By Charlotte Caldwell
SIDNEY – The Sidney City Council adopted four ordinances and three resolutions at a meeting on June 12.
The adopted ordinances included the following, each of which was introduced at the May 22 council meeting:
• Authorize the increase of appropriations by $245,500 for the 2023 budget year. The ordinance has been amended since its introduction to transfer $400,000 out of the Campbell Road improvements fund to fleet acquisitions for new police vehicles. The Campbell Road project will not be bid until 2024. The general fund will also increase by $24,000, the capital improvement fund by $115,000, and the transportation improvement fund by $100,000;
• Increase contract rates for Shelby Public Transit for 2023-2024. This will not impact the non-contract rates provided to the general public;
• Rezone a property on the corner of West South Street and South West Avenue and a few surrounding lots from residential multi-family and court square district to neighborhood commerce for a county maintenance garage;
• Authorize an election for proposed charter amendments in the civil service section. The council waived the requirements to hear the ordinance multiple times, so the ordinance was introduced and adopted at the meeting. According to the ordinance description, “the proposed changes will streamline the current process to appoint and promote police officers and firefighters. In addition, the proposed changes will permit lateral transfers of public safety staff from another community to Sidney. Also, issues with the testing process were identified as problematic by the bargaining units of the police department, and these changes will allow for a more modern and relevant testing process.”
An ordinance was introduced to codify ordinances passed over the previous year by the council, meaning the ordinances will be placed in proper sequence by the publisher of the code book.
The adopted resolutions included the following:
• Authorize the city’s submittal of a $750,000 Community Housing Impact and Preservation (CHIP) Program grant application to improve affordable housing for low- and moderate-income persons. Proposed CHIP activities include private owner rehabilitation to bring houses to current state residential rehabilitation standards and home repair to address health or safety concerns. The grant will be awarded Dec. 1, 2023, and the projects will occur from January 2024 to December 2025;
• Authorize the city manager to amend an existing CRA agreement between the city and Gateway Funding Group to include 108 Poplar St. in the list already including 101-107 N. Ohio Ave. that the group is renovating downtown. The planned improvements for the buildings are to restore the exterior, first-floor storefront and second- and third-floor residential units. The City-wide Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) Housing Council approved the amendment at a meeting on May 26;
• Authorize the city manager to advertise for bids for six replacement police vehicles in 2024. The police department did not receive vehicles in 2023 due to Ford canceling the contract with the city.
The next City Council meeting will be on June 26 at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall’s council chambers.
