Amherst council advances wage, clerk and meeting-streaming ordinances; schedules TIF and salt contract meetings

Amherst City Council on April 14 voted 5-0 to advance three ordinances to later readings, approved the consent agenda and acknowledged the City of Amherst Community Improvement Corporation report for 2024. Councilmembers scheduled a special meeting and committee hearings next week to consider a proposed tax-increment financing district for Dewey Road and participation in Ohio Department of Transportation road-salt contracts for 2025–26.

The council moved an ordinance authorizing an increase in appropriations in the income-tax department for a full-time income-tax office clerk to a second reading. The motion to send item 6a to second reading passed on a roll-call vote of 5-0. The council likewise advanced an amendment to City of Amherst Ordinance O-22-55, updating wage rates and benefits for certain full-time nonbargaining employees, to a second reading on a unanimous vote. Separately, an ordinance to stream city meetings and make agendas and minutes available on the city website was moved to a third reading and passed 5-0.

The council accepted the consent agenda, which included minutes from the March 24 regular meeting and finance-committee minutes from April 7 and April 14, by a 5-0 voice vote. The council also acknowledged receipt of the City of Amherst Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) report for 2024; that acknowledgement passed 5-0.

Council scheduling and committee actions were a significant part of the meeting's business. Councilmembers set a finance committee meeting for Monday, April 21, at 7 p.m. to take up two items: a resolution (filed as 25-17) authorizing the mayor to participate in the Ohio Department of Transportation winter road-salt contract for 2025–26 and an ordinance (filed as 25-14) to create a tax-increment financing (TIF) district for Dewey Road improvements. Councilmembers also discussed holding a special council meeting to consider the Dewey Road TIF and related items that were not finalized at the April 14 meeting.

In committee scheduling, the Police & Fire Committee requested returning the city’s noise ordinance to committee review. Several councilmembers and administration staff noted the need to notify impacted taxing jurisdictions before adopting a TIF; according to the report to the council, notices were sent last week to Amherst Exempted School District and the joint vocational school, and the 45-day notice period precedes adoption.

Administration reports included a staff update that the city participated in an audit by the Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund and that the Ohio Auditor of State reviewed the submitted census and pensionable wage data for the year ending Dec. 31, 2023. The auditor’s communication stated, in the administration’s words, that management’s assertions related to the accuracy and completeness of that data “are fairly stated in all material respects.”

The council adjourned at 7:29 p.m.

Votes at a glance: - Consent agenda (minutes of 03/24/2025; finance committee minutes 04/07/2025 and 04/14/2025): approved, 5-0. - Item 6a — Ordinance to increase appropriations in income-tax department (full-time income-tax office clerk): sent to second reading, 5-0. - Item 6b — Ordinance amending O-22-55 (wage rates/benefits for full-time nonbargaining employees): sent to second reading, 5-0. - Item 7a — Ordinance to stream city meetings and post agendas/minutes online: sent to third reading, 5-0. - Acknowledgment of City of Amherst Community Improvement Corporation report for 2024: acknowledged, 5-0.

Meeting logistics and next steps: finance committee will meet April 21 at 7 p.m. to consider the ODOT salt contract resolution (25-17) and the Dewey Road TIF ordinance (25-14). The council discussed scheduling a special council meeting to consider the Dewey Road TIF prior to adoption.