What happened at Thursday's City Council meeting

We had a light agenda last night. Here are my notes:

-- We only voted on one ordinance: to approve an expenditure regarding our police cruisers. Also, the 2013 budget received a second reading, so we will vote on it at our next meeting.

-- We received a $15,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to plant trees where they were lost on Kenneth and Samira, as well as those areas that suffered Emerald Ash Borer infestations.

-- On March 20 at 7 p.m., the task force on school safety will hold its final meeting. The committee’s recommendations will likely reach city council in early April.

-- We will soon discuss legislation authorizing the Finance Department to pay down additional amounts of our long-term debt. This is something I have urged. On a fiscal basis, it’s a no-brainer. We have long-term debt accruing high rates of interest. We have money in the bank that’s earning very low rates of interest. Pay down debt, improve our credit rating.

-- City council’s committees will meet next on March 25. At that meeting, Brian Reali and I will discuss our joint legislative effort to modernize city hall, increase government transparency, and reduce paper consumption. It’s something I’m excited about.