South Lebanon council adopts emergency ordinance to update city code

The South Lebanon City Council unanimously adopted Emergency Ordinance 2026‑3 on April 2, 2026, adopting American Legal Publishing’s Ohio Code (2026 edition) as the city’s codified ordinance by title only.

Mayor Burke opened the item and asked for questions before the council considered waiving the second‑reading requirement. Chase Kirby, the city’s law director, told the council that he had performed a preliminary review of the publisher’s update. “My cursory review, I don't see anything all that significant,” Kirby said, adding that updates reflect legislative changes and that he would monitor any differences that could affect prosecutions.

After a motion to waive the two‑reading rule, Brenda Combs moved to adopt the emergency ordinance and Karen Carmack seconded. The council then voted, with roll‑call affirmations recorded from Allen, Carmack, Coles, Feder, Harrison and Smith; the motion carried and the ordinance was adopted by title only.

Why it matters: adopting the 2026 published code brings the city’s ordinance text into alignment with recent state changes captured by the code publisher. The emergency adoption allowed the council to enact the update at the meeting rather than wait for a later reading cycle.

The ordinance was adopted without further amendment. The law director indicated he would notify council if subsequent review identified provisions requiring local action or clarification.