Council member Tom Hagedorn voted against the resolution and council members Dr. Kelly Clark and Michael Graves were excused from the meeting.
The contact is for $27,000 and the city has budgeted $20 million for the project, said Public Works Director Gary Morton.
He said construction is scheduled to begin in late 2026 or early 2027 and be completed about one year later.
The geotechnical services contract will provide boring to examine the composition of the ground and the results will assist in the design of the footers, parking lot and the location of the retention basin, according to Morton.
He said the public works department “touches every aspect” of the city and without its employees and equipment “the roads are not maintained, parks are not maintained and cemeteries are not maintained.”
The new building is needed because since 2008, the department has doubled its staff and employees are working in offices designed for copiers, Morton said.
In 2023, the city spent $3.1 million to purchase 105 acres for the facility and future development on Clark Boulevard, according to city documents. The land was purchased from Monroe Property LLC for $30,000 per acre.
The new facility will consolidate operations that are located throughout the city or outsourced, Morton said. This includes water distribution services; the city’s GIS program; equipment and fleet maintenance; and materials storage, he said.
Morton said at this time the city anticipates keeping the existing public works facility on Holman Avenue for storage.
New assistant fire chief sworn in
Joe Locke, who has served the city of Monroe fire department for 15 years, was sworn in Tuesday night as the department’s newly created role of assistant fire chief of Emergency Management Services.
He has held roles as lieutenant and EMS coordinator. Locke has been the “driving force” behind the development and implementation of Monroe’s EMS program, said Fire Chief David Leverage.
He said Locke’s “most impactful” contribution has been the creation of a quality assurance and improvement program, a model that’s been recognized by other departments across the region.
The program has allowed the department to “drastically reduce” medical errors and better target training, the chief said.
Under Locke’s leadership, the Monroe Fire Department was named the Ohio EMS Department of the Year in 2024.
Locke’s salary is $122,000, according to city records.
He was accompanied at the swearing in by his wife, Melissa, and their children, Madison and Jackson.
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