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Orange Village Council confirms police promotions, ratifies insurance and adopts two ordinances
Summary
At its January meeting the Orange Village Council approved several personnel promotions in the police department, ratified the village's 2026 insurance policy totaling $142,530, adopted an ordinance confirming a law director agreement and created a Charter Review Commission; council then moved to an executive session on litigation.
The Orange Village Council on Monday confirmed multiple personnel appointments, ratified the village's 2026 insurance program and approved two ordinances, then voted to meet in executive session on pending litigation.
Council members approved the appointments of an assistant treasurer and three police promotions. The meeting transcript lists the assistant treasurer as “Nien Ding Wu” (transcribed elsewhere with variant spellings); council moved and voted to confirm that appointment and administered the oath. The council also confirmed Michael Doublejack as deputy police chief, Steven Atwell as police lieutenant and Mike Gabriel as sergeant; each nominee's background was read aloud before members voted by roll call to approve the promotions.
On finance matters, the village ratified a 2026 insurance and risk management proposal from Selective Insurance. Finance staff reported a total cost of $142,530 for all policies, a 7.7% increase over the prior year, and explained that policy timing required retroactive ratification because renewal materials arrived at year end.
Council adopted Ordinance 2025-26 to authorize the mayor to execute a contract with Stephen L. Byron for law director services beginning Jan. 1, 2026. During debate, several members criticized the timing of professional contracts being submitted after their effective dates. “It bothers me that the first contract that I’m going to vote on is already expired,” one council member said, urging staff to bring professional contracts earlier in the year.
The council also suspended the rules and adopted Ordinance 2026-1 creating a Charter Review Commission, naming Scott Lewis as chair and Rebecca Blakewell as co-chair; the commission’s first meeting was set for Feb. 9 and given a May 31 deadline to act if its work is to appear on that year’s ballot.
Before adjourning to an executive session, council reviewed routine reports — including the treasurer’s November summary and a tax collections report — and had no objections to a liquor permit filing for New Social Cleveland LLC, which will operate under the Pinstripes brand at Pinecrest.
The council then voted to enter executive session to discuss pending and prospective litigation and took no further action in public at the meeting’s close.
