MANSFIELD — Local lawmakers will have the chance to enjoy some leftovers Tuesday night before moving on to new legislation.
Two bills scheduled for vote were delayed from council’s last meeting on Sept. 3.
In one, City Council members chose to delay a vote on the city’s participation in a class action settlement against two of the companies whose products allegedly contaminated the soil near Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport.
The unanimous decision to delay the vote until Sept. 17 came after council members posed questions Law Director Rollie Harper was unable to answer at the meeting.
The class action lawsuit settlement is part of a proposed agreement in the U.S. District Court of South Carolina between active public water systems and the two companies — Tyco Fire Products LP and BASF Corporation.
Published reports indicate the companies have agreed to pay a combined $1 billion to participating public water systems around the country who are participating in the class-action lawsuit.
The legislation scheduled for a vote didn’t include a dollar amount the city would receive from its portion of the class-action settlement regarding the use of aqueous film-forming foams that lead to possible contamination at the airport.
On Sept. 3, At-large Councilwoman Stephanie Zader complained about the bill coming in after the deadline for legislation to be submitted, also asking for more information on the agreement.
She said she didn’t think it was appropriate to pass the bill after only one reading on a topic that had been discussed in public meetings and in executive sessions for more than a year.
Harper said, “All I know is we received the information fairly recently that this foaming case had reached this kind of settlement. Since we were affected by it, we should be a part of the settlement.”
Council President Phil Scott asked the law director if there was greater detail available in the settlement.
“Not that I’ve seen as of yet,” Harper said Sept. 3. “We received the notice, but not the explanation. So when we do, we’ll inform (council).”
In the other, council delayed a vote to update the city’s codified ordinances until questions surrounding one section of the bill could be resolved. Those are sections of the city’s general offenses code dealing with adult use cannabis and open container laws.
Also on Tuesday, council is scheduled to:
— see a presentation on wayfinding signage during an economic development committee at 6:30 p.m.
— vote on demolitions of deteriorating buildings at 380 1/2 Wayne St., 236 Gerke Ave., 205 Atcheson Ave. and 288 Central Ave.
— vote on the acceptance of a $3,137.40 grant from the Ohio Division of Emergency Medical Services to be used for equipment purchases.
— vote on the acceptance of a $10,000 grant from the Ohio Dept. of Mental Health & Addiction Services to be used in supporting services to clients involved with Mansfield Municipal Court mental health dockets.
— vote on the acceptance of a $93,500 grant from the U.S. Dept. of Justice to be used for Mansfield Municipal Court software upgrades.
— vote on the acceptance of a $50,000 grant from the U.S. Dept. of Justice to be used for the court efficiency project.
— vote on the acceptance of a $200,000 grant from the Ohio Dept. of Mental Health & Addiction Services for personnel costs associated with Mansfield Municipal Court specialty dockets — Domestic Violence Court, Drug Court, Mental Health Court and Veterans’ Court. The grant helps fund salaries and benefits with probation officers assigned to the specialty courts.
— vote on the acceptance of a $1,000 grant from the Healing Hearts Foundation of Ohio to assist in rehabilitating the South Park playground.
