Lebanon council approves engineering contract, two final plats and county salt purchase; tables one resolution

The Lebanon City Council voted Feb. 11 to authorize a $139,500 engineering-design contract for the Suncrest/Meadow Lane reconstruction, approve final plats for two residential developments, and continue the city’s participation in a Warren County road-salt purchasing program, while tabling a separate resolution to its March 3 work session.

The actions move short-term infrastructure and housing projects forward and set the city’s winter maintenance purchasing plan for the coming season. Council members said the design contract will support an eventual construction grant application, and planners described the plats as part of ongoing development in the city.

Ordinance 2025-022 authorizes the city manager to enter into an agreement with the Kliners Group for engineering design services for the Suncrest and Meadow Lane reconstruction at a cost of $139,500. Council staff said the work includes road reconstruction and associated utility replacements, and that the city will apply for a "High Public Works Commission grant" to help fund construction. Council adopted the ordinance after a motion and a roll-call vote in which the council’s recorded responses were “yes.”

Resolution 2025-024 authorizes continued participation in the Warren County Engineer's Office road-salt purchasing program for the 2025–2026 winter season. Council approved the resolution by roll call.

Ordinance 2025-025 approves the final plat for Parkside Section 3, allowing the construction of 60 single-family homes in pods numbered 10, 14 and 15, three retail parcel outs, an office parcel and the main open space amenity area for the Parkside development. Council members spoke favorably about the project moving forward and approved the ordinance by roll call.

Order/Ordinance 2025-026 approves the final plat for the Irongate Grove property, allowing 38 residential lots, four homeowners-association-owned and -maintained open-space lots and two neighborhood commercial lots for future development off Mason Morrow Millgrove Road. During discussion a council member asked whether any city-owned park land would be included; staff replied there is no city-owned park space in the plat and that the development dedicates HOA open space. Staff also said the developer has expressed interest in connecting to the Mason Trail system. A council member referenced that "21 of the 33 lots" were already sold; the transcript contains both the 38-lot figure for the plat and the 21-of-33 sales comment, an inconsistency that was not clarified at the meeting.

The council also brought Ordinance 2025-023 forward for a first read only; councilmembers said they would not have the votes to adopt it in emergency language that night and indicated the item would return at the next work session for potential action. Resolution 2025-027 was the final resolution on the agenda; a motion to table it pending additional information was approved and the item was scheduled for the March 3 work session.

Votes at a glance: the minutes and roll-call responses recorded affirmative votes for the items taken up Feb. 11. For each adopted item the roll-call sequence recorded "yes" responses from council members present; the motion to table Resolution 2025-027 carried and the item was set for March 3. The record does not list the individual motion makers or seconders by name for each vote.

The council recessed into an executive session during the meeting under statutory authority cited by the chair and reconvened to complete the agenda. The council noted a photo session, a work session on Feb. 19 and a ribbon-cutting for a Tractor Supply store on Feb. 22 during its announcements.