A $3,000 line item for the streetscaping and beautification of the city, proposed by Ironton in Bloom, was added to the budget.

At the finance committee meeting prior to the last council meeting, Ironton in Bloom co-chairman Carol Allen asked the council for a $10,000 line item. After discussion, that number was bumped down to $3,000.

During audience participation at Thursday night’s council meeting, resident Paul Woods addressed the council with his support of the line item, stating the importance of the appearance of the city.

The second reading of amended ordinance 15-18, amending the annual operating budget for the city of Ironton for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2015 and declaring an emergency, was given and Aaron Bollinger moved to suspend the rules to give the third reading. Beth Rist seconded that decision. The vote was unanimous to give it the third reading, although Bob Cleary was not present at the meeting.

After the third reading, Bollinger moved to adopt the ordinance. All but Craig Harvey and Dave Frazer voted for the added line item and it passed 4-2.

Harvey said that all along he has felt against adding the line item to the budget, although he is not against Ironton in Bloom or what they do for the city.

“I don’t want to stand in the way of any civic organization, but for me it was simply a budgetary issue,” Harvey said. “It’s the issue of us being able to take care of infrastructure first.”

After the vote, Bollinger made it clear to everyone present that although Ironton in Bloom proposed the line item, streetscaping and beautification are what is in it, so Ironton in Bloom will not receive the money directly and are not necessarily the only ones that will benefit from it.

The second reading of ordinance 15-15, authorizing and directing the mayor to execute change order with Southern Ohio Trenching and Excavating, Inc. for the Ironton storm/sanitary sewer separation phase two project and declare it an emergency, was given by title only. Bollinger moved to suspend the rules and give it the third reading by title only in which Harvey seconded. The second reading was unanimous and after the third reading, Bollinger moved to adopt. It passed with all but Frazer in favor.

Ordinance 15-19, authorizing the mayor to purchase new Dumpsters for the city of Ironton, was also given its second reading. No action was taken.