CORTLAND — Because of issues with vehicles being parked on streets and making it a safety issue for drivers, city officials are updating the ordinance on no-parking areas within the city.

City council recently gave second reading to amending a current ordinance on the location and designation of parking areas, with a third and final reading by council scheduled for Oct. 7.

While the ordinance is being updated, temporary parking restrictions will be in place.

Councilman John Pecuri said he has spoken to residents of the Heritage Lane area, where there have been parking issues.

He said what the city usually does is prohibit parking on both sides of the road, but he recommended to council that only the west side of Heritage Lane between East Main and Emerson Street be prohibited for vehicles parking on the road.

“The majority of the issues and concerns by the residents are parking on the west side of the road,” Pecuri said.

Police Chief David Morris said there have been numerous complaints of people parking vehicles on the curb, making it difficult for motorists to see the road curving ahead.

Pecuri said parking on the road has improved in recent weeks.

In other business, Councilman Richard McClain said he wants to get an update from Mayor Deidre Petroksy on the status of different projects, including the former Lakeview Elementary School, which was purchased for $85,000.

Petrosky had said earlier this month the city has received the key for the former school, and she and other city officials will be joined by Trumbull County Land Bank representatives to look at the building.

McClain said he wants to know what the plans are or the next steps for the school building.

“I want the mayor to give an update under her report on that project and others. Some projects we have not talked about for several months. I just want to see what is going on,” McClain said.

He said he also had questions about the safety complex for the fire department and the civic event center.

The city has been planning for an outdoor education and civic center on West Main Street downtown. The facility is part of the city’s Main Street Revitalization Initiative and will provide space for community events, public gatherings, city-sponsored events and educational programming.

City officials have also discussed a safety complex as a consolidating facility for the city’s police and fire and administrative offices. Different options were being reviewed by officials based on available funding and project costs.

Also at a recent meeting, Gary Burke, a former city wastewater worker who has since retired, told council about an incident in the spring of dumping in Walnut Creek.

Burke said there was a rainstorm in April that affected a lift station in the Old Oak neighborhood and there were many residential homes with flooded basements.

He said he was concerned about the two pumps at the lift station burning up, which were running continuously because of the rainstorm.

Burke said he contacted Petrosky on what to do with the sewage. He said she told him to do what he had to do and pump wastewater into Walnut Creek, which he did.

Petrosky, who responded at the Sept. 3 and Sept. 15 meetings to comments made by several residents in August and September meetings on various issues, said she did not instruct Burke to pump sewage into the creek.

Petrosky said that because of the excessive flooding that day, there were large volumes of water in the sanitary system and the lift station pumps were running but could not keep up.

She said the heavy rain caused sanitary water to overflow and drain with the stormwater into the storm sewer system, eventually reaching the creek.

Residents said the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency needs to be notified of the matter regarding the lift station incident.

In other matters, council passed a resolution for the city to reimburse its general funds for the West Main Street water main replacement project with the proceeds of the tax-exempt debt of the state.

Officials have said the city was in need of replacing the waterline along West Main Street and secured funding from multiple sources, and is anticipating a portion of the funding for the project of $185,496 will come from proceeds from an Ohio Public Works Commission loan from bonds to be issued by the state.

In other business at the Sept. 15 meeting, council:

Heard from Fire Chief David Rea the fire department is working with the American Red Cross to make smoke detectors available to the public.

Residents needing smoke detectors can call 330-637-2891. Firefighters will install them. Smoke detectors also are available from the Red Cross for those who are deaf.

Heard from Rea that October is Fire Prevention Month. Rea said also there is a ban on outdoor burning due to winds and dryness in recent weeks, and no rainfall.

Heard from Law Director Patrick Wilson that Cortland will be among many communities nationwide in a class action settlement with pharmaceutical companies, with no breakdown yet on how the funds will be dispersed. Council approved participation in the national opioid settlement agreement.