Milford City Council unanimously adopts three ordinances on utility payment, streetscape design and tree oversight

Milford City Council voted unanimously on April 2 to adopt three ordinances the council had recommended from an Administrative Services Committee meeting.

Ordinance 24‑275 authorizes the city manager to pay NECCO Water $35,237.50 for equipment and services provided to the water department. Council suspended the rules, read the ordinance by title and adopted it. The motion passed with recorded 'yes' votes from the council members present.

Ordinance 24‑276 authorizes the city manager to enter into an agreement with the Klinger Group for professional design services for the Lila/Main Streetscape Improvements in an amount not to exceed $149,100. The council previously learned from the Administrative Services Committee that the project has a maximum OKI (regional) grant allocation of $750,000, would be 50 percent funded by grant with the city responsible for the remaining project costs, and that some additional environmental services might require future committee authorization. Council suspended the rules, read the ordinance by title and adopted it unanimously.

Ordinance 24‑277 amends codified ordinances chapter 9.11.08 (control of street trees) by removing the Parks and Recreation Commission designation and assigning oversight to the Tree Commission; the change also makes the prohibited‑tree list a working document maintained by the Tree Commission rather than a fixed list in the ordinance. Council read the ordinance by title, moved to adopt and recorded unanimous approval.

All three ordinances were read by title, motions to suspend the rules were made and seconded, and each ordinance was adopted with unanimous affirmative votes in the roll calls recorded on the transcript (seven yes; zero no where votes were recorded). The ordinances reference sections of the Milford City Charter regarding incorporation of proposals and the effective date upon passage.

The actions implement committee recommendations: the NECCO payment addresses an invoice and meter‑reading system installation; the Klinger Group contract funds design work to prepare the Lila/Main Streetscape project for bidding; and the tree ordinance change gives the Tree Commission authority to manage the list of prohibited street trees. Council did not record any amendments to these ordinances at the meeting.

Next steps: staff will proceed with the authorized payment and contract steps and will return to the council for any future appropriation or additional authorization if costs exceed the approved amounts.