Ashtabula Council Tables Finance Director Bond Change, Adds $50,000 for Outfall Studies, Returns Comprehensive Plan to Planning Commission

City Council put off a vote on the finance director's surety bond at its Sept. 21 meeting. Members said they need more information first. Council also returned the comprehensive plan to the Planning Commission and approved five ordinances. Ward I Councilor Scott DeCola and Ward V Councilperson Jane DiGiacomo were excused. Every vote was 5 to 0. Finance Director Bond Legislation Tabled Ordinances 2026-155 and 2026-156 would repeal and replace the city's rule on the finance director's bond. Finance Director Vladimir Kan asked council to lower the required bond from $100,000 to $10,000. He said the bond makes him personally liable for that amount. He said a bond agent told him even an invoice paid from the wrong fund could trigger it after a state audit. Kan said other finance directors he spoke with rely on blanket insurance coverage instead. City Solicitor Cecilia Cooper said the charter lets council set the amount by ordinance. She said a $10,000 official bond typically costs $250 to $500. A $100,000 bond costs about $2,500 to $5,000, and the city pays those fees. For comparison, she said Ohio townships with budgets above $10 million must carry a $220,000 bond for their fiscal officer. She noted the city is not a township. Cooper warned that ignoring the charter could put an insurance claim at risk. She said swapping the bond for insurance would mean removing the bond requirement altogether. That would also limit the finance director's personal exposure to crimes in office. Cooper is checking whether the city qualifies for that kind of coverage. Council members asked for bond amounts from comparable cities and details on the insurance option before voting. Cooper said she will contact the law directors in Geneva, Conneaut and Jefferson for their ordinances and budgets. City Manager Jim Timonere confirmed his own bond is $10,000. Cooper said he cannot spend more than $10,000 at a time. Council voted 5 to 0 by roll call to table both ordinances. They can return when council meets next Monday, Oct. 5. Council also approved Ordinance 2026-162, an emergency employment agreement for Assistant Finance Director Carolyn Sheldon, effective Sept. 1. Ward III Councilperson RoLesia Holman asked whether Sheldon had started work before a contract was signed. Timonere said he believed council authorized her pay by voice vote at its previous meeting. Council Approves Radios, Outfall Study Money and a Loader Repair Council handled five ordinances together and waived the charter requirement for two readings. All five passed 5 to 0. Ordinance 2026-159 lets the city buy portable radios and related equipment for the Fire Department from Northeastern Communications for $16,830.64. Timonere said the purchase uses a state contract. He said a grant covers the entire cost. Ordinance 2026-160 adds $50,000 to the contract with Amendola Engineering Inc. for mixing zone studies tied to relocating Outfall 001. The total cannot exceed $166,000, and the money comes from the Water Pollution Fund. Timonere said the EPA asked for added work and meetings after reviewing earlier study data. A summer study is complete, and a fall study is next. Holman asked whether the city could learn of such requirements before bidding. Timonere said the requests came after the first study. He said more could follow once the next data is submitted. Ordinance 2026-163 approves up to $12,540 for Petro's Services LLC of Geneva to repair a 512G Case loader for Public Works. The money comes from the public works fund. Timonere said the loader malfunctioned the week before the meeting and its bucket and arms were damaged. He said the next closest bid was close to $19,000. Council also passed Ordinance 2026-161, which allows the city to dispose of obsolete vehicles, including another retired police Charger. In a voice vote, members reappointed a Board of Health member retroactive to Sept. 1. The new term ends Sept. 1, 2031. Comprehensive Plan Heads Back to the Planning Commission Council voted 5 to 0 by voice to return Ordinance 2026-158, the comprehensive plan, to the Planning Commission. Council President John Roskovics said the first reading passed at the previous meeting. Questions and changes came out of a work session. Timonere said the commission is scheduled to review the changes Thursday, Oct. 1. The plan would then return to council for two more readings. Timonere called the 82 page document a set of concepts. He said not everything in it will be done. He said mentions of trails and bike lanes came from public feedback, surveys and a committee of more than 20 people. He said council, staff and his office did not mandate them. Main Avenue, Paving and the Carlisle Building Timonere said paving crews are finishing manhole adjustments. He said the city met with ODOT about Collins Boulevard and wants asphalt down by the end of October. That could cost more, and extra sidewalk work is also under discussion. The contractor's agreement runs through December. The Mai