The Medina City Council finance committee on an administrative consent record approved an amendment to a cell-tower lease, rolled forward several interfund advances and budget amendments, accepted an increased municipal-court grant, authorized a body-worn camera grant application and cleared a series of engineering, easement and purchasing agreements.

The largest individual change was to the lease on a cell tower south of town. Mr. Hubert, staff member, said the amendment increases the monthly rent from $1,422 to $2,200, provides a $10,000 signing bonus, raises the annual rent escalation from 3% to 4% and entitles the city to 25% of rent collected from any subtenants. Committee members asked staff to add language preventing the tower owner from increasing the tower height; Mr. Hubert said staff would request that change before final legal review.

The committee also approved several routine financial items. Keith, staff member, reported that general-fund advances outstanding will total about $11,600,000 after the items approved at the meeting and explained that auditors require the council to roll individual advances annually to show intent to repay. The committee approved rollover and new advance requests tied to the TIF fund and multiple grant-funded projects.

Cindy, staff member, said the city will accept a $458,798 increase to the previously approved CCA2 grant for the municipal court and approved an emergency clause to allow signatures and release of funds. Senator Wagner, staff member, presented a request to apply for and accept Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services funding to buy body-worn cameras and pay for two years of CaseGuard redaction software; that grant application was approved.

Patrick, staff member, asked the committee to grant a temporary easement to the Medina County Sanitary Engineers to stabilize a section of Champion Creek where erosion has affected a sanitary sewer on city property; the committee approved the easement. Patrick also recommended awarding engineering design services for Phase 1 of the State Road reconstruction to American StructurePoint after a qualifications-based selection under the Ohio Revised Code; the committee approved the award and noted the city is pursuing additional grants to cover construction.

The committee approved a notice of intent resolution tied to a $510,000 interest-free loan from the Ohio Public Works Commission for recently completed waterline work on West Liberty, Elmwood and West Washington streets so the city can seek reimbursement. The committee also approved an ordinance amendment tied to recurring emergency railroad repairs; Patrick noted the city has already experienced far more rail-line breaks this year (about 17–18) than typical (four to five) and added an emergency clause so work already completed will not be interrupted.

On property matters, the committee accepted the donation of a parcel at 4510 Weymouth Road from Mark Taylor to incorporate into Cunningham Park and authorized the mayor to sign closing documents; Mr. Taylor asked for a memorial bench and inclusion of his parents' names on a future sign. Staff estimated the parcel value at about $165,000.

The finance committee cleared several procurement items: blanket purchase orders for Huntington National Bank credit-card purchases for the IT department; phone service and equipment purchases through Intermedia; and a consolidated 2026 service agreement with Technology Engineering Group to migrate expiring Office licenses and consolidate desktop hardware, which staff said will reduce per-desktop costs from roughly $1,000 to $300–$500 depending on configuration.

Votes at a glance — all items were approved by voice vote with no recorded roll-call tallies in the finance committee transcript: agenda item 25206 (South Tower lease amendment): approved, subject to final review of the law director; 25207–25209 (various fund advances, including TIF fund rollovers and fund advance requests): approved; 25210 (budget amendments): approved; 25211 (donation of municipal-court furniture to Wadsworth Municipal Court): approved; 25212 (amend CCA2 grant for municipal court to $458,798, emergency clause): approved; 25213 (body-worn-camera grant application to OCJS): approved; 25214 (temporary easement to Medina County Sanitary Engineers for Champion Creek stabilization): approved; 25215 (award design services for State Road reconstruction to American StructurePoint): approved; 25216 (notice of intent for reimbursement from OPWC for waterline project, $510,000 loan): approved; 25217 (amend ordinance for railroad repairs, emergency clause): approved; 25218 (donation of parcel at 4510 Weymouth Road): approved; 25219–25221 (blanket purchase orders for IT and phones, Technology Engineering Group services): approved.

The meeting involved brief presentations and routine approvals; committee members asked for one contract clarification (tower-height restriction) and for continued pursuit of grants for the State Road project. No formal dissent or recorded no votes appeared in the transcript. The committee adjourned after approving the listed items.