Council approves six measures including electric aggregation rate, OPWC funding application and demolition contract

Barberton City Council adopted six pieces of legislation and approved several administrative items at its March 10, 2025, regular legislative meeting.

Council unanimously passed Ordinance 33-2025 to continue the city's governmental electric aggregation program and directed the mayor to execute a supply agreement with DynEnergy (formerly Energy Harbor) at an amended rate of $0.0932 per kilowatt-hour. Council member Griffin presented the ordinance on the floor and the council amended the rate before adoption.

Council adopted Ordinance 31-2025, authorizing a three-year contract with Public Consulting Group for approximately $136,148 annually (10% payment structure described in the ordinance language). The ordinance was moved by Council member Harris and seconded by Council member Thompson and passed on a roll call.

Ordinance 34-2025, a contract with Butcher & Sons for the 2025 residential demolition program, was adopted after suspension of the usual rules. The ordinance moves the city forward on its demolition program for the year.

Resolution 35-2025 authorizes the mayor to prepare and submit an Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) funding application for the Lloyd Street sanitary sewer collapse. The utilities committee invoked council rules to allow immediate consideration and council adopted the resolution.

Resolution 30-2025, expressing the city's support for State Issue 2 (renewal of the state capital improvement program) on the May 6, 2025, statewide ballot, was adopted following suspension of the normal rule requiring advance readings.

In committee earlier in the evening, members of the City Properties, Parks & Recreation committee approved a request from the parks director to appropriate $15,000 from the parks revolving fund (a grant) for fencing and a new restroom at College Park; the committee voted to refer the legislation to the finance committee for formal appropriation.

Council also handled routine licensing: a new D-5 liquor license application for Kraken Entertainment LLC (doing business as Timber Beast), 579 W. Tuscarora St., drew no objections from council members and was accepted under the council's revised handling process.

Several votes were recorded by roll call during the meeting; where roll-call results were read in full on the record the clerk recorded affirmative votes for adoption and the minutes show motions carried.

No item in this meeting resulted in defeat or a tie. Where emergency or suspension-of-rule motions were necessary (for example, for the OPWC application and several ordinances), council invoked the charter provisions and proceeded with roll-call votes to adopt the measures.

Ending note: Several other matters remained in committee or on second reading, including the city's operating and capital budget (Ordinance 22-2025), which returns for a final reading on March 24.