SALEM — City council approved several annual items Tuesday in its first meeting of 2024.

The meeting saw Administrative Secretary Debbie Bricker and Councilman Andrew Null re-appointed to their positions as council clerk and council president pro-tempore, respectively. Councilman Evan Newman was appointed council clerk pro-tempore, succeeding former First Ward Councilman Steve Faber following the election of new First Ward Councilwoman Sara Baer.

Council also approved a pair of routine ordinances updating the city’s traffic ordinances in accordance with state regulations, and salaries, wages and benefits for non-represented city employees and officials.

Prior to passage, the wage ordinance was also modified to have the pay rate for council clerk match those of the council members, with Mayor Cyndi Baronzzi Dickey noting that the positions had always had the same wage historically, and that the failure to increase the rate accordingly in the last ordinance had been an oversight. The ordinance language was also modified to change the name of the part-time deputy auditor position, in which former City Auditor Betty Brothers is overseeing the orientation of the new auditor and deputy auditor, to part-time contractual consultant, at a rate of $25 and hour not to exceed $2,000 at the request of newly elected City Auditor Sal Salvino.

During her report, Dickey said that progress was continuing on the ongoing Lincoln Plaza project, which was expected to be completed by the end of spring, and that ongoing efforts to renovate the Burchfield Trace Alley and adjacent municipal lots as part of the city’s efforts to encourage use of municipal parking downtown were nearly completed.

Dickey also welcomed Baer, new Third Ward Councilwoman Jayne Bricker, Salvino and new Parks Director Jacob Logan to their new positions.

During his report Councilman Jeff Stockman announced that the Rules and Ordinances Committee would meet at 6:15 p.m. Jan. 16 prior to council’s next meeting to discuss the membership of the city’s ambulance review board and to discuss the recently passed Ohio Issue Two’s impact on Salem’s ordinances.

During pleasure of council Councilmen Ron Zellers and Jake Gano, Stockman, Newman and Null all took time to welcome Baer, Bricker, Logan and Salvino to their new positions. Bricker and Baer both thanked their fellow council members for their welcome, noting they looked forward to working with them.

City Council will meet next at 7 p.m. Jan. 16.