Council approves series of contracts, grants, side-lot sales and capital items in unanimous votes

Shaker Heights City Council approved a package of motions and ordinances March 31, including financing to support sewer capital work, contracts for planning and engineering, capital appropriations for park improvements, equipment financing for the public works department and a series of side-lot and small property transfers. Most items were adopted unanimously under suspension of the rules.

Key measures approved included:

- Sewer financing: Council approved issuance of $2,000,000 in bond anticipation notes to fund the city's multi-year sewer capital plan. Finance staff and the municipal advisor said BANs are more efficient for the city's immediate small-dollar financing needs than a full bond issuance; the plan is to roll these notes for the next three years and consider a bond when critical mass is reached.

- Professional services and capital contracts: Council authorized multiple consultant contracts on first reading, including: - ZoneCo: up to $59,925 for a Lee Road zoning code update to implement the Lee Road Action Plan. - Weber Murphy Fox: up to $140,000 to design a City Hall addition and renovate the old fire bay and lobby, including security and HVAC upgrades. - Chagrin Valley Engineering: up to…