Wellsville Council Meeting

Wellville Village Council met in their only regular scheduled meeting for the month Tuesday evening, July 6, at Village Hall. Present at the meeting was Mayor Joe Surace, Council Members Susan Haugh, John McMahon, Joe Soldano, Randy Allmon & Tony Cataldo. Also attending was Fiscal Officer Dale Davis, Village Legal Advisor Andy Beech, Animal Control Officer Leslie Dean, Village Administrator Jim Saracco & WFD Chief Bill Smith. Councilwoman Rosie Goss was excused.

There were no comments in the Public Speaking portion of the agenda.

For Administrative Reports, Village Administrator Jim Saracco reported that LSW Sanitation has completed telescoping & jet rodding 27 areas in the sewage system that were listed as trouble spots. Out of the 27 spots checked all 27 were found to be in need of repair. All the information provided on what was found will have to be reviewed with the Sewage Committee to decide on a plan of correction.

Saracco also expressed thanks on behalf of the Village to LSW for donating the water truck and having two of their employees pressure wash sidewalks during the clean-up on Saturday, June 26. Additionally he expressed thanks to Pusateri Excavating for donating the two portable lights for use during the All-Class Reunion.

Wrapping up his report Saracco announced that the Sewage Dept. has collected $117,614 year-to-date in bill receipts. Saracco and the Mayor both commended Nancy Murray for the great job she does.

Animal Control Officer Dean submitted activity reports for May & June. For the two months a total of 40 calls were handled with only one of them being a Pit bull issue. Year-to-date collections for impound fees is $90. Dean also requested that Council consider revising Ordinance 08-27 to include compensation for court appearances, the same as police officers receive. In the past year and a half she has had to appear in Village Magistrate Court three times and once in Lisbon for animal issues. The deadline for using the $1,000 ASPCA Grant is October 28 for drainage at the pound building. She is presently working with a plumber to determine what can be done with that amount. It was originally hoped to get running water and drainage installed with that grant.

During the Mayor's Report Surace commended Jeff & Councilwoman Susie Haugh for organizing and carrying out the clean-up on June 26 stating they did a great job. Haugh responded that the thanks should be given to the 40 to 50 people that came together and put in a lot of hard work. She further stated that she was impressed and very thankful to them and every one's willingness to help when asked. (See our post dated 7-9-10 on the clean-up)

Surace also commended everyone on all the All-Class Reunion Committees and the members of the WPD for the fine job done during the reunion.

For the Finance Committee, Cataldo said that as soon as the books for June are reconciled he will be calling for a Finance Committee meeting.

John McMahon for Streets, Lights & Parking reported that all the lights in Broadway Park are now working. McMahon also noted that the Village administration and both the regular Street Dept. employees and the part-time summer workers all deserve a good pat on the back. They are doing an excellent job with grass cutting and painting the curbs, etc.

For Personnel, Joe Soldano stated the Summer helpers will be working until August 20 and said they are doing a good job helping in all departments. Over 20 workers were furnished by the CC Jobs & Family Services Dept. to the Village this summer.

For Property, Equipment & Cemetery, Haugh reported that the old play ground equipment behind the McDonald School has been moved to the Jim Kenney Center. A Committee meeting will be called soon to decide what to do with that and go over the designs for the new equipment being considered for 18th St. The play ground equipment at the Jim Kenney Center was donated to the Village by LSW after they bought the old school building. It needs to be assembled. The Village has a grant for the new 18th St. equipment.

For Water, Sewage & Refuse, Allmon stated that Tony Cataldo will be calling a Committee meeting next week sometime. Allmon stated he will be out of town. Surace announced there will be a Pre-Bid meeting Wednesday, July 7, for the digester work at the Sewage Treatment Plant.

In the Legislation portion of the agenda Council passed Ordinance 10-04 on first reading to terminate the current union contract with the five members of Wellsville AFSCME Local 1869. With a motion by Cataldo and a second by Soldano the vote was 4 to 1 in favor. Allmon cast the only negative vote. The ordinance will be voted on at each of the next two Council meetings before going into effect. By a passing vote of 5 to 0 Council also passed on first reading an ordinance to establish the wages and other conditions of employment for the Fiscal Clerk position. The Fiscal Clerk is a current union position covered under the bargaining agreement. The wages will be the same as the present pay scale.

Suspending rules Council unanimously passed three resolutions. The first approves an alternative method of distributing Local Government Funds in 2011 that is done yearly. The second resolution was to place a 1-mill General Fund renewal levy on the November ballot. The last resolution was to place a 7-mill Fire Dept. levy on the ballot as a replacement.

For New Business Soldano congratulated former Mayor Nunzio Lombardozzi for being inducted into the Lou Holz Upper Ohio Valley Hall-of-Fame on July 1. Lombardozzi said he appreciates the recognition but the thanks should go to all the Wellsville people that helped along the way and made it possible to get that honor. He also said it shows that even in a small town great things can be accomplished with the help of a lot of people.

McMahon noted the Village owned property at 9th & Commerce is being readied to be put up for sale. It has to go through Committee and be approved by Council before a sign can be put up. Saracco stated the lot has to have a costly survey done first which will have to be authorized by Council first.

Lastly Council voted 4 to 0 not to oppose the transfer of a D5 liquor license from Platinum Enterprises LC to Platinum Enterprises LLC located at 358 Main St., the old Potters Bank & Trust building. This was tabled at a meeting last month to give Village officials an opportunity to investigate the business. Haugh noted that the new owner has even gone so far as to request that WPD officers do periodic walk throughs during business hours in an effort to discourage any potential problems. Being a liquor license holder himself Cataldo abstained from voting.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:30 P.M. Next meeting is schedule for Tuesday, August 3 at 6 o'clock at Village Hall.

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