North Baltimore council hires fiscal officer, approves parade permit and lease; reads $61,695 DHS grant resolution

Mayor Aaron Patterson called the Village of North Baltimore council to order at 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 3 and led the Pledge of Allegiance. In roll call the council recorded Council members Engard, Beaupry, Richmond and Cook as present; Ms. Hefner and Mr. Soltis were absent.

Council member Cook moved to excuse Ms. Hefner and to excuse Mr. Soltis; both motions were seconded (Hefner by Council member Engard; Soltis by Council member Beaupry) and approved by the four council members present.

Cook also moved to appoint Council member Beaupry as President Pro Tem in the absence of Mr. Soltis; Council member Richmond seconded the motion and it passed. Beaupry accepted the appointment.

During the meeting the council recorded the first reading of Resolution 12-2024, described in the minutes as a resolution by which the council "accepts a grant from the Department of Homeland Security in the amount of $61,695.23 and declaring an emergency." The minutes show this as a first reading; no adoption vote is recorded.

On a motion by Council member Beaupry, seconded by Council member Cook, the council voted to hire Matt Clouse as Fiscal Officer for the Village of North Baltimore with a hire date of September 16, 2024. The minutes record that the four council members present approved the motion.

The council also assigned standing committee chairs for 2024, naming Council member Cook as chair of Personnel, Policy and Ordinance Review and Council member Richmond as chair of Public Works.

In other business, Council member Cook moved, and Council member Engard seconded, to grant an event permit to North Baltimore High School for its Homecoming Parade on October 2, 2024; the motion was approved by the four council members present. Council member Engard moved, and Council member Richmond seconded, to enter into a lease agreement with Fiber Optic Management LLC, doing business as Turnkey Network Solutions; that motion was likewise approved by the four council members present.

Council member Cook moved to adjourn; Council member Beaupry seconded and the meeting was adjourned by the four council members present. The minutes are signed/approved by Clerk Becky J Walter and list Jeff Dennis as Village Solicitor and Aaron Patterson as Mayor.

Votes at a glance: - Excuse Ms. Hefner: mover Cook, seconder Engard; yes votes — Council members Cook, Engard, Beaupry, Richmond; outcome: approved; note: Ms. Hefner absent. - Excuse Mr. Soltis: mover Cook, seconder Beaupry; yes votes — Cook, Engard, Beaupry, Richmond; outcome: approved; note: Mr. Soltis absent. - Appoint President Pro Tem (Beaupry): mover Cook, seconder Richmond; yes votes — Cook, Engard, Beaupry, Richmond; outcome: approved; note: Beaupry accepted. - Fiscal Officer hire (Matt Clouse, start Sept. 16, 2024): mover Beaupry, seconder Cook; yes votes — Cook, Engard, Beaupry, Richmond; outcome: approved; note: terms as outlined in the agreement. - Homecoming Parade permit (North Baltimore High School, Oct. 2, 2024): mover Cook, seconder Engard; yes votes — Cook, Engard, Beaupry, Richmond; outcome: approved. - Lease agreement with Fiber Optic Management LLC dba Turnkey Network Solutions: mover Engard, seconder Richmond; yes votes — Cook, Engard, Beaupry, Richmond; outcome: approved. - Adjournment: mover Cook, seconder Beaupry; yes votes — Cook, Engard, Beaupry, Richmond; outcome: approved.

The council did not record votes by roll-call naming Mayor Patterson or the absent members; where the minutes specify only that "the four Council members present approved," this article reports those approvals as recorded in the minutes. The first reading of Resolution 12-2024 (DHS grant of $61,695.23) appears on the agenda as a reading; the minutes do not show final adoption or further details about the grant's programmatic use.