Orrville council approves electronic publication of bids and adds Roth 457 option for employees

The Orrville City Council on Dec. 15 adopted two ordinances changing how the city publishes procurement notices and expanding retirement-plan options for city employees.

Ordinance f25 amends section 155.02 of the codified ordinances to permit electronic publication of bid notices rather than the local newspaper, aligning the city's rules with a recent change in Ohio law. Law Director Kirkbride explained the change, saying the state code revision "negated the need to do publication by newspaper" and that switching to electronic publication would "save us time, money, [and] efficiency" and bring the city "into the 21st century." Council members voted to suspend the usual three-reading requirement and adopted the ordinance the same evening.

Ordinance g25 amends chapter 151 to allow the city to offer a Roth 457 deferred-compensation plan for employees. Law Director Kirkbride said the Roth 457 is a government plan in which contributions are made post-tax so withdrawals in retirement are not taxed; she emphasized participation is voluntary and funded by the employee. A council member asked whether the Roth 457 would use payroll deduction; Kirkbride confirmed it would. "It's voluntary," Kirkbride said, "and the city does not contribute to these; this is funded solely by the employee." Council suspended the three-reading rule and adopted g25 in the same meeting.

Why it matters: Allowing electronic publication modernizes bid-notice procedures and can speed procurement timelines; authorizing Roth 457 plans gives employees a new retirement-savings option that may affect individual tax planning but does not create a city-funded cost.

What comes next: City staff will implement the electronic-publishing process for solicitations and coordinate with payroll to enable employee enrollment in Roth 457 plans where requested.

After new business the council moved to executive session to discuss purchasing real estate.