Vandalia City Council Study Session - March 2, 2026

The Vandalia City Council held a study session on Monday, March 2, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. to review upcoming regular-meeting resolutions, items scheduled for the March 16 agenda, and discussion topics. No formal votes were taken during the study session; the regular council meeting was scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m.

Council Agenda Follow-Up

• Council discussed a follow-up on the Historical Society contribution. Last year's council requested information on the society's funding sources and whether the other participating community contributes to operations. Staff noted the society provides expense information, but the revenue side of its funding has not yet been supplied.

Patrol Vehicle Upfit - Bid Waiver Request

• Police department staff requested a waiver of competitive bidding for 2026 upfitting of three 2026 Ford Police Interceptor utility vehicles. Since 2020, reliable multi-vendor bid submissions have been unavailable, and one of the two previous bidders is out of business.
• Statewide Emergency Products (Van Wert, Ohio) quoted $19,908 per unit, totaling $59,724, but that quote excluded items such as shipping, radar unit transfer, a divider plate, and surplus-vehicle decommissioning, bringing its estimated total to $63,910.99.
• K.E. Rose (Huber Heights, Ohio) quoted $21,845.02 per unit, totaling $65,535.06, with all requested items included and pricing not subject to change. Staff said K.E. Rose has performed Vandalia upfits for over a decade, uses the same technician for each cruiser, and offers reduced downtime when service is needed.
• Staff requested authorization for K.E. Rose at $65,535.06, which is $17,464.94 below the $83,000 budgeted amount. Council asked no substantive questions.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Andrew Kane, applicant for the 1622 Middlefield Court variance, testified that his house's gutters drain directly to the storm sewer and that he would install troughs and a four-inch corrugated pipe routed to a catch basin on the southeastern part of the property, stating that runoff would not be an issue.

March 16 Agenda Items

Fire Station 2 Kitchen Remodel

• Fire Chief Follett said Fire Station 2 was built in 1979 for volunteers, received a cosmetic renovation in 2007 when 24-hour staffing began, and still has a small kitchenette setup.
• The city sent out RFPs in early 2026 and received five packages. Staff recommended Creative Countertops (Englewood, Ohio) as the lowest and best bid at about $45,657, below the approximately $50,000 capital budget; staff may self-perform demo and painting to reduce costs.
• In response to council questions, Chief Follett said the appliances would be stainless steel commercial-grade residential style rather than restaurant grade. The department is pricing appliances through a company used by other fire departments.

Policies and Procedures Manual Revision

• Staff reviewed minor clarifications and title changes, including fire captains now titled battalion chiefs, from the large 2025 PPM revision.
• Two major changes were presented: part-time employees earn 4.6 hours of sick leave per 80 hours worked, with balances loaded twice a year; the second disbursement month is changed from December to January to fully capture the July-December earning period.
• Travel policy changes allow meal-expense reimbursement at the per-diem rate after a training or conference requiring overnight travel when an employee uses a personal card. No travel advances will be issued, and same-day or non-overnight conferences are not reimbursable through purchasing or personal cards.

Asphalt Purchase

• Public Works staff opened bids for annual asphalt purchases from two area suppliers, Barrett and Valley. Staff recommended awarding the contract to Valley Asphalt Corporation at $82 per ton for Type II base asphalt and $88 per ton for Type I surface asphalt.
• The city budgeted $50,000 for asphalt in the permissive use tax fund and $20,000 for golf course cart paths for Parks and Recreation. The contract permits purchases up to the specified amount without requiring a minimum purchase.

Discussion Items

Pavement Treatment Under $50,000

• Staff proposed applying Reclamite asphalt rejuvenator to selected streets, primarily streets from last year's water-main replacement projects, at a total cost of $46,365 by Pavement Technologies Inc.
• Staff described Reclamite as preventive maintenance that helps protect newer asphalt, slows surface aging, reduces porosity, and is best suited to structurally sound pavements. The county engineer has incorporated this treatment in annual resurfacing projects.
• In response to council questions, staff said Reclamite can help extend pavement life before the next resurfacing, and staff are considering including this treatment in future water-main projects. Staff did not have exact life-extension figures at the meeting; a council member referenced a possible 30 percent life extension.

Police Portable Radios Under $50,000

• Police staff said the department is in the second year of a multi-year portable-radio replacement schedule. It plans to purchase eight Motorola APX N50 portable radios with accessories and programming through Motorola and PR Communications for $33,000.36; $35,000 was budgeted in 2026.
• Staff said current radios are nearing the end of service life, are no longer supported by Motorola, are about 15 years old, and are experiencing parts-availability challenges.

Boards and Commissions Appointment

• Staff announced that the March 16 council meeting will consider appointing Harry Herbst as an alternate member of the Vandalia Property Maintenance Board of Appeals. A memo from the Deputy Clerk of Council and the application were included in council packets.

Impervious Surface Variance - 1622 Middlefield Court

• Zoning staff presented a variance request from Andrew Kane to exceed the maximum allowable impervious surface area in the RSF3 zoning district, where the limit is 45 percent of the lot.
• The applicant proposes to demolish a 476-square-foot wood deck and add a 512-square-foot pool, concrete pavers around the pool, and concrete for a patio cover. Combined with the existing house, driveway, and sidewalk of 2,054 square feet, the total impervious area would be 4,506 square feet on a 9,398-square-foot lot, or 47.9 percent - 2.9 percent over the limit.
• The Board of Zoning Appeals voted 3-0 on February 11 to recommend approval, and staff recommended approval.
• Council members expressed two positions: swimming pools should not be counted as impervious surface because they accept water rather than create runoff, and minor overages such as 2.9 percent should be handled administratively for residential properties rather than requiring a multi-month BZA and council variance process.
• Staff agreed to research possible zoning text amendments and bring options back for council discussion before referral to the Planning Commission.

Legislative Calendar

• A council member requested that a proclamation for Professional Municipal Clerks Week (May 3-9) be added to the May 4 meeting agenda. The city clerk was asked to add it.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes were taken during the study session.
• Staff were directed to research and return with zoning text-amendment options addressing pools as impervious surface area and administrative residential variances, with a preference for council discussion before Planning Commission referral.
• The proclamation for Professional Municipal Clerks Week is to be added to the May 4 council meeting.
• The appointment of Harry Herbst was scheduled for the March 16 council meeting, and the patrol-vehicle upfit bid waiver and award request was scheduled for the regular council meeting immediately following the study session.