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Councilmember LeMay previews large rewrite of city contracting rules to add emergency authority and modern protections
Summary
Councilmember LeMay said he is preparing a comprehensive update to Chapter 206 to add an emergency contracting clause, clarify prohibited invoice‑splitting, and void vendor indemnification terms; he said he reviewed roughly 20 cities’ ordinances and will circulate a redline and a 21‑page attorney memo before first reading.
Councilmember LeMay told his colleagues Oct. 14 that he has been drafting a substantial revision to Chapter 206 — the city’s contracting ordinance — to bring Pepper Pike’s rules in line with modern municipal practice.
LeMay said the current chapter lacks a clear emergency contracting clause, which created friction during a recent road‑repair emergency when the mayor’s authority was exceeded by contract value. He proposed adding a standard emergency definition (an immediate threat to public health, safety or property) and clear mayoral authority in such narrowly defined emergencies. He also said he wants explicit prohibitions on invoice splitting and language that invalidates vendor indemnification or onerous "fine print" terms, following a law passed by the state of Ohio roughly a decade ago that many jurisdictions now codify.
LeMay said he reviewed about 20 other cities’ ordinances and convened an outside public‑contracting expert to produce a legal memo (described in the meeting as 21 pages long). He told the council he will circulate a redline of the proposed chapter and expects to present the updated ordinance for first reading at the next meeting.
Councilmembers asked for access to the legal memo and for staff to note which sections are newly proposed; LeMay said he will distribute the memo and a redline from the prior version so members can review suggested changes.
