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Geneva-on-the-Lake council approves port authority ordinances, adopts 2025 budget and accepts police chief resignation
Summary
At its April 14 meeting, Geneva-on-the-Lake council unanimously approved two ordinances creating a Port Authority, adopted a retroactive 2025 budget under emergency procedures, repealed sergeant and lieutenant ranks in the police code, and accepted Police Chief Kyle Cawley's resignation effective May 16, 2025.
Geneva-on-the-Lake's village council voted unanimously April 14 to approve two ordinances establishing a Geneva-on-the-Lake Port Authority under Ohio law, adopt the 2025 budget retroactive to Feb. 1, 2025, and accept the resignation of Police Chief Kyle Cawley effective May 16, 2025. Council also passed an ordinance removing sergeant and lieutenant ranks in the police department and approved the January 2025 bank reconciliation.
The actions were taken during a regularly scheduled meeting that began at 7:15 p.m. Council member P.J. Macchia moved each of the principal motions, and Shawn Fischbach seconded on the items recorded in the minutes. Roll-call votes on the port authority ordinances (Ordinance Nos. 2025-12 and 2025-14), the budget ordinance (Ordinance No. 2025-27), the police-rank repeal (Ordinance No. 2025-29), and the resolution accepting Chief Cawley's resignation (Resolution No. 2025-28) were all recorded as unanimous: Ryan Colby, Cynthia Dudeck, Shawn Fischbach, P.J. Macchia and B.J. McMullan voted yes on each item.
Ordinance Nos. 2025-12 and 2025-14 create Chapter 153 of the village codified ordinances to reflect the requirements, regulations and authorities of a Geneva-on-the-Lake Port Authority as established in Ohio Revised Code Section 4582. The minutes show council proceeded with third readings and then acted on both ordinances.
On the budget, council read Ordinance No. 2025-27, which approves the village's 2025 budget effective retroactive to Feb. 1, 2025. The council voted to declare an emergency and waived the three-reading rule before acting on the budget ordinance.
Council also adopted Resolution No. 2025-28, accepting Chief Kyle Cawley's resignation as chief of police, effective May 16, 2025; the minutes record motions to treat the resolution as an emergency and to waive additional readings, all approved by roll call. Separately, Ordinance No. 2025-29 repealed language in the codified ordinance governing appointment of sergeants and lieutenants in the police department, removing those ranks from the village code; that ordinance was considered under emergency procedures and passed on a unanimous roll call.
Under new business the council approved the January 2025 bank reconciliation. Later in the meeting B.J. McMullan moved and P.J. Macchia seconded a motion to enter executive session to discuss employment; council entered executive session at approximately 7:29 p.m. and exited at about 7:58 p.m. The meeting adjourned at approximately 7:59 p.m.
The minutes list no public comments and note that council member Matt Caudill was absent and excused. The council scheduled upcoming meetings, including a regular council meeting on April 21, 2025 and a work session on May 12, 2025.
