Council - Regular Meeting

It is 6:30. I'll call this meeting to St. Mary's City Council to order. Roll call, please. Here. Lun here. Here. Slater here. Here. Aqua here. Dylan here. I don't see one of our ministers in the main office in the audience. Please rise and join me in the pledge of allegiance.

I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

You all received a copy of the minutes of the last meeting. Are there any questions, comments? If not, may I have a motion to accept the minutes, please? Mr. Puff, Mr. Chan, I'll vote to accept the meeting, please. All yeses. Thank you. Under petitions and communications, this is the part of the meeting where the audience can address council if it's so desire. Does anyone wish to address counsel? Okay, moving on. Then we have reports from city officials. We have the man monthly report. I have no additions or corrections to my report, but I would also like to state that last Thursday during the chamber banquet, the city received the uh 2025 Chamber Champion Award. This award recognizes the city's strong working relationship and support we have with our chamber. This includes attending meetings and helping the various events such as Summerfest throughout the year. Of course, I have the award on the over here on the shelf as well as um something from our our House of Representatives and from Senator Manchester as well if you want to stop and take a look at it. But that's all I have. Thank you. Any questions or comments from council?

Next, we have the tax commissioners report. I have nothing to add to the tax commission's report. Any questions or comments from council? Next, we have the director of public service and safety report. Mr. Fox,

uh, Miss Harris, if I could please, just a few things to add. Uh, we were able to sell the water tower lots uh, last week. As you indicated, this is a lot the city's own for many years. It's actually out of Villanova. That's on the corner of 703 and Westway Drive. So, that sold. Um, we also sold the lot, lot number 10, Sleepy Hollow subdivision. So, that was the last lot to sell. So, all 13 lots have been sold. Uh, there is, uh, ongoing construction out there now. So, I would encourage you to drive by and take a look at it. So, we're very pleased with that. Um, I sent out an email about Earth Day cleanup. Uh, Earth Day is April 22nd. We will pick up trash. We'll gather together on Saturday, uh, April 25th, uh, from 9 to noon. We will pick up trash at various areas in town. Um, then also you should have received an email from the mayor. We've announced the spring drop off dates. April 6th through the 11th and then April 13th through the 18th. Monday through Friday will be from noon to 5:00 and Saturday will be 9 to noon. So I think the mayor was looking for some volunteers uh to help out with that uh during certain hours. The rest of it will be covered by our solid waste department. So other than that, I'll be glad to answer any questions that anyone might have.

What's those days? Uh April 6th through the 11th. That's a Monday through Saturday and then April 13th through the 18th. Monday through Saturday again. Okay. We know we know not everyone can make it out during the week. So we we have Saturday hours but they are just limited to three hours. Okay. Any questions or comments from council?

If not moving on. Mr. Mayor, you want the podium? I'm ready. Very good. I'll try to keep this a little bit shorter than the president's state of the union address. So, we'll move on. Pursuant to the Ohio Revised Code, it's the mayor's responsibility to present an annual report which reviews projects and tasks within the city during the prior year. As mayor, it's now my privilege to highlight some of the accomplishments of our city and staff for 2025. A special thank you goes out to all our city employees for making it a very productive and successful year. And I'm going to ask those city employees that are here tonight to please stand so council can see your face and name Josh. Thank you. Thank you for being here and thank you for your support. First of all, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the residents of our community for their strong support in renewing the half percent income tax in 2025. Your vote of confidence demonstrates a continued commitment to investing in the services, infrastructures, and programs that keep our city strong and moving forward. On

behalf of the city administration, our council, and our dedicated employees, thank you for your trust and for continuing to invest in the future of our city. The electric department continues to play a vital role in supporting the reliability and growth of our community. The department maintains 56 miles of distribution lines and 8 1/2 miles of transmission lines along with 933 distribution transformers, seven substation transformers, 11 substation breakers, and 38 switches throughout the city. 2025 proved to be exceptionally busy with numerous upgrades, maintenance efforts, and new construction projects. Generator number seven underwent weekly inspections, component replacements, annual testing, and operated 17 times throughout the year. The JV2 or General generator 11 also received weekly inspections and ran 20 times for peak shaving purposes. Annual testing was completed on all bucket trucks and the city crews lubricated every switch on the electrical system during both spring and fall. The GIS mapping initiative also made significant progress with a new base map of the electrical system which is now fully operational. Tree trimming remained a major focus in 2025 with crews clearing the 69 KV lines on the north circuit. the West Industrial Circuit, the West Circuit, and portions of the East Circuit. The IT team supported the electric department by replacing network attached storage and backup servers and coordinating the department's transition into the new municipal building.

The engineer department continued its commitment to delivering highquality public services to the community. staff supported a wide range of needs from routine permitting to complex engineering design and project management for major infrastructure improvements across the city. A significant enhancement to departmental capability was achieved with the addition of the GIS technician position. This position has already resulted in updated waterline mapping and collaboration with the electric department on new electric systems mapping. The growing GIS program will ultimately consolidate all city utility data into one accessible system. Among the most impactful undertaking of the year was the ongoing reconstruction of Spring Street. Phase 4 progressed steadily as the city advanced the $4 million project with support from ODOT, including a small city grant and an additional $1.2 2 million in transportation enhanced funds. ODOT also committed urban urban paving funding which will cover the top asphalt surface. The city also saw continued progress along the Miami and Eerie Canal Corridor. A treatment train project on Aqueduct Road reached substantial completion. Work also advanced on the municipal municipal building with major construction completed in the spring of 2025 and tenant occupancy occurring in February. Safety improvements along Indiana Avenue move forward as ODOT awarded the pedestrian safety project which includes new crossings and sidewalks. Construction will begin in late 2025 and they will resume this spring. At the historic Grismill site, design was finalized to convert the facility into a rentable community space and

bidding for construction began at the end of the year. Numerous development projects advanced throughout the community, including a new BP Duchess convenience store, preliminary plans for a new dining and drive-thru restaurant, the completion of a new Dairy Queen, the construction beginning on a Mercer Landmark feed mill. Residential development also progressed, including the platting of seven new lots on Weston Street, which have also been sold with planned utility installations. The city also saw 10 new single family home starts and one multi-unit apartment complex planned, marking continued growth and investment in our community. Fire Chief Doug and the department's captains provided leadership and coordinating efforts to ensure efficient and effective services to the public as well as coordinating interactions with other city departments. Operating policies and procedures were evaluated and upgraded when necessary to improve services and to keep pace with changing conditions and technologies. Skills and abilities are assessed and training is formulated to strengthen weaknesses. A major focus in 2025 was emergency medical service which accounted for 78% of the total responses. Fire Department paramedics provided care to 1,366 patients during 1,336 rescue and EMS calls, ensuring timely medical attention for residents and surrounding communities. The department transported approximately 81% of the patients to area hospitals with a vast majority receiving care at Joint Town District Memorial Hospital,

reinforcing a strong partnership with local healthc care providers. The department also made significant equipment and technology investments to enhance emergency response capabilities. The fire department continues to upgrade equipment which ensures firefighters are equipped with modern and compliant protective equipment. The accomplishments reflect these accomplishments reflect the fire department's community commitment to public safety, fiscal responsibility, and continuous improvement. Positioning the department to meet needs to meet current needs while preparing for future challenges. 2025 was one of continued dedication, hard work, and steady progress for the city of St. Mary's. Our general service department, along with support from multiple divisions, contributed thousands of labor hours to maintain, improve, and beautify our community. These efforts ensured that residents enjoyed safe streets, clean parks, reliable infrastructure, and well-kept public spaces throughout the year. The first snowfall of 2025 arrived on January 10th, and the last one was on December 31st. Crews used 500 tons of salt and grit to keep the road safe. Snow and ice management required 382 regular hours, 286 overtime hours. These hours included street, sidewalk, and parking lot clearing, as well as equipment prep and repairs. A new recycling dropoff area was constructed behind the city garage, complete with a stone pad, cardboard dumpster, and containers for glass. At Casey Giger Park, a storybook trail was constructed with an archway and nine reading stations. New playground equipment was

installed. The tennis and pickle ball courts were repainted. General services supported the community through thousands of labor hours across specialized tasks, and here are some of them. Street sweeping, 572 hours. Parks maintenance, 873 hours. Street painting 760 hours. Alley grading and stone 200 hours. Pothole repairs 351 hours. Crack sealing 307 hours. Assist with various community events 280 hours. Leaf pickup 509 hours. Brush pickup over,200 hours. Mowing and trimming over 1,900 hours. Our city mechanic and mechanic helper continued to manage increasing equipment complexity and rising parts costs. Despite these challenges, the team completed over 970 work orders to keep the city's fleet operating safely and efficiently. Our general service department will continue investing in infrastructure, parks, public spaces, and essential services to ensure that St. St. Mary's remains safe, vibrant, and a welcoming community. Our industrial sector remained a cornerstone of St. Mary's success throughout 2025. Manufacturers along McKinley Road continue to expand, invest, and hire to meet rising demand. Companies like KSM, Rin Metal, and St. Mary's Foundry all made notable improvements and upgrades to their facilities. Signs of confidence in our workforce and our community. 2025 was a strong year for commercial activity with several new openings and expansions that added vibrancy across the city. Ali's Bargain Outlet opened in the St. Mary Square, bringing shoppers expanded retail options. Lunar Leaf

brought fresh energy downtown with a new plant shop. Generations reopened to significant excitement and quickly regained its place as a downtown favorite. Construction progressed on the new Dairy Queen and is currently open for business. Duchess Gas Station and a new fast food restaurant are projected to open in 2026. Grand Lake Health Systems completed a renovation that enhances local health care services. These additions reflect a healthy business environment and growing investor confidence in St. Mary's. The city worked with the St. Mary's Theater and Grand Opera House as they continue to restore the cherished historic venue. A new Target of Opportunity grant secured its partnership with the county will support restoration of the fire escapes, one of the final steps before the building becomes fully operational. Phase two of the Grist Mill renovation is expected to be finished by June of 2026. Once completed, the mill will serve as a unique community gathering space while preserving one of the last remaining mills along the Miami and Eerie Canal, a historic treasure brought back to life. This year marked the 10th anniversary of the downtown facade improvement program, which continued to make a visible difference. Two additional projects, the Wishing Well and Grade 8 and Vines, received matching grants. To date, downtown property owners have benefited from over $177,000 and facade improvement support, helping preserve and enhance our historic core. Like communities nationwide, St. Mary faces increasing housing demands. All remaining lots in Sleepy Hollow are sold and new construction is underway. Altogether, 13 lots have been sold in Sleepy Hollow subdivision. The new

Weston subdivision began contributing muchneeded entry-level homes. We are anticipating seven new homes being built throughout the year. We continue prioritizing housing development in 2026 to ensure families and workers can find homes right here in our community. Environmental steward stewardship remains a top priority. We actively participated in the lake restoration community commission advancing long-term strategies to restore Grand Lake St. Mary's. In addition, we renewed efforts with state partners to dredge the Miami and Erie Canal, a project that will enhance water quality and improve quality of life for our residents. Work progressed on securing funding for the demolition of the old municipal building. The city collaborated with the state historic preservation office and Kleinfelder on mitigation requirements and continue working with the county to pursue groundwater grant funding. The demolition is expected to be this year. In 2025, the parks department continued its commitment to providing highquality, well-maintained and inclusive parks and recreational facilities for the residents of St. Mary's through focused attention on forestry, landscaping, turf care, and recreational program. The department supported both organized sports and everyday public use across the city's park system. The department remained dedicated to serving all park users, including youth and adult sports leagues, community organization, and the general public. The department successfully maintains 15 parks and two nature trails. The park supervisor also holds certifications from Ohio EPA, ODA, and ISA, and also as a certified playground safety inspector, ensuring

compliance with safety standards and best practices across all facilities. Together, the supervisor and seasonal staff provided consistent maintenance of sports fields, playgrounds, restrooms, landscaping, mowing, trimming, trash collection, and general park cleanup. Casey Geiger Park remained the city's most heavily used recreational facility and saw several significant improvements in 2025. Installation of a new scoreboard on diamond number seven made possible through donations with multiple organizations. New playground equipment and floor in place rubber safety surface enhancing accessibility and safety. The addition of the storybook trail developed in partnership with the St. Mary City Schools. Casey Gyer Park continues to serve as home to a high school and youth baseball and softball, soccer leagues, youth football, men's and women's softball, and a wide range of recreational amenities. These include tennis, pickle ball, basketball, volleyball courts, disc golf course, miniature golf, and a perimeter walking path used year round. The park also hosted numerous tournaments and cross-country meets, bringing visitors and economic activity to the city. Memorial Park, located in the heart of the Uptown Business District, remains a central gathering place and a symbol of community pride. Dedicated to World War I veterans, the park is a the longstanding home of the Field of Flags, an event that continues to draw strong community participation and recognition. Mil Park continued to be a focal point for families and inclusive recreation. The park features the splash pad and the all abilities park, both of which include new playground equipment and the modern foreign play safety surface. These amenities ensure that children of

all abilities have access to safe and engaging recreational opportunities. Our city parks hosted a substantial number of community events. Memorial Park and Mil Park shelter houses alone hosted 149 events while an additional 199 events took place throughout the remainder of the park system. These events included weddings and receptions, family reunions and graduation parties, church services and community cookouts, arts in the park, field of flags, winterfest and other seasonal celebrations. Skip Bachmann complex served as home to seventh grade youth football and flag football programs and hosted additional community events such as Summerfest and Trump retreat. The city continued to its partnership with capabilities allowing members of the organization to oversee the operations of the miniature golf course Monday through Friday. This collaboration provide provided valuable work opportunities for capabilities their members while enhancing customer service and strengthening community partnerships. Sports field preparation was a major focus over a 37week period. Ball fields were prepared 413 times for games, 631 times for practices and scrimmages. Lines were painted on 12 ball fields, 15 soccer fields, two practice fields, the Skip Bachmann football field, and the volleyball courts. Basketball, tennis, pickle ball, volleyball courts, horseshoe pits, and soccer nets were regularly inspected and repaired as needed. The city's forestry division remained active throughout the city, focusing on pruning, trimming, planting, and removal of hazardous trees. The supervisor completed extensive training and maintained ISA certification,

reinforcing the city's commitment to professional urban forestry practices. Key forestry accomplishments in 2025 included 37 trees replaced through the annual planning program. Three additional trees were planted by city workforce. 67 stumps were ground by a private contractor as part of a a routine maintenance. St. Mary's was proudly recognized as Tree City USA community for the 36th consecutive year, reflecting sustained excellence in urban forestry management. The city also hosted its annual Arbor Day celebration at Mil Park. At the end of 2025, the city employs 103 full-time, three part-time, and one seasonal employee for a total workforce of 170 employees, the highest level in the past 5 years. 22 new full-time employees were hired during the year, including refuge workers, firefighters, police officers, a GIS technician, and tree trimmer helper. Our seasonal employment remains strong with 56 seasonal employees at the swimming pool and 20 additional seasonal workers supporting parks and general services. Key leadership promotions included Corey Stoker who was promoted to supervisor of solid waste operations. Lonnie How was promoted to superintendent of water and waste and the sewer departments. Luke Turpin was promoted to chief of police. Scott Busher was promated promoted to police sergeant. The city also recognized three retirements and experienced 13 resignations during the year. The city recognized and honored three long-term city employees. Dana Cook and Derek Turner celebrated 30 years of service with the city. Shawn Ackling celebrated 25 years of service with the city. Employees

completed extensive safety and technical training including CPR, first aid, excavation safety, electric utility safety, and OSHA compliance programs. The city also reduced CDL training cost by transitioning to an internal training provider, significantly lowering per employee expenses while shortening training time. The city's website recorded over 234,000 page views and over 69,000 visits in 2025, reflecting strong public engagement with city services and information. The s the top search terms were holiday refuge schedule, fall cleanup, and taxes. The most downloaded documents included the current zoning regulations, holiday refuge schedule, and tax return information. The city of St. Mary's Police Department continued its unwavering commitment to pro protecting life, preserving property, and ensuring a safe environment for residents, businesses, and visitors. Through proactive policy, policing policies, modernized technology, strong partnerships, and a continued emphasis on training and professionalism, the the department delivered effective and responsive law enforcement services throughout the year. The police department experienced significant personnel transitions in 2025 has strengthened leadership and operational continuity. On September 1st, Luke Turpin was promoted to chief of police, bringing renewed leadership and vision to the department. Despite retirements and resignations during the year, the department successfully welcomed three new police officers. Patrolman Cole Canning, patrolman Zack Cook, and Patrolman Braden Adams. These changes reflect the department's resilience and

its ability to adapt while maintaining high standards of service. Throughout the year, the police department maintained visible and active presence within the community. Offers provided security for numerous community events, including high school athletic events, Summerfest, and other large gatherings. Offers respon officers responded to over 8,400 calls for service during the year, generating more than 63,900 entries into the computer aided dispatch system. These calls range from emergency responses and criminal investigations to traffic enforcement and community assistance reflecting the broad scope of services provided by the department. The department continued to work collaboratively with regional and federal partners to address serious and complex criminal activity. offers officers actively participated in the Allay's Mercer Grand Lake task force, contributing to investigations involving felony drug trafficking. The department also remained a committed member to the FBI's Northwest Ohio Safe Streets Task Force, which focused on combating drug trafficking, gang violence, and organized criminal activity across the region. These partnerships resulted in the execution of multiple search and arrest warrants leading to the arrest of highlevel narcotics traffickers and the seizure of significant quantities of drugs and drug paraphernalia. These efforts directly enhanced public safety and disrupted criminal networks affecting our community. Training remained a top priority, ensuring officers and dispatchers were wellprepared to meet the evolving demands of modern policing. Department personnel completed nearly 1,200 hours of training during the year,

including all statemandated continuing professional training requirements. Training topics include firearm proficiency, defensive tactics, tactical building searches, act active shooter response, leadership development, crisis intervention, pursuit intervention techniques, and sexual assault investigations. This commitment to continuous learning ensures the department remains effective, responsive, and aligned with the best practices in law enforcement. The city's code enforcement officer working closely with the police department had a notably busy year. Over 400 contacts were made addressing quality of life concerns such as nuisent properties, parking violation, unlicensed vehicles, trash cleanups, and dangerous buildings. These efforts play a critical role in maintaining neighborhood safety, property values, and overall community appearance. The solid waste department remain dedicated to delivering safe, reliable, and cost addictive waste management services throughout 2025. The year's efforts focused on completing a comprehensive price rate study, adjusting and optimizing collection routes, stabilizing staffing levels, and strengthening employee safety measures. In addition to routine refuge collection, the department responded to a significant volume of resident requests for special services. These included 772 special pickups, eight hopper placements for household projects, 33 new service starts, 24 service disconnection discontinuations, and miscellaneous services as needed. Among the larger items collected were 376 mattresses or box springsings and 218 couches, love

seats, and similar furnishings. Commercial customers continued receiving Saturday morning collection when required, over 96 hours of overtime. The department also supported community events throughout the year, including providing refuge and recycling services for Goodfellow's Christmas event and for First Fridays. By the end of the year, the department collected over 4.4 tons of refuge, averaging 370 tons per month. Curbside recycling totaled over 163,000 lbs or 81.6 tons, averaging just six tons monthly. The department also responded to numerous services service referrals and trash related complaints and continued supporting commercial accounts with Taylor Waste Management Assistance. Staff assisted in the cleanup of abandoned properties and participated in ongoing discussions concerning the landfill operation and Ohio EPA matters. Spring cleanup was held in April as a resident drop off event at the wastewater plant. The annual fall cleanup took place from October, late October to early November. Vehicle maintenance remained a high priority focus with weekly cleaning and numerous repairs required as the aging fleet continued to present challenges. The tax department continues to provide essential support to the financial stability of the city of St. Aries and the 14 villages we serve through regional income tax administration. Those 14 villages we provide tax services to include the villages of Vodkins, Chickansaw, Covington, Criderville, Fort Army, Minster, Lake View, New Brmond, New Knoxville, Northstar, Osgood, Rushi for Sales, and Yorkshire.

The city of St. Mary's collected over $5.2 2 million in municipal income tax revenue, representing a modest 1.91% decrease from the prior year. Refunds issued to St. Mary's taxpayers totaled over $54,000. The villages we serve collectively experienced substantial growth, gener generating over $26 million in revenue, an increase of 11.7% over the previous year. The city's 3% lodging tax, now in its third full full year, continue to show stable participation from the two businesses subject to this tax. Revenue collections were nearly $37,000. Overall, the tax department continues to demonstrate strong performance, operational resilience, and a commitment to modernization. The city's utility office continue to play a vital role in maintaining reliable services, financial stability, and customer support throughout the year. The following highlights reflect the department's strong performance and commitment to serving our community. Last year, the utility office processed nearly 65,000 invoices, billing more than $27 million for utility services. Total collections exceeded over $27 million, demonstrating effective billing and collection practices while maintaining service reliability. COI St. Mary's Corporation remained an active participant in the city's economic development discount program, which encourages investment expansion within the community. This incentive supports job retention and growth while strengthening the city's economic base. The utility office worked closely with various emergency assistance program to aid customers with their delinquent

bills. In 2025, a total of over $55,000 was was received helping 226 households, helping hands, the St. St. Mary's Community Foundation, the Salvation Army, Alaz County Job and Family Services, and West Ohio Community Action Partnership, also known as Quap, provided much of the assistance that was received. In addition to emergency assistant, nearly $13,000 was received from HEAP, helping residents with their utility bill. HEAP is a non-emergency type of assistance that is governed through the state of Ohio. Utility personnel strive to provide the residents of St. Mary's with excellent customer service. With many customers struggling to keep their utility accounts current, the city tries to work with them to set up a payment schedule or to direct them to the assistant agencies to receive help with their utility bill. Unfortunately, it is necessary to turn utility services off in order to collect payment. 227 services were turned off for non-payment in 2025. The water and wastewater department continue to advance its uh commitment to providing clean, reliable water, and environmentally responsible wastewater services for the city of St. Mary's. The department focused on infrastructure improvements, regulatory compliance, customer communication, and operational efficiency across all divisions. The city's drinking water continued to meet all federal and state standards, reflecting the dedication of the water plant operators and distribution crews. The department also prepared and winterized the putter golf and splash pad facilities and communicated extensively with Villanova residents about the ongoing multi-year water mane

replacement project. Also, the city verified 187 water service materials as part of the lead and copper program and mailed approximately 2,000 customer service reports to help complete material inventories for the city's 4,500 total services. Prevented maintenance remained a high priority with staff exercising 142 valves and responding to more than 1,65 oops locate requests. The distribution crew remained active repairing 14 water mane brakes and installing or replacing water manes valves hydrants and service lines. A combined total of 3,200 ft of water mane was installed by city personnel and contractors in the wastewater collection division. Infrastructure, renewal, and system maintenance continue to be emphasized. Routine maintenance was extensive. Crews cleaned over 66,000 ft of sanitary sewer. video inspected more than 43,000 ft of sedentary mains, inspected 100 ft of sewer laterals, and cleaned over 4,900 ft of storm sewer. More than 1,065 oops sewer locates were completed. department continued working with Strand Associates to develop a final sanitary sanitary sewer overflow elimination report required by the Ohio EPA reflecting the ongoing efforts to eliminate sanitary sewer overflow events throughout the collection system. Our water treatment plant continued to produce highquality drinking water, distributing 380 million gallons of to St. Mary's residents. The annual drinking water quality report was provided to consumers in June. The new water plant operated efficiency throughout the year and all operators completed Ohio EPA certification and

chemical testing. Lead and copper sampling was completed within the distribution sample the distribution system and all results fell within allowable limits. The wastewater treatment plan continued addressing longstanding sanit sanitary sewer challenges as part of the ongoing compliance with the Ohio EPA findings and orders and the city's national pollutant discharge elimination system permit. The city hauled 198 dry tons of bioolids for agricultural land application in partnership with a contractor. The family aquatic center operated smoothly throughout the year thanks to the water and wakes water maintenance staff and the ongoing leadership of manager Lindseay Herenstein. The splash pad remained extremely popular in 2025 with usage exceeding 100,000 gallons of water per day during periods of hot weather. This concludes my annual report and again I want to thank all of our city workforce and staff for a job well done in 2025. Your dedication and efforts continue to make our city a great place to work, play, worship, and live. Keep up the great work. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Are there any questions? There any questions or comments from council? Jim,

yes, I had a quick one. I think it's really just marked. I um it was regarding the uh time for fishing being expanded. Um I think it's worded uh from dusk to dawn, which would be overnight. And I just wanted to clarify, is it actually overnight or is it should it be dawn to dusk? No, that might be again. Well, it's it's dawn to dusk. It should be dawn to dusk. Okay. For for the fishing at the at the pond. Oh, in the It said dawn. It said dust to dawn. It should be dawn to dust, right? Yeah. Just wanted to clarify. Thank you.

Are there any questions or comments from council? Okay. Moving on. We have no reports committed to city council on readings or resolutions. We have no third readings, nor do we have any second readings under new legislation. We have ordinance 20263. May I have a motion to read things? Much Mr. LS possible to read, please.

All yeses.

Ordinance 202603. An ordinance approving the revised refuge for the city of St. Mary's. Mr. Foxhovven or is it Mr. Goodman? I I could talk about it. You can certainly chime in as well. Um well, I think it's taken us I think four committee me four committee meetings and two council meetings to get here, but we're here. So, this is the legislation that the committee has moved forward upon council's recommendation to the law director to draft. Um as you'll see, it's basically it's the information that was provided at the last meeting. The base rate will go up to $28. Uh the totter additional to 350. There's a senior discount for 65 and older, uh, $20. Uh, outside uh, customers will go to $31. The additional toer stays the same at 350. Then you can see the commercial dumpster size is based on how many times uh, a week is picked up. And it will be effective uh, June 1st. We can read it three times. There's no emergency language, so we can wait 30 days uh, before it uh, takes effect.

Okay. Thank you. Any questions or comments from council? Uh, Mr. Frell, I was reading in section three. Is that giving the service and safety authority to raise the rates that require?

Yeah. So, if there's an EPA charge that comes forward and says we need you guys need a sir charge of $10 to uh for any for per pound that you're putting in there. It allows them to add on to that. Now, the administration has never done a rate change without speaking to council first going through a circumstance like this, but I thought I base that on the 99 ordinance which allowed him for that flexibility.

Okay. Okay. Makes sense. Thank you. Any questions, comments from council? If not, this will be back for second reading of the next meeting. Under scheduling this lane's business and closing, we have of the streets and house committee meeting for March 16th, 2026 to 5:15 and we have a request for executive session to discuss pending litigation. No sir,

there will be no action afterwards. So now I have a motion to go to Mr. Mr. Conro. I'd vote to go into executive session. Okay. All yes. Thank you. We have returned to regular session. Is there anything else to come before council? Mr. Buff. Motion to adjurnn.

Motion to adjurnn by Mr. Buff. Second by uh Mr. Aurora. Council vote to adjurnn, please. Oh yes, thank you.