The Vandalia City Council held a study session on March 16, 2026, to discuss several financial and administrative items, including supplemental appropriations, a correction to a property assessment, a culvert bid award for the new public works facility, furniture for the rec center, a liquor permit transfer process change, and February 2026 financial reports. The session concluded with a motion to enter executive session for security arrangements.
Supplemental Appropriations: Finance representative Ms. Carnes presented a supplemental appropriation ordinance including: $17,209.44 for the fire department (smoke/CO alarms, training, PPE/SCBA) funded by grants and donations; $14,000 for a laser light show at the 2026 Star Spangled Celebration funded by an American Legion Post 668 donation; $18 million (split across street, stormwater, water, and sewer funds) for construction of the new public works facility, secured via bond anticipation notes in late 2025; and $16,200.63 for new furniture for a new judge's office in municipal court. No vote was taken.
Assessment Correction (Ordinance 25-25): Ms. Carnes explained that an assessment for delinquent weed cutting charges on a parcel at 222 West National Road contained an address error. The original certification was submitted to the county in October 2025, but an error was discovered in February 2026. A new ordinance is needed to remove the parcel from the exhibit and reassess properly later.
Public Works Facility Culvert Bid Award: Mr. Borden reported that bids for a box culvert installation opened March 6, 2026, with 16 contractors attending a pre-bid meeting and five bids received, ranging from $308,666 to $434,000 (engineer's estimate $426,362.50). The culvert, 14 feet by 4 feet, will provide primary access to the new public works facility at 810 Northwoods Boulevard. Permits from the Army Corps of Engineers and FEMA are pending. Mr. Borden recommended awarding the contract to Fillmore Construction, LLC of Weesburg, Ohio, as the lowest and best bidder at $308,666 with a 67-day completion timeline (others bid 150 days). He noted that the engineering firm WDC Group had previous positive experience with the contractor.
Rec Center Special Events Room Furniture: Staff recommended purchasing new furniture from Elements for Interiors at $29,598.39, within the $30,000 capital improvement budget. The current furniture is 25 years old.
Liquor Permit Transfer Process Change: Mr. Althouse proposed a new process for liquor permit renewals and transfers: council will be advised if the police chief does not recommend a hearing, requiring no legislative action unless a hearing is recommended. For the current transfer of the liquor license from the golf pro to the Socialite Cafe at Castle Hills Clubhouse, the police chief had no objection. Council agreed to adopt this process moving forward.
February 2026 Financial Reports: Ms. Carnes presented the monthly report. General fund revenues year-to-date are slightly below budget, while expenses (with and without transfers) are above budget, attributed to timing of capital projects and the CRA payment to schools. Income tax revenues net of refunds are slightly below forecast. The fund balance report showed negatives in the Crisis Intervention Training fund (preloaded encumbered), capital improvement fund (heavily encumbered), but the CDBG fund was no longer negative after a recent $50,000 receipt. No questions were raised.
All right, we'll go ahead and get started with uh the study session study session for this evening. Um, the first item is there anything that we're going to be uh voting on tonight during the council meeting that needs any further discussion or clarification. All right, we'll move on then to uh the first ordinance supplemental. Ms. Carnes. Is there a button on there? Now take it. We can hear you now. Perfect. Finance is requesting the approval of the following supplemental appropriation ordinance for the following reasons. In the general fund fire department, a total of $17,209 and 44 cents for the purchase of smoke and CO alarms, education and training expenditures, and PPE and SCBA equipment. All of these things are have funds to offset coming from grants or various donations. Also in recreation, $14,000 to account for costs related to the laser light show at the Star Spangled Celebration for 2026. The American Legion Post 668 donated the funds to cover this cost as well. Um split between the street fund, stormwater fund, water fund, and sewer fund total of $18 million to account for the costs associated with the construction of the new public works facility. These funds were secured in late 2025 with the issuance of the bond anticipation notes. And finally, the computer legal research fund $16,200 and 63 cents to account for the cost of new furniture for the new judge's office in municipal court. We have the privilege of covering that. Yep. So ordinance 25-25 included certification of an assessment for delinquent charges for weed cutting on a parcel located at 222 West National Road. The documentation was approved by council and submitted to the county for collection in October of 2025. But information received in February indicated the parcel and address referenced was in error. So we have to uh therefore remove it from the exhibit. So a new uh ordinance is required to formally remove it, and then we'll have to reassess it properly later. All right. Everybody got that. All right, thank you. You're welcome. All right, we'll move on to items on the April 6th meeting. Uh we have a resolution for public works facility for the uh culvert bid award. And at this time, I'd like to invite Mr. Borden to the uh podium. Thank you. You're welcome. Thank you. Um we opened bids for the new culvert on March 6th. Uh we had 16 contractors attend the mandatory pre-bid meeting a couple weeks prior, and we had five bids that we actually did receive for this work. They range from 308,666 to 434,000. The engineer's estimate for it was 426,362.50. Uh this will be an installation of a box culvert uh 14 feet by four foot on the north side of the parcel uh for the new public works facility at 810 Northwoods Boulevard. Um the culvert will be providing basically the primary access to the site for construction and for the public works operations once the facility is complete. Uh the culvert crosses an active stream, which is classified as waters of the U.S. And it crosses a FEMA mapped floodplain and a floodway. Um this results in us happen to get permits from the Army Corps and from FEMA. Uh, we're we're in the final stages of that permitting process. Uh no construction will start until we get those permits issued, but we wanted to get this out and especially since it takes a while for the box cover to be purchased and manufactured. Um we just had the supplemental that the money was this money is gonna be coming out of streets stormwater water and sewer funds, um, and it was originally appropriate last year. Uh based on the bids received, I recommend awarding the contract to fill more construction, LLC of Weesburg, Ohio, as the lowest and best bidder at the amount of 308,666 dollars. Engineering and design uh was completed by WDC group and their subconsultant choice one engineering. Any questions?