Wellsville Council Meeting

Tuesday - March 16: Wellsville's Village Council had their regular bi-monthly meeting Tuesday evening at Village Hall. Present at the meeting was President Pro-Tem Rosie Goss, Council Members Sue Haugh, John McMahon, Joe Soldano, Randy Allmon & Tony Cataldo. Also in attendance was Fiscal Officer Dale Davis, Village Solicitor Andy Beech, Village Administrator Jim Saracco, Zoning Administrator Rick Williams and WFD Chief Bill Smith.

No one had anything to say during the Public Speaking portion of the agenda and there were no Administration Reports.

For the Mayor's Report, Goss made a motion to approve the hiring of Wellsville resident John Bucher & James Reynolds, of East Liverpool, as part-time police officers. Bucher is retiring soon from the County Sheriff's Office and Reynolds works for the VA. Both have had prior experience working for WPD. The motion passed.

For Committee Reports, Finance Chairman Tony Cataldo got approval to ask the Mayor to write letters to State Senator Wilson & State Rep. Bolan to inquire about the status of moving Wellsville's Municipal Court cases from Lisbon to the East Liverpool Court. Cataldo said it has been over a year since the request was first made and Council has not heard anything. Saying Wellsville is still losing money with the extra costs traveling to Lisbon, Cataldo is hoping to get things moving along.

Senator Wilson recently held a fact finding meeting in EL on this subject. To date no decision has been announced.

Sewage Committee Chairman Randy Allmon announced there will be a Special Council Meeting to move things along for working on the Sewage Treatment Plant digesters and the sewage forced main project. Prior to the meeting Cataldo announced that he has been advised by Bill Boyle of G,G & J, that the Village was awarded a $200,000 grant in 2007 for work on the forced main. It was never used and there is worry about losing it if something doesn't get started soon. That 2007 grant will lower the amount needed to be borrowed. See our report on a Sewage Committee meeting dated 3/13. Renovating the old forced main is one of three major projects Village officials are hoping to get started this year. That Special meeting has since been postponed to allow Village officials to get needed paper work in order.

Street Committee Chairman John McMahon announced the Alumni Reunion folks are going to ask for changes for the previously approved street closure for this year's All-Class Reunion. However, no one from the Alumni association was present.

For Personnel, Chairman Joe Soldano got approval to retire to Council Chambers for an Executive Session on the union contract negotiations and invited Consultant Joe Lencewicz to join them. After nearly 20 minutes Council returned without one single word about the contract. At the last Council meeting it was hinted that something has been resolved with the union. Council has met in Executive Session Committee meetings twice in the past couple of weeks regarding this. Lencewicz was suppose to give an update to the press following the session but left after the Executive Session. Apparently there are still issues to deal with. An arbitration hearing was held earlier in the day Tuesday regarding a grievance filed by Cemetery Care Taker Mike Lombardozzi. No one had any comments about that either.

Two resolutions were passed. The first was authorizing the Village to enter into an agreement with ODOT for road salt for the 2010-2011 winter season. According to Fiscal Officer Dale Davis this is merely a formality required and is done yearly. It is a co-operative agreement to take advantage of the lower cost.

The second resolution was to establish a line item fund for housing demolition. Money for this fund will come from recovered unpaid fines collected for the Village. In 2008 Council approved engaging a collection agency to go after these unpaid fines. Soldano noted that Martins Ferry has been using the Capital Recovery company from Steubenville with some success. A conference with with Wellsville clerks is suppose to be set up with Martins Ferry officials to learn more about the collection process with the agency.

Davis advised this new fund is to set aside the collected fines to be used strictly for the demolition of dilapidated structures. Stimulus money was awarded the County with Wellsville getting approval to tear down at least six falling down structures this year. WFD Chief Smith previously asked Council for funds to continue the project for buildings that have been condemned. It was decided at an earlier Finance Committee meeting to establish a separate budget item for this purpose.

Under New Business, Councilman John McMahon made a motion to approve the street closure for the SOI's annual Italian Festival. This year's festival is scheduled for August 4, 5 & 6. That motion was approved.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:36. Next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 6 at 6 P.M. at Village Hall.

Pictured above is Councilwoman Rosie Goss conducting her first meeting as Pro-Tem. She did good. Her buddy Alice should be proud. Also at the meeting was four students from Eric Meek's Government Class. Pictured above, from the left, is Maleia Roach, Taylor Buzzard, Rachel Vallera and Josiah Hull. Maybe there's a future politician sitting there.

ole nib