North Ridgeville City Council adopts package of budgets, vehicle purchases and project changes; emergency clauses added to several measures

North Ridgeville City Council on March 3 adopted a series of ordinances and resolutions covering vehicle and equipment purchases, fund transfers, capital appropriations, and agricultural-district designations. Several items were approved with emergency clauses to allow immediate implementation or to prevent project delays.

Key actions included the adoption of a resolution to accept an ODOT subgrant for an expansion vehicle for the North Ridgeville Senior Center (2025-40), approval of an increase not-to-exceed $510,000 for the City Hall improvements contract, adoption of the 2025 appropriations amendment, authorization of fund transfers returning completed TIF and bond-proceeds balances to appropriate funds, and authorization to purchase multiple public works and police vehicles from cooperative purchase programs. Council also approved three agricultural-district designation requests after a public hearing earlier in the evening.

Several items included brief discussion by staff or council before passage. City staff explained that the City Hall improvements project encountered unforeseen insulation and ceiling issues discovered after ceiling removal; the requested increase covers replacement and a newly installed ceiling system so contractors can proceed. The director of finance reiterated that the administration is not budgeting general contingency line items and instead requests amendments when necessary; for some financial items council added emergency clauses “so that we can pay our invoices in a timely manner.”

Most vehicle purchases and equipment authorizations were described as previously appropriated in the budget and routine fleet replacements: police vehicles (five), multiple public works trucks and loaders, and meter-reading and treatment chemicals. The city engineer and public works representatives noted scheduling concerns for park parking-lot work to avoid interrupting seasonal recreation activities. One operational change announced by the city engineer: the city contracted with BSI Online to manage annual backflow test reports at $15.95 per test report, a cost that will be charged to testers and likely passed to property owners.

Votes were taken by roll call for each ordinance/resolution. Where recorded, votes were unanimous in favor; where a member recorded a dissent (one recorded “No” on a water-meter software measure), results are noted below. Many items carried an emergency clause added by motion so work or payments could proceed without delay.

Votes at a glance (selected items):

- 2025-40 — Resolution accepting ODOT subgrant for a senior-center expansion vehicle. Motion to dispense with second and third readings and to adopt with emergency clause passed (roll call: unanimous yes). Mayor moved; A. WIG/Swank seconded. Outcome: adopted.

- 2025-40-2 (City Hall improvements increase) — Ordinance increasing contract authorization to not exceed $510,000 to address insulation/ceiling issues discovered during construction. Council approved dispensing with readings and adopted with emergency clause after staff explained the unforeseen conditions. Outcome: adopted (unanimous yes).

- 2025-43 — Ordinance amending 2025 appropriations (period 01/01/2025–12/31/2025). Council dispensed with readings and adopted with emergency clause. Outcome: adopted (unanimous yes).

- 2025-44 — Resolution authorizing then-and-now certificates and payment for various purchase orders; adopted with emergency clause. Outcome: adopted (unanimous yes).

- 2025-45 and 2025-46 — Resolutions authorizing fund transfers (including return of funds from a paid-off Walgreens TIF and capital projects); council approved transfers and added emergency clauses. 2025-45 included a specified transfer amount to the general fund of $79,092.28. Outcome: adopted (unanimous yes).

- 2025-47 — Ordinance authorizing purchase of five new police vehicles and related equipment (state bid or co-op). Council dispensed with readings and adopted; staff noted several current vehicles exceed 100,000 miles. Outcome: adopted (unanimous yes).

- 2025-35, 2025-36 — Ordinances authorizing advertising for bids and contracting for roadway resurfacing (Carolyn Drive, Luann Drive, Monica Drive) and Root Road park parking-lot improvements; council adopted, adding an emergency clause for scheduling around sports seasons on the Root Road lot. Outcome: adopted (unanimous yes).

- 2025-37 — Resolution authorizing a delinquent-debt collection agreement with the Ohio Attorney General under RC 131.02 to collect city delinquent debts; adopted. Outcome: adopted (unanimous yes).

- Agricultural-district resolutions (2025-38, 2025-39, and a Richard Stache application noted as a related resolution) — Following public hearings (no public comment), council adopted the agricultural-district designations. Outcome: adopted (unanimous yes).

- Fleet and equipment ordinances (series of 2025 numbers including purchases of dump trucks, a wheel loader, utility pickup, and auxiliary equipment): Council adopted multiple equipment purchases through cooperative purchasing programs or by bid, consistent with appropriations discussed during budget meetings. Outcome: adopted (all recorded as yes).

- 2024-14 and related third-reading items — Annual chemical purchases for the wastewater treatment plant and Beacon water-meter software continuation under Badger Meter Inc. were adopted; the water-meter measure passed 6–1 on roll call. Outcome: adopted (chemicals unanimous; meter software 6–1).

Council did not vote on any item to table or postpone at the March 3 meeting. Several items were explicitly moved with emergency clauses so contractors could proceed or invoices could be paid promptly.

Clerk roll calls recorded members present and voting on each measure; motions to dispense with readings were commonly moved by the mayor and seconded by Councilmember Swink (or another councilmember), and most final adoption motions were likewise moved by the mayor and seconded by Swink/Swank.