MANSFIELD — Mansfield City Council will conclude 2023 on Tuesday by honoring several people who won’t be in attendance when the new year begins.
It will also set the stage for what’s to come by officially selecting new standing committees and chairs, a new clerk of council, as well as adopt a temporary spending plan for 2024.
It will mark the final legislative session for Mayor Tim Theaker, Law Director John Spon and Finance Director Linn Steward, all of whom are departing at the end of December after 12 years in office.
All three were prevented by term limits from seeking new four-year terms. They will be replaced in January by Jodie Perry (mayor), Rollie Harper (law director) and Kelly Blankenship (finance director), all of whom won election in November.
Council will also honor two of their own attending their final meetings — 4th Ward Councilman Alomar Davenport and 6th Ward Councilwoman Kimberly Moton. Newly elected council members Cynthia Daley (4th Ward) and Deborah Mount (6th Ward) will take over those seats in January.
Local lawmakers will also honor former Mansfield Fire Department Chief Steve Strickling, who retired Dec. 1 after a career that spanned more than 32 years.
Also on Tuesday, council is expected to approve new standing committees that were discussed during a caucus on Dec. 7. Local Republicans gain voting control of council in January for the first time in recent memory.
Lawmakers are also expected to designate Delaine Weiner as the new City Council clerk, replacing Amy Yockey.
Also on Tuesday, City Council is expected to:
— approve a temporary spending plan for 2024. A final appropriations budget must be approved by the end of March.
— vote on salary increases for elected officials in the city, including mayor, law director, finance director and council members. The pay increases will not take effect for current office holders unless/until they would gain re-election.
— vote on new personnel positions, pay grades and salaries for certain city employees in the 2024 payroll year.
— vote on the selection of David Falquette as president pro-temp beginning in January. Currently council president, Falquette will become an At-Large legislator in 2024 as current At-Large Councilman Phil Scott moves back to council president.
— vote to authorize a payment of $1,200 to Karen Viau, 550 Woodland Road, for damages caused by a sewer backup in March.
— vote on a proposal to redirect a $1.5 million American Rescue Plan Act allocation to the North End Community Improvement Collaborative for its planned building purchase at 280-290 N. Main St.
— vote on a “then-and-now” payment of $38,250 to DRM Productions for website design services. According to the legislation, the city’s IT department mistakenly closed an approved purchase order prior to work being complete.
— vote on a “then-and-now” payment of $88,601.91 to the Ohio Department of Transportation. According to the legislation, the street department contracted with ODOT snow and ice removal in 2022-2023 prior to submitting a purchase order.
— vote on the appropriation of $13,000 from the unappropriated safety services fund to the crime lab equipment fund.
— vote on the appropriation of $220,000 from the unappropriated safety services fund to the fire department capital equipment fund.
— vote on the appropriation of $370,000 from the unappropriated safety services PRIDE fund to the safety services fund.
— vote on the appropriation of $1,666,265 from the unappropriated health insurance fund to the contractual services classification “to account for the possibility of actual claims expense exceeding budgeted claims by year end.”
— vote on the renewal of an agreement with the Richland County Board of Commissioners for payment of legal counsel for indigent defendants.
— vote to approve the administration’s sale of “unneeded, obsolete and unfit” property through GovDeals.com.
— vote on a proposal to expend up to $300,000 from the city’s PRIDE funds for the ongoing Westinghouse demolition project.
(Below is a PDF of the legislation Mansfield City Council is expected to consider on Tuesday evening during its final scheduled meeting of 2023.)