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Amherst council adopts three emergency ordinances, approves engineering contract for South Lake Street project
Summary
At its July 14 meeting, the Amherst City Council suspended three-reading rules and unanimously adopted three emergency ordinances, including replacement codified ordinance pages and authorization for an engineering contract and state grant application related to South Lake Street rehabilitation.
Amherst City Council on July 14 unanimously adopted three ordinances on first reading, moving all by emergency declaration so the measures could take effect immediately. The measures include replacement pages to the city’s codified ordinances (Ordinance O25-21), authorization of a professional services contract with Grama Engineering and Surveying Company for work on the South Lake Street Rehabilitation Project tied to Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) Issue 1 round 39 (Ordinance O25-22), and authority for the safety-service director to apply to OPWC’s state capital and local transportation improvement program for Issue 1 round 40 and execute required contracts (Ordinance O25-23).
The action followed standard suspension motions to bypass the usual three-reading rule. Council voted 6-0 on each suspension motion and on the ordinances; all roll-call votes recorded “yes” from the six members present. Council excused Council Member Dembinski, who had a letter on file.
The council’s immediate adoption of the contract authorization with Grama Engineering and the OPWC application authority is intended to expedite the city’s ability to pursue state funding and proceed with engineering work for the South Lake Street Rehabilitation Project. The ordinance text before the council names Grama Engineering and ties the work to OPWC Issue 1 funding rounds; the ordinance also declared an emergency to allow adoption on first reading.
Council also advanced two other items for further consideration: an amendment to Chapter 181 regarding the mayor’s court (Item 7a) and an amendment to the building fees section of the codified ordinances (Item 7b). Both were moved onto additional readings after brief discussion; a city official estimated preliminary salary-related costs for the mayor’s court changes at “upwards of a $100,000,” and said operating costs will be presented to council before any further action.
The meeting record shows the council handled the ordinance items without extended debate and without public comment on those agenda items. The council then moved to other business and later recessed into executive session to discuss pending litigation.
Votes at a glance: Ordinance O25-21 (replacement codified ordinance pages) — motion to suspend three readings passed 6-0; adoption passed 6-0. Ordinance O25-22 (contract with Grama Engineering and Surveying Company for South Lake Street Rehabilitation, OPWC Issue 1 round 39) — suspension passed 6-0; adoption passed 6-0. Ordinance O25-23 (authority to apply to OPWC Issue 1 round 40 and execute contracts) — suspension passed 6-0; adoption passed 6-0.
Why this matters: The emergency adoptions speed procurement and state application steps for infrastructure work on South Lake Street and let the city proceed quickly with engineering and grant-seeking activities tied to OPWC funding rounds.
The council adjourned into executive session later in the meeting to discuss pending litigation and then recessed; no further public action on the ordinances was recorded that night.
