Mayfield Heights council approves legal contract, conservation MOU, senior services renewal and $185,000 in budget transfers

The Mayfield Heights City Council on Jan. 27 approved a series of routine and emergency measures, including the hire of outside special counsel to assist enforcement of a nuisance ordinance, renewal of a watershed‑improvement memorandum with the Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District, continuation of senior services through the Community Partnership on Aging and an appropriations amendment that included open purchase orders and transfers totaling $185,000.

Council approved Resolution No. 2025‑03, authorizing the mayor to enter an agreement with NP Weiss Law Firm as special counsel to assist the law director with enforcement of Mayfield Heights Ordinance 1383.04; the resolution was declared an emergency and approved by roll call. A memorandum attached to the resolution described the firm’s fee schedule and scope of services. "No. Thank you. That covers me," director of law Mr. Schmidlin said when asked if he wished to add information about the contract.

The council then adopted Resolution No. 2025‑04, renewing a March 12, 2024 memorandum of understanding with the Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District to support watershed improvement projects and reporting to the Ohio EPA. The city’s required contribution for the next 12 months is $16,500; the meeting record indicates the cost did not increase from the prior year.

Ordinance No. 2025‑02 was adopted to continue the City’s participation in a council‑of‑governments arrangement that maintains the Community Partnership on Aging, a shared service that provides aging‑services supports across neighboring municipalities. Council members who spoke in favor urged passage to sustain services for older residents.

The council also approved Ordinance No. 2025‑03, an amendment to the current appropriations ordinance that incorporates open purchase orders as of Dec. 31, 2024, and carries out transfers and supplemental appropriations across various funds. The finance director provided additional detail in response to council questions: the packet showed transfers totaling $185,000; Mayfield Heights’ proportionate share of Community Partnership on Aging costs was listed at 25.8% excluding transportation and 55.48% when transportation is included; staff also explained an underestimated balance in one fund and an overpayment to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office that must be repaid and will be reimbursed to the city as the grant is earned.

Earlier in the meeting council approved the minutes of the Jan. 13 meeting after adding a clarification that the county — not the city — would pay for repairs related to sinkholes on Gates Mills Boulevard. Council also voted, by roll call, to enter an executive session at 7:20 p.m. for pending or imminent litigation; the minutes record the session beginning at that time.

All formal roll‑call votes recorded in the minutes for these items show members voting in the affirmative; each resolution and ordinance listed above was adopted as recorded in the official roll calls.