Bellefontaine City Council members continued Tuesday in a regular meeting to work through a number of appropriation ordinances as the conclusion of the 2019 legislative agenda draws near, and also approved a new member onto the EMS department’s auxiliary EMT unit.
Chris Watkins was sworn-in as an auxiliary EMT by Service-Safety Director David Henry. Several members of the Bellefontaine Fire and EMS Department attended the meeting as she was sworn in.
As for action during the meeting, temporary appropriations for 2020 were passed on second-reading only. Those temporary appropriations total about $9 million for the city’s General Fund.
An ordinance was passed on first-reading only to authorize the service-safety director to accept credit card payments for services. A 4 percent fee will apply to all credit card payments.
Council is modifying late fees charged to delinquent residential utility accounts. A $25 fee is charged to accounts that are 45 days late.
Also, a $50 re-connection fee applies to delinquent accounts that are turned back on during normal business hours. After hours, that re-connection fee is $100.
A salary and raise ordinance was approved on second-reading only, affording previously-negotiated 2.5 percent pay increases to service and clerical workers.
On third reading, council passed an ordinance authorizing the purchase of a sludge spreader truck for use by the wastewater department at a cost of $225,000.
Council will meet only once in December, as Dec. 24 meeting has been vacated.
The final regular city council meeting of the year is 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 10.