MANSFIELD — The Municipal Parking Lot was the hottest topic of discussion during Tuesday’s Mansfield City Council meeting.
But it was not the only legislation scheduled to be considered by city lawmakers.
City Council voted on a total of eight pieces bills Tuesday, including an agreement with the city’s new Community Improvement Corporation.
This agreement between the city and CIC was not for ownership of the 1.4-acre Municipal Parking Lot. It’s ultimately a break down of how the relationship between Mansfield and its CIC will function.
A CIC is a non-profit corporation authorized by state law to promote the industrial, economic, commercial, and civic development of a community through public-private partnerships.
CICs act as quasi-governmental agencies with enhanced flexibility to accomplish development goals by partnering with cities to acquire property, apply for grants, issue revenue bonds, provide loans and facilitate business growth.
Jeffry Harris, a public finance attorney with Bricker and Graydon, said the agreement council approved unanimously Tuesday night is a “standard operating arrangement” between the city and the non-profit CIC.
“An agreement plan doesn’t have to be a lot of detail. It just has to say that, ‘We’re going to work together to advance the city’s economic development at the benefit of the city’s residents,'” Harris said.
“Typically that’s how these (agreements) are written. These are always in place when CICs are named as agents for their local communities.”
The City of Shelby has had great success in recent years through its own CIC, including its Main Street Streetscape and Black Fork Commons Plaza projects.
Harris has been assisting and advising the city in regards to economic development and the CIC, Mansfield Mayor Jodie Perry said.
Perry said the agreement is a “necessary function” for the CIC “to do anything.”
MORE CITY COUNCIL COVERAGE
Also on Tuesday evening, City Counil:
— accepted $25,516 in “unanticipated forfeiture revenue” from the Mansfield Police Department and appropriated it to METRICH operations.
— accepted a $100 donation from Harbor Freight Tools for use by the Mansfield Fire Department.
— approved spending up to $152,265 for two fully-equipped 2026 Dodge Durango K-9 police vehicles from Jim Shorkey Ford in White Oak, Pa. The city’s Board of Control approved the purchase in September.
— accepted a $259,841 firefighters grant from the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security for building improvements, training and related personnel costs for the Mansfield Fire Department. The grant requires a 10-percent match from the city, totaling $25,984.
— adopted a policy to “permit the use of employee dishonesty and faithful performance of duty policies” in lieu of surety bonds for officers, employees, and appointees of the City of Mansfield.
— adopted changes to personnel positions, pay grades and salaries for certain city employees in the 2026 payroll year. The changes largely impact the top of the salary scale for more than two dozen city employees.
— denied a proposal to amend the city’s Zoning Districts Map to rezone one parcel located at and around Annadale Avenue from Zoning Classification B-1 (Neighborhood Business District) to B-2 (General Business District) Classification.