SALEM – City council approved updates to the storm water discharge regulations in its meeting Tuesday.

Council voted unanimously to approve proposed changes to the city’s ordinance regarding illicit storm water discharge. Given its first reading April 7, the proposed update would add a new paragraph to section 1186.07 (a) which outlines exceptions to the prohibition against discharging any materials into the municipal storm drain system or watercourses. The proposed paragraph would permit “discharges from off-lot household sewage treatment systems permitted by the Board of Health for the purpose of discharging treated sewage effluent in accordance with any other Board of Health regulations, until such time as the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency issues and NPDES permitting mechanism for household sewage treatment systems … unless such discharges are deemed to create a public health nuisance.”

The proposed updates also include a new first paragraph in section 1186.10 which would “establish a program to detect and eliminate illicit discharges and illicit connections” to its Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4). It specifies that this program would “include the mapping of the MS4 outfalls and household sewage treatment systems; the routine inspection of stormwater outfalls and household sewage treatment systems, and the systematic investigation of potential residential, commercial, and industrial facilities for the sources of any dry weather flows found as the result of these inspections.”

Council also approved an ordinance approving the advertisement for bids and authorizing City Service Safety Director Joe Cappuzzello to enter contracts for the 2026 citywide street paving project.

Other legislative matters included the second reading of an ordinance modifying and amending section 1125.16-chapter 1125 of part 11 of the codified ordinances of the city of Salem regarding construction standards. The proposed ordinance would add language specifying that the erosion and sediment control measures must be in accordance with “the current Ohio EPA General Construction Permit” in addition to the city’s own regulations.

Council also voted unanimously to reschedule its first meeting in May from May 5 to May 7 because council chambers will be utilized as a polling location for the primary election. The public hearing for the pending renewal of the city’s DORA, which was scheduled to precede that meeting, will also be rescheduled to 6:45 p.m. May 7.

City Councilman Jim Harrington also announced a meeting of the finance committee at 6 p.m. May 7 to discuss the impacts of property tax reform legislation recently passed by the state of Ohio on the city’s finances.

Council also heard comments from former Super Cruise Director Gene Johnson who said he had received calls from multiple people expressing concerns about the city’s Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) potentially being in effect during the cruise. Johnson urged council not to permit the DORA to be in effect during the Super Cruise, noting that it would only take one incident for cruisers and car clubs to begin skipping the annual event.

“At the Super Cruise the DORA does not bring anything to the event but more problems for the police department. All it’s going to take is one time for one of these guys to take a Dixie cup or something and walk out into the parking lot and lean on somebody’s car or put the cup on top of the car while talking, and somebody is going to see it and all of a sudden everybody’s going to stop coming to your event,” said Johnson. “I’m not going to say it’s going to happen, but I’m pretty sure it will. DORA is not a good thing for this event. There’s 52 weeks in a year and one weekend you can do without DORA, and this should be the weekend.”

During his report, Cappuzzello announced that the city’s supplemental leaf pickup, which was announced during council’s April 7 meeting, would be held in two phases which will each cover half of the city, with State Street as the dividing line. Pickup for the northern half will be the week of May 4, and the southern half will be picked up the week of May 11.

City Councilwoman Sara Baer asked Cappuzzello to clarify the procedure for the electric aggregation program opt-out letters, noting she had received calls from a few residents who received them unsure if they were already enrolled or not. Cappuzzello explained that anyone who received an opt-out letter would have already been enrolled in the city’s electric aggregation program, which secured a rate of $0.0979 per kilowatt hour, and that if they wanted to remain enrolled in the program no action was necessary. If any residents do want to opt out of participating, they should fill out the enclosed form and return it.

During the pleasure of council, City Council President Evan Newman said that members of the St. Paul Elementary Civics Club will present the city council with information about their service projects during its May 19 meeting.

Baer encouraged residents to attempt the Emmanuel Lutheran Church’s upcoming event hosting a historical interpretation of George Washington at 2 p.m. on Sunday, and to visit the America 250 Salem website at www.america250salem.org and register to participate in the Doorways of Liberty Contest.

City Law Director Brooke Zellers reiterated his comments from the city council’s April 7 meeting that he feels the Salem City School District’s upcoming $57 million K-8 school building should be named after Superintendent Sean Kirkland, who passed away on March 16, either in part or in its entirety. He said that while he knows the decision would ultimately lie with the school district and its board of education, that he was making the suggestion in hopes of beginning the public discussion around the matter.

Council will meet next at 7 p.m. on May 7.