South Lebanon City Council adopts 2025 code, approves salt contract and other emergency measures; sets hearing on pool-fence change

South Lebanon City Council on Feb. 20, 2025, unanimously approved a series of emergency measures and routine items including adoption of American Legal Publishing’s Ohio Basic Code 2025 edition as the city code, authorization of a contract with the Warren County Engineer’s Office to purchase road salt for the 2025–26 winter season, approval of updated local floodplain regulations, and the setting of a public hearing on a proposed zoning text amendment to change fence height rules for private swimming pools.

The actions were taken as part of routine business at the council’s regular meeting in South Lebanon. Council members also approved invoices and meeting minutes and heard reports from city staff on budgeting, public works projects and public-safety activity.

Council took its most consequential votes on an emergency ordinance to adopt the 2025 code and on a separate emergency resolution authorizing a salt-purchase contract. Both measures were first subject to motions to waive the two-reading rule and then adopted by title; each motion to waive and each adoption passed on unanimous votes of the five-member council. Council President Linda Allen and Council Member Lisa Feder led the adoption motions during roll-call votes.

Tina, the city’s finance director, told council that the proposed permanent appropriations ordinance for 2025 (first reading) would cover the period Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2025, and represents about a 3% increase in the total budget compared with 2024. "Overall, it's a 3% increase in the budget compared to last year," Tina said. The ordinance was entered into the record as a first reading; the administration plans a formal budget presentation and discussion at the next meeting after council members receive budget binders.

City Administrator Jerry reported that bids for a…