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Vermilion council adopts appropriations ordinance, appoints new member and tables ROW ordinance after public concerns
Summary
The council approved an appropriations ordinance, unanimously appointed and swore in an interim council member to fill a vacancy, and tabled ordinance 2025-69 for further committee review after council and public questions about timing, wastewater impacts and transparency.
The Vermilion City Council adopted an appropriation ordinance, appointed a new council member to fill a recent vacancy, and sent a privacy/right-of-way ordinance back to committee after questions from council and residents.
At the meeting the council adopted ordinance 2025-68 (third reading), a measure amending 2025 appropriations, following a roll call vote in which the members present voted in the affirmative. The finance director had earlier warned the council that certain funds were carrying negative cash balances and that cash advances into deficit funds would be needed to cover near-term obligations.
Finance Director Amy Hendrix told the council the city was "sitting with negative cash balances in both of those funds at this point" and described the mechanics of advancing cash to cover February obligations and returning the advances when grant receipts arrive.
The council also moved to appoint Alex Bonwit (name appears in the meeting record with variant spellings) to the council seat vacated by Brian Holmes. The motion was seconded and passed by roll call; the appointee was sworn in at the meeting.
During the third reading of ordinance 2025-69, which would authorize installation in the city right of way, council members and residents questioned the timeline, construction urgency, impacts to the wastewater treatment plant and missing contract details. Resident Jean Anderson asked the council to table the ordinance, saying the city "doesn't know all of what that could mean for the city" and urged more transparency and slower pacing. Following discussion, members voted to table 2025-69 and refer it for further committee review.
Public comments included resident Jim Louie raising unfinished excavation work and a potentially blocked catch basin in the DOL area; Tony Valeria, the service director, said city staff would follow up. Homer Tagg also urged caution on contract language and potential legal costs associated with hiring outside counsel for unrelated litigation matters.
The meeting concluded with announcements of upcoming committee and regular meeting dates and the council's adjournment into an executive session on collective bargaining.
Votes and formal actions recorded during the meeting include the adoption of ordinance 2025-68, tabling of ordinance 2025-69 for further committee review, and the appointment and swearing in of a new council member. The council did not take a formal vote on authorizing litigation related to the charter amendment at this meeting.
