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St. Marys council approves labor contracts, fire contract, equipment auction and school land sale under suspension of rules
Summary
At its meeting, the St. Marys City Council voted unanimously to approve new two‑year contracts for police and utility workers, renew a five‑year fire protection contract with Noble Township, authorize the annual surplus equipment auction and approve the sale of a small parcel to the St. Marys Board of Education.
St. Marys City Council on the evening of the meeting approved multiple routine agreements and personnel-related measures, including new collective bargaining agreements for police officers and utility workers, a five-year renewal of the Noble Township fire protection contract, authorization to hold the city’s annual surplus equipment auction, and the sale of a small parcel of land to the St. Marys Board of Education.
Council passed the measures after motions to suspend the usual three-reading requirement so each item could be considered and voted on at the same meeting. Personnel director Sue Batts outlined changes in the police contract, and city staff summarized changes affecting utility workers and other administrative updates prior to each vote.
The police officers’ agreement (ordinance 2025-01) is a two-year contract that adds Presidents Day as a paid holiday, adds two vacation days for employees with 20 years of service, adds dental and vision coverage effective Jan. 1, increases the sick‑leave payout at retirement, and contains a wage increase. The council voted to suspend rules and pass the ordinance the same night.
The utility workers’ agreement (ordinance 2025-02) includes increased call‑in pay (three hours minimum), higher standby pay (two hours minimum), reimbursement for two certification tests for water/wastewater and mechanics rather than one, dental and vision coverage, increased sick‑leave payout at retirement, Columbus Day as an added holiday, and three additional vacation days for employees with 25 or more years of service. The agreement also includes language requiring employees who obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL) to reimburse the city for the cost of CDL training if they leave employment within five years. Council passed the ordinance after a motion to suspend the rules.
Council approved a five‑year renewal of the fire protection contract with Noble Township, effective Feb. 1, 2025, with a 1% increase in each of the five years; Chief Eric Bigger described the renewal as a continuation of a long‑standing arrangement and said township trustees had no objections.
The council approved the annual resolution authorizing the city to dispose of surplus property by auction, a program the city has used for 10 years to sell unneeded vehicles and equipment. Staff said the auction program previously generated amounts “in excess of $600,000” over prior years.
Council also considered and passed legislation providing for the sale of a final parcel of property to the St. Marys Board of Education. City staff said the council previously sold two other parcels to the school and that this remaining parcel is a little over 2 acres; the agreed price is $16,500 per acre and the ordinance lists the total at $33,000. Staff said the parcel’s outbuildings and silos had been removed using grant funds, and that the school board planned to act the same week.
Votes were taken by show of hands with councilmembers indicating unanimous approval on the items brought forward under suspension of rules.
Ending: Several items were passed quickly under suspension of rules as council closed the meeting; council also flagged ambulance rate adjustments for future review by the finance committee.
