In the wake of a contentious March meeting, Warren City Council will be considering an action at the April meeting that, if approved, would dramatically increase the amount of information available on action items in advance of the meeting.

Councilmen John Wortman and Phil Gilbert have asked to place a resolution on the April agenda – Mayor Wortman granted that request – to expand the public information made available prior to meetings.

Currently, agendas for city council meetings are published the Friday before but just as a one line subject, with no further explanation.

Wortman explained that their proposal would require each agenda item to come with a description of what is being considered, a cost if applicable as well as “any publicly accessible attachment.”

The city’s marketing committee has been exploring that issue but Wortman said that “April is the right time to address this matter after hearing feedback from local businesses that presented at the March meeting.”

At issue in the March meeting was a lease agreement that allows the senior living facility developer to stage equipment and materials on city-owned properties along the riverfront.

The crux of the issue was the allegation that the city did not formally approach potentially affected business owners while developing the lease, though city staff stressed that the proposal was the least intrusive option.

Multiple business owners in the immediate area expressed concern about the lease and the impact the agreement could have on their businesses.

Efforts to table action and consult with the business community were rejected and the lease was ultimately approved in a 5-2 decision.

“We believe that this will be an important bridge forward for communication between council, citizens and our local industry,” Wortman said. “Our city has many incredible people and businesses that help make Warren the greatest place on earth and we are very grateful for the feedback that has been received on how the City can continue to improve.”

He added that the goal will be to eventually implement a system similar to what the Warren County School District utilizes with its BoardDocs platform.