Council approves ODOT SR‑108 agreement, accepts city manager resignation and approves staff raises; directs law and parks actions

The Napoleon City Council approved a package of administrative and operational actions including a participatory agreement with the Ohio Department of Transportation for State Route 108, accepted the city manager’s resignation effective May 2, 2025, authorized two 3% performance increases for staff, and directed the law director to draft several pieces of legislation and agreements.

The council voted 7–0 to pass Resolution No. 004‑25, a participatory resolution with ODOT that authorizes the city manager to enter a contract with ODOT to complete work within city limits and pay the city's share of the project cost after federal aid. City officials told council they had budgeted $545,000 for the project during November budget sessions; ODOT later notified staff that federal aid reduced Napoleon’s local share to $76,086.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution No. 004‑25 (State Route 108 participatory resolution with the Ohio Department of Transportation): passed on first read under suspension. Roll call on the resolution recorded: Britney (Yes), Ross (Yes), Ken (Yes), Jordan (Yes), Tom (Yes), Doctor Dade (Yes), Robert A./Roger A. (Yes). City staff said the project had been budgeted at $545,000 and that federal aid reduced the city’s share to $76,086.

- Direction to law director to draft legislation for golf-course corporate membership fee changes (Parks & Rec recommendation to increase tiers by roughly $200 across the board): approved by roll call. Parks & Rec Director Tony Connor told council the board unanimously recommended adjustments to five corporate tiers based on company employee counts; 18 companies used the program last year and the proposed adjustment is intended to update rates that have not been changed since implementation (exact prior effective date not specified).

- Contracting with RCAP for water and sewer rate studies: council heard that RCAP will perform a sewer rate study funded by the EPA (no cost to the city) and quoted $11,583 for a water rate study; the city manager stated he will enter into the contract for the studies (city budget has $15,000 allocated). No roll-call vote was recorded in the transcript for the contract direction; the manager indicated he would proceed absent objection.

- Acceptance of City Manager Andrew Small’s resignation: the council voted to accept Small’s resignation, effective at the end of day May 2, 2025. Roll call on acceptance recorded: Britney (Yes), Ross (Yes), Kent (Yes), Pat (Yes), Jordan (Yes), Tom (Yes), Doctor Dade (Yes).

- Additional performance‑based pay increases recommended by an ad‑hoc committee: • Billy (Law Director) — 3% increase based on 2024 performance, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2025: passed (roll call recorded as Britney Yes, Ross Yes, Ken Yes, Bob/Scott Yes, Jordan No, Tom Yes, Doctor Dade No). • Andy (City Manager) — 3% increase based on 2024 performance (motion language referenced retroactivity to Jan. 1, 2020 in the meeting record): passed (roll call recorded as Britney Yes, Ross Yes, Ken Yes, Scott Yes, Jordan No, Tom Yes, Doctor Nate/Doctor Dade No). The motion language included an inconsistent retroactive date in the record; council corrected and re-voted on at least one raise during the meeting.

- Direction to law director to draft legislation to procure an assistant law director by agreement: approved by roll call (members recorded as voting Yes in the transcript).

Council discussion and clarifications

City Manager Andrew Small and staff provided context for several items. Andy told the council that ODOT requested approval and that checks would be sent by the end of the week if the resolution passed. Tony Connor summarized the parks proposal for the golf-course corporate membership fees and said the Parks & Rec Board had unanimously recommended the change. On the water/sewer rate study, Small told council the sewer study would be funded by the EPA via RCAP and that the water study quote was $11,583; he said $15,000 had been budgeted.

Several items on the agenda were procedural or administrative and were handled by roll call with no extended debate. Two executive sessions were held during the meeting to consider personnel matters and pending or imminent litigation; the transcript shows no formal actions resulted from those sessions beyond motions recorded to enter and exit executive session.

What the council did not decide

- Council did not adopt an ordinance authorizing tax or rate changes at this meeting; cost and timing for many capital projects remain subject to later design and contracting decisions.

Next steps

- Staff will finalize the contract with ODOT for SR‑108 work and proceed on rate studies with RCAP, per the city manager’s direction. The Parks & Rec Board and council committees will continue work on the pickleball/skatepark discussion and on the golf-course membership rate legislation that the law director has been asked to draft.