Lorain City Council waives testing requirement and appoints Barry Whitfield as assistant superintendent

Lorain City Council voted to waive a testing requirement under Ohio Revised Code 124.382 and appointed Barry Whitfield as assistant superintendent in the water distribution division.

Council member Joe Smith moved to waive the testing provisions of Ohio Revised Code 124.382 to permit consideration of Whitfield; Council member Victor Takas seconded the motion, which passed on a voice vote. Later, a motion to appoint Whitfield under Ohio Revised Code 124.3082 was moved and seconded and also passed on a voice vote.

Speaker 1, presenting the candidate, said, "Mister Whitfield possesses an Ohio EPA class 2 in water distribution" and noted Whitfield was selected from three internal candidates as the top choice for continuity and succession in the department. When asked how long Whitfield had been employed with the city, Speaker 1 replied he had been with the city "about 14 or 15 years" and had worked in the same area.

The record shows the council handled a two-step process: first approving an exceptional appointment waiver that allowed the panel to bypass the usual testing step, then approving Whitfield's appointment to the assistant superintendent position. The motions were conducted by voice vote; the transcript does not record a roll-call tally of individual yes/no votes.

The appointment follows the council's preference for internal succession planning and emphasizes certified technical qualifications for the distribution division. The next procedural steps are administrative: finalizing appointment paperwork and updating personnel records as required by city procedures.