Norton Council adopts wash‑bay floor heating, tables rooftop HVAC, schedules Reimer Road rezoning hearing

Norton City Council approved emergency action April 7 to buy a floor‑heating system for a new vehicle wash bay at the service department and moved several other items through initial readings, while tabling replacement of a rooftop HVAC unit for further review.

The council voted unanimously to waive the second and third readings and adopt ordinance 40‑20‑25, authorizing purchase of a floor‑heat system from Petit Auto Wash Inc. in an amount not to exceed $35,972 so concrete pours for the wash bay can proceed. Council members said the heating coils must be placed before the contractor pours the slab.

The vote followed a brief explanation from council members and staff about the wash bay’s purpose. Council member Harbert said the facility “is vital for washing the salt off of the service trucks, salt, dirt, everything,” and a staff speaker said the wash bay includes a contained underground pit to capture washwater and contaminants so material can be hauled away rather than sent to storm drains. Council members noted the purchase was financed in part by savings from earlier decisions on fuel‑tank procurement.

Why it matters: Council and staff described the wash bay as an operational and environmental measure to remove road salt and vehicle contaminants safely, and said delaying the purchase would halt current construction. Officials repeatedly framed the floor‑heating purchase as time‑sensitive because the heating elements must be installed before concrete is poured.

Other formal actions and agenda moves - Council amended ordinance language that originally referenced a “boiler system” to explicitly say “wash bay” in ordinance 39‑20‑25; that amendment passed on a roll call. - Council tabled the rooftop unit replacement indefinitely after reviewing three vendor quotes and discussing cost and employee comfort; the motion to table passed on a roll call vote. - Council added for first reading (and scheduled a public hearing where noted): ordinance 37‑20‑25, rezoning 3608 Reimer Road (58 acres) from RU‑1 to R3 RPC with a public hearing set for April 21, 2025; ordinance 36‑20‑25 to add section 660.19 of the codified ordinances (addressing delivery of free papers); ordinance 35‑20‑25 (collective bargaining agreement with part‑time EMTs/paramedics, one year, with weekend overtime at 1.5× and a market adjustment retroactive to Jan. 1); and a fuel supply agreement to purchase fuel (ordinance 30‑04‑20‑25) among others. - Council instructed staff to prepare an RFP for residential trash service after notifying the incumbent that the city would not exercise a final one‑year option.

Votes at a glance (selected) - Adopted — Ordinance 40‑20‑25 (floor heat system for service department): Passed (roll call: Ms. Lee, Mr. Lukens, Mr. Towsley, Mr. Adler, Mr. Mowery, Mr. Harbert, Mr. DeHartPark — all recorded “Yes”). - Adopted — Ordinance 20‑3‑20‑25 (repeal Chapter 290, Mayor’s Court): Passed on third reading (roll call recorded in meeting). - Adopted — Ordinance 26‑20‑25 (amendment to cell‑tower ground lease): Passed on third reading (roll call recorded in meeting). - Passed — Motion to table rooftop unit replacement indefinitely (motion carried on roll call). - Passed — Amendment to change wording from “boiler system” to “wash bay” in ordinance 39‑20‑25 (roll call passed).

Discussion highlights and clarifications - Wash bay and wash‑water containment: Council and staff explained the wash bay will capture washwater (salt, oil and other contaminants) in an underground pit that must be hauled away; they said that containment and disposal are part of regulatory (EPA) considerations for such facilities. - Funding and budget context: Council members repeatedly contrasted the current approach with an earlier plan to purchase and install two 5,000‑gallon fuel tanks (previously budgeted at about $300,000). Members said using a supplier lease for fuel and reallocating savings helped fund parts of the wash‑bay project; explicit line‑item adjustments were described but the council did not state a single consolidated funding source in the meeting record. - Rooftop HVAC unit (service building): Council reviewed three quotes and said one vendor’s fix could provide 3–5 years of reliable operation at substantially lower cost than full replacement; because of pricing variance and unspecified employee‑comfort concerns, council voted to table that ordinance indefinitely to allow more research and to consider larger building‑improvement planning. - Reimer Road rezoning: Councilmember Markey (planning/economic development remarks) summarized the proposed R3 RPC rezoning of 58 acres at 3608 Reimer Road, said lot sizes were planned at roughly 0.25 acres, and noted a preliminary plan would reserve about 40% of the site as green space and include stormwater management provisions such as two ponds and a one‑acre retention pond. A public hearing on the rezoning is scheduled for April 21, 2025.

What’s next - Public hearing on ordinance 37‑20‑25 (Reimer Road rezoning) on April 21, 2025. - Staff to prepare RFP language for trash service procurement; council requested options (for example, storm pickup, container sizes) to be included in the RFP. - Council asked administration to return with more detailed quotes and a recommended path forward for the rooftop HVAC issue.

Speakers quoted in this report spoke during the April 7, 2025 Norton City Council meeting and are identified in the council record.