Port Clinton council adopts amended ordinance altering residency language for Safety and Service director

Port Clinton City Council on May 12 adopted Ordinance 17-26, as amended, altering the residency language tied to the Director of Safety and Service and moving to expedite recruitment by waiving additional readings and retaining an emergency clause.

The ordinance as introduced would have waived the residency requirement by permitting the director to reside in Ottawa County or an adjoining county and revises the salary range for the position. During second reading Councilmember Cathy King moved an amendment to replace “adjoining county” with a residency limit of “within a twenty-mile radius of Port Clinton City Hall.” That amendment failed on a 2-4 roll-call vote.

Councilmember Mr. Robertson then moved an amendment to remove the phrase “to reside in Ottawa County or adjoining county” from the ordinance; the amendment passed 5-1. The minutes record that the ordinance will henceforth be titled “Ordinance 17-26, Amended.”

Following the successful amendment, Council voted 6-0 to waive the three-reading rule for Ordinance 17-26, as amended. Council then voted 6-0 to retain the ordinance’s emergency clause. Councilmember Beth Gillman explained the emergency clause was necessary “due to the time sensitivity of this ordinance, not knowing how long the search for a permanent Safety Service Director will be, it is necessary to expedite the search as much as we can.”

Final adoption of Ordinance 17-26, as amended, passed 5-1 (Cathy King recorded as the lone no vote). The ordinance amendment and voting record were recorded in the meeting minutes; the minutes do not include the full revised ordinance text beyond noting the removed phrase and the amended title.