Maumee — At an 8 a.m. special meeting, the Maumee City Council took up proposed charter changes covering procurement (chapter 103.05), the selection process for the city administrator and department directors (chapter 123.01), and rules for filling council vacancies. An unnamed councilmember opened the session by saying residents objected to rumors that the administration intended to hire former administrator Patrick Birch as a consultant and asked whether the incoming mayor would sign such a contract without majority council approval. “Do you plan on, executing a contract with Patrick Birch or anyone else without majority approval of council? Yes or no?” the councilmember asked. Council President Barrow replied, “No.”

The conversation set the tone for a contentious session focused as much on process and transparency as on the details of the proposed charter amendments. Council members raised procedural concerns that some items on the agenda should first be reviewed by the Personnel Committee before coming to full council and faulted the timing and notice for the special meeting: one member said the agenda materials arrived only minutes earlier and asked why the items could not wait until the regular Monday meeting. Another councilmember said the special meeting was intended to “get out ahead” of recent changes taking effect Dec. 1 and to discuss how appointments and contracts would be handled under the new administration.

Councilman Harris moved to table all items until the incoming council took office, calling the current body a “lame duck.” After discussion about protocol, transparency and the balance between acting promptly and deferring to the new council, the motion to table was put to a roll call and the council voted to proceed with the agenda rather than table the measures. Later in the meeting members amended a motion to instead discuss the items at the council’s December 1 meeting.

The session included repeated references to strengthening fiscal controls: one speaker summarized proposed changes to chapter 103.05 as measures “intended to strengthen the fiscal controls, by providing an added level of approval for professional services and consulting agreements with individuals or business entities.” Council members pressed for clearer involvement in hiring and selection processes for administrator and director positions so citizens and council members are part of recruitment and oversight from the outset.

No ordinance or charter amendment was adopted at the meeting. The council agreed to address some items at the Dec. 1 meeting and directed staff to notify media and the public that items scheduled for a later afternoon meeting would be handled at the 8 a.m. session. The meeting also included an executive session on an appointment and other procedural motions.