Galion City Council had 14 items on the agenda for its June 27 meeting. The first three items involved the Police Department.

Ord. 2017-29 authorized an application for an Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program. If awarded, the grant would pay 75% of the wages and benefits for one full-time police officer for a three-year period. This position would serve as the School Resource Officer at Galion City Schools. Ord. 2017-30 amended appropriations to accept a $2,500 donation for the department. The donation will be used for a program called “Cops & Kids.” Throughout the summer, officers will be going to the parks as their schedules allow to hand out popsicles to kids. Both pieces of legislation were passed as emergencies.

Council also passed a third reading for Ord. 2017-22, an update to the staffing ordinance. The proposed update adds one, part-time property/evidence room custodian for the Police Department. No additional funds are needed to fund the position for the remainder of the year.

Council also passed several items to authorize the issuance and sale of notes:

• $290,200 for the Portland Way North project. Includes a sewer line replacement and reconstruction of the roadway.
• $300,000 for the Charles Street sewer project. It will extend a sewer line on Charles Street and improve a lift station. Mayor Tom O’Leary said the note will pay for half of the project cost and OPWC Issue I funds will pay for the remainder.
• $240,000 for the purchase of two ambulances. One will be paid for with a FEMA grant.
• $124,000 for a boom mower. Expected delivery is late July to mid-August.
• $731,000 for the TIF of the Brandt Road improvements made last year. The city will be reimbursed as property taxes are paid. O’Leary noted a traffic study was done for the Brandt Road intersection. Current traffic patterns do not warrant a traffic signal there as long as only one quadrant is within the city limits.
• $1,575,000 for phases four and five of the electric system upgrade. The upgrade includes the Uptowne Business District and northeast quadrant of the city. Main Lite Electric is the contractor.

Ord. 2017-39 reissued $1,139,400 in existing notes. Councilman Tom Fellner explained this will pay off the principal and retire some of the debt. The notes previously paid for a new fire truck, three utility trucks, and a screw pump replacement at the Waste Water Treatment Plant. It also passed unanimously as an emergency.

In other legislation, Ord. 2017-31 amended the 2017 Financial Recovery Plan to update the electric enterprise fund. Financial Supervisor Belinda Miller explained the amendment incorporates debt borrowing for the next phases of the ongoing electric system upgrade. This item passed unanimously as an emergency.

Ord. 2017-32 made adjustments in the Health Department budget to appropriate grant money and transfer funds to help get the department through the end of the year:

• $2,680 for travel expenses
• $4,000 vital statistics fees
• $75,000 public health salaries and wages (paid through a grant)
• $22,100 public health severance pay
• $7,400 public health PERS benefits
• $17,000 public health technical services (paid through a grant)
• $1,000 for public health advertising
• $7,500 for public health drugs and medicines
• $4,500 for public health drugs and medicines

This item passed unanimously as an emergency.

Res. 2017-11 approved a then and now certificate in the amounts of $4,527 to the Walter H. Drane Company for codified ordinance services, and $12,424 to Polk Township for a property tax payment. This item passed unanimously as an emergency.

Res. 2017-12 was a purchase agreement for 22 acres of land adjacent to the airport. The land is valued at $181,608. The city anticipates using an FAA grant to pay for 90 percent of allowable costs. Councilman Bill Comerford explained the city must have an agreement with the landowner in place before applying for the grant. He added the land would be used for any future improvements such as taxiway or runway extensions, and additional hangars. Any land not used may be leased for farming at a market rate. This item passed unanimously as an emergency.