Parma Heights council approves waste-contract amendment, roof repairs and compensation ordinance

Parma Heights City Council on Feb. 12 approved three pieces of legislation affecting city services and personnel and held a first reading on proposed rules-of-order changes.

Council President Tom Rounds called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. and the council moved quickly through director reports before taking up legislation. Clerk Barbara Allen read Resolution No. 2024-6, which authorizes the administration to execute an amendment to the contract with Browning-Ferris Industries of Ohio, Inc., for residential waste collection and recycling services. The council suspended the rules and voted in favor of the resolution, which the service director said would enable a change to weekly bulk collection and weekly yard-waste pickup if implemented administratively.

The council also read and passed Resolution No. 2024-7, authorizing contracting with Garland/DBS, Inc., through Equalis Group for repairs to the Parma Heights service garage roof; the motion to suspend rules and the passage recorded unanimous aye votes. Clerk Allen then read Ordinance No. 2024-8, which repealed Ordinance No. 2023-59 and established compensation paid to various city employees; the ordinance passed as an emergency measure, and Finance Director Iaconis noted it includes an increase for the Assistant Finance Director position that will support forthcoming hiring.

Ordinance No. 2024-9, an amendment to Section 121.07 ('Rules of Order') of the Parma Heights Codified Ordinances, was read for the first time; Council President Rounds described it as a first reading and no final action was taken.

All roll-call votes on the three passed items were recorded as unanimous (7–0). The meeting adjourned to an executive session at 7:23 p.m. to discuss personnel matters and reconvened at 7:38 p.m., adjourning at 7:39 p.m.

The council’s actions on waste collection and the compensation ordinance are procedural steps: the service director indicated that administrative implementation is required to change bulk and yard-waste schedules and the compensation change supports staff recruitment and onboarding. Additional details on implementation, including start dates for weekly collection, were not specified at the meeting.