Madeira City Council votes Monday, July 27, on whether to lease a house the city bought for $465,000 for a road project that won't break ground until 2030 or later.

The emergency ordinance on the agenda would authorize City Manager Michael Norton-Smith to rent the city-owned property at 6930 Shawnee Run Road to a residential tenant. The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. in hybrid format.

Why the city owns the house

Madeira purchased the property in 2025 for $465,000, funded from the city's Strategic Reserve fund. The goal: straighten a dangerous S-curve on Shawnee Run Road that neighbors say has been the site of repeated crashes for decades.

The city applied for a federal Surface Transportation Block Grant to cover construction costs, but the grant process and engineering work mean the road project is not expected to begin until 2030 or beyond, according to Norton-Smith's report in the May 26 council packet.

Council approved the purchase 7-0 on July 14, 2025. At that meeting, Cathy Swami of 6890 Shawnee Run Road, a 51-year resident, told council she had witnessed many accidents at the curve and supported any construction. Greg Fehr of 7034 Shawnee Run Road said he had lived within 150 to 200 feet of the curve for 35 years and had called 911 on many occasions.

"Speed is the biggest issue," Fehr said at the July 2025 meeting.

The rental plan

Rather than let the house sit empty, the city moved to rent it out. On May 26, 2026, council voted 7-0 to approve Resolution No. 47-26, hiring Bastion Property Management to prepare the property and manage it as a rental. Bastion recommended basic repairs, cleaning, and interior painting before listing.

Norton-Smith told council at the May 26 meeting that the roughly five-year lead time on the road project made renting the logical step to avoid the house falling into disrepair.

Questions from council

Not everyone was comfortable with an open-ended arrangement. Council member Chad Shaffer asked at the May 26 meeting for a specific date or timeline to either sell the property or apply for the grant, so the city would not be a landlord indefinitely.

What the emergency ordinance does

Ordinance No. 26-06 formally ratifies the Bastion Property Management resolution and adds a council-level layer prescribing how the city will market the property, select a tenant, and execute a lease. The emergency declaration allows the ordinance to take effect immediately after a single vote, bypassing the standard three-reading process. The agenda does not explain why the expedited path is necessary.

Specific lease terms, including rent amount, lease duration and tenant eligibility criteria, are not detailed in the public agenda packet.

What's next

The next Madeira City Council meeting is Monday, August 10, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. Residents wishing to speak at the July 27 meeting may attend in person and complete a form beforehand, or email [email protected] at least eight hours before the meeting with their name and address.