Covington council declares emergency, approves Phase II work on Stillwater Dam to meet ODNR deadline

Covington Village Administrator Jordan Hodges told council that Resolution R31-26 would permit Finfrock Construction Company Inc. to begin Phase II of the Stillwater Dam Modification Project immediately to meet grant-related deadlines.

The council voted to waive the three-reading rule and then adopted Resolution R31-26 as an emergency measure. A motion to waive the three-reading rule was made by Councilmember Amy Welborn and seconded by Councilmember Steven Blei; the motion passed with all ayes. The subsequent motion to approve Resolution R31-26 was made by Councilmember Jesse Reynolds and seconded by Councilmember Martin Leistner; minutes record the vote as “All ayes,” and the measures passed unanimously among those present.

Hodges said the emergency declaration is intended to allow construction to begin promptly so the village can meet the timing requirements of an ODNR grant tied to the Stillwater project. The minutes state the emergency designation will enable Finfrock to start Phase II without the usual delay that three readings can create.

No alternate motions or objections appear in the minutes and no implementation schedule beyond the statement about meeting ODNR deadlines was included. The resolution was set for immediate effect by council action at the June 1 meeting; second readings are recorded for other items on June 22, 2026.

The council did not record any amendments to the resolution in the minutes, and no council member’s dissent or abstention was recorded.