The St. Marys City Council voted to approve a slate of emergency ordinances and budget adjustments, including authorization to roll a municipal-building note and several personnel wage and benefit measures.

Council approved Ordinance 20 25 37 to authorize the issuance and sale of notes with an initial principal amount of $1,650,000 to roll over an outstanding municipal-building loan. An unidentified city official (Speaker 4) said the city previously borrowed roughly $3,585,000 for acquisition and demolition costs, has paid down about $1,900,000 and now needs to refinance the remaining balance because the current note is payable Feb. 12. "So we simply need to roll that note over," the official said.

The council also approved Ordinance 20 25 39, making emergency appropriations totaling $1,018,980.06. Staff highlighted about $131,000 for additional fire wages tied to expanded staffing and a $586,000 reappropriation for the new municipal building that staff characterized as not new money but the closing out of a prior purchase order. Council members asked clarifying questions about splits in the appropriations during the discussion.

Other measures approved under suspension included wage-and-benefit ordinances for fire and police personnel (Ordinances 20 25 26 and 9 25 28), an ordinance setting pay for supervisory and nonrepresented personnel (20 25 27), and pay rates for dispatchers represented by the Ohio Performance Development Association (20 25 30). The council also approved Resolution 20 25 16 to authorize disposition of city property via internet bidding and Ordinance 20 25 44 to advertise bids for two city-owned lots, one at 815 East Spring Street and another in Villanova (the former water tower lots).

The council adopted Ordinance 20 25 36 to create a cybersecurity program to comply with recently enacted House Bill 96. Ken, the city’s network administrator, said the plan was prepared with the city's insurance carrier and risk consultant and is intended to align with guidance from the state auditor’s office; he added that the program is expected to be updated as statewide implementation guidance evolves.

Most roll-call responses on the recorded items were recorded as "All yeses." Several ordinances were referred back for additional amendment or scheduled for a third reading where staff noted forthcoming changes, including a projected reduction in the voted tax of about $540,000 and a reduction to the pool fund of about $60,000.

The council closed the meeting after approving changes to the city's classification plan (Resolution 20 25 18) that implement plant-maintenance positions and other title adjustments. The council also authorized an annual $87,000 transfer to the municipal pool fund in routine budget housekeeping.

The meeting adjourned after the final votes; many items were passed under suspension of rules and a few will return for a third reading with amended figures.