take final votes on any charter changes at this meeting; instead, it identified a list of sections to revisit in future meetings and requested targeted staff and legal research to inform potential ballot proposals.