The Board of Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Germantown met Oct. 27 and approved a consent agenda that included grant awards, donations and construction contract changes, advanced two city-code amendments to a third and final reading and set a public hearing for a proposed change to how the city charges construction permit fees for telecommunications work.

The actions matter because they formalize city spending and governance changes: the consent agenda moves roughly a half-dozen grants and purchases into contract, the education commission's purpose statement was updated to reflect city priorities and the Stormwater Advisory Commission's membership rules were revised to shift certain voting roles to citizen appointees. The board also authorized a change to how the city will set construction permit fees for fiber and other telecom installations by moving fee-setting into the city's revenue resolution and scheduling a public hearing on that change.

Most significant decisions

The consent agenda passed on a roll-call vote. Items listed by the city during the meeting included a change order for resurfacing on Wolf River Boulevard (approximately $16,000), a $50,000 Department of Disability and Aging senior center grant to the city, a contract extension for street striping and pavement markings (just over $100,000), a roughly $3,000 donation to the Germantown Education Foundation, about $15,000 in donations to the Germantown Community Library, approximately $4,500 in donations to Parks and Recreation, a $14,000 grant to Leadership Germantown, a memorandum of understanding and $50,000 grant to the Germantown Area Chamber of Commerce, a purchase for asphalt pavement rejuvenation (not to exceed about $140,000), and supplemental amendment No. 2 for Cameron Brown Park and the Bob Haley Athletic Complex (about $104,000). The consent agenda passed with all members present voting in favor.

Education commission amendment

On second reading the board approved ordinance 2025-7, which revises the city code section that sets the purpose of the Germantown Education Commission. Jessica Comas, the education commission staff liaison, told the board the commission unanimously recommended the revised language at its Aug. 19 meeting and that the update aligns the commission with the city's Germantown Forward 2035 strategic plan. The board voted to advance the ordinance to a third and final reading scheduled for Nov. 10.

Stormwater commission changes

The board also approved ordinance 2025-8 on second reading to amend section 2-202 of the city code governing the Stormwater Advisory Commission. City Engineer Allen said the changes would replace the director of engineering's voting and chair role with a citizen appointee, designate the alderman liaison as nonvoting, add a nonvoting technology-commission liaison and allow the mayor to annually designate the chair. The board voted to advance the amendment to a third reading on Nov. 10.

Construction permit fee amendment: hearing set

City Engineer Allen presented ordinance 2025-9 on first reading, explaining a conflict between the code's current construction-cost based permit fee (1% of estimated construction cost) and the city's adopted resolution on revenues, which sets a base fee plus per-linear-foot charges for fiber installations. Allen recommended removing the cost-based calculation from the ordinance so fees can be set by the resolution on revenues, a change the city says improves administrative transparency and aligns with neighboring communities. The board approved the ordinance on first reading and set a public hearing for Nov. 24.

Votes at a glance:
- Motion to set the Oct. 27 agenda: moved by Alderman Brian Yulicki, second by Alderman Scott Sanders; motion approved by roll call (all members present voted yes).
- Approval of minutes from Sept. 22, 2025: moved by Alderman Sherry Hicks, second by Alderman Brian Yulicki; motion approved by roll call (all members present voted yes).
- Consent agenda (multiple grants, donations and contract items listed above): moved by Alderman Sherry Hicks, second by Alderman Scott Sanders; approved by roll call (all members present voted yes).
- Ordinance 2025-7 (amend Germantown Education Commission, second reading): moved by Alderman Sherry Hicks, second by Alderman Brian Yulicki; advanced to third and final reading (Nov. 10) by roll call vote (all members present voted yes).
- Ordinance 2025-8 (amend Stormwater Advisory Commission, second reading): moved by Alderman Salvaggio, second by Alderman Scott Sanders; advanced to third and final reading (Nov. 10) by roll call vote (all members present voted yes).
- Ordinance 2025-9 (amend construction permit fee calculation, first reading): moved by Alderman Salvaggio, second by Alderman Sherry Hicks; approved on first reading and set for public hearing Nov. 24 by roll call vote (all members present voted yes).

What the board said and next steps

Presenters and staff emphasized that both code amendments were recommended by the respective citizen commissions and that the change to telecommunication permit fees resolves an inconsistency between the city code and the city's 2023 revenue resolution. For ordinances 2025-7 and 2025-8 the board set third-and-final readings for Nov. 10; ordinance 2025-9 will return for a second reading and public hearing on Nov. 24. Consent-agenda contracts and grant awards will be processed according to city procedures.

Meeting context and attendance

Mayor Mike Palazzola presided; Vice Mayor Mary Anne Gibson was absent. Presenters included Jessica Comas (education commission staff liaison) and City Engineer Allen. Several aldermen participated in motions and roll-call votes: Aldermen Brian Yulicki, Scott Sanders, Sherry Hicks and Alderman Salvaggio (first names used in the meeting as recorded). Clerk Bettie handled roll calls and announced voting results. The meeting included civic recognitions and proclamations and lasted the length of the regular agenda, with the cited ordinance items receiving the substantive policy discussion.