Yesterday at Village Hall the Finance Committee for Village Council met to discuss the ville's financial condition. Present was Committee Chairman Tony Cataldo & Committee members Randy Allmon and John McMahon. Also in attendance was Mayor Joe Surace, Villiage Administrator Jim Saracco, Fiscal Officer Dale Davis, WFD Chief Bill Smith, WPD Chief Joe Scarabino and Zoning Administrator Rick Williams.
For the month of July the Village's General Fund started with $35,405 and ended the month with a balance of $12,607. Although seeming frightening low FO Dale Davis advised the second half of real estate taxes are just starting to come in. He projects Village finances will be okay but it depends mostly on property owners paying their taxes. If they don't pay in these economic times the Village doesn't get their portion of the tax. Davis advised the biggest expenditure for the General Fund is payroll.
WFD Chief Bill Smith addressed the committee about the demolition of derelict buildings in town. As previously noted there are six structures ready for this project just waiting for the County to release the funds. The County has been awarded grant money and has in turn budgeted the ville and other communities amounts for this project. Contracts for the demolition will be put up for bid and awarded by the County. Smith advised the owners of these six buildings have signed agreements for the demolition.
Of concern were seven additional properties in town that need to be brought down. Smith advised all have been condemned but the property owners can not be located. In this situation, by law, these properties have to be advertised for six consecutive weeks in an attempt to locate the owners. At the end of that period if the owners are not found the next step is to go to County Court to get approval to proceed. Once that is achieved the Village has to run another series of ads for an extra six weeks for public notification on each. Smith said the average cost for each building to go through the advertising & court process is around $15,000 and asked the Committee if money was available to go ahead with the whole process. Davis advised that there isn't that amount available at this time and the Committee will revisit the situation after the first of the year.
Smith remarked that two houses - one on 18th Street & one on Wood Street - should have priority and would have been part of the original six if the owners could be located. It was suggested that a Demolition Fund be established in the yearly budget.
Chairman Cataldo expressed concern about the Fire Dept. budget stating that year-to-date the department has spent $128,000 and receipts have only been $110,000. Last year they were able to carry over $25,000 to this year to keep the Department going. That is not available for this year but Davis said he feels the fund will be okay for the balance of the year. Davis reminded the Committee that the WFD exists solely on income from the Fire Levy and the condition of the fund again depends on property owners paying their taxes.
WPD Chief Scarabino addressed the Committee about budgeting, the COPS Grant and wages for his officers. Currently a full time officer starts at a wage of $8.65/hour while a part-time officer is being paid $9.00/hour. The Chief stated he was concerned about his ability to get some officers to take one of the full time positions that will be open with the COPS grant. It was also noted that full time officers receive insurance benefits among other things in addition to their wages. Part timers do not get these perks. Mayor Joe Surace remarked that it is time to address the fines collected in Magistrate Court. Most of the money received in fines is the result of WPD officers issuing citations. Surace noted that in 2008 the court took in $56,318 in fines and year-to-date income from fines is around $70,000.
The COPS grant is money from the federal stimulus program to revive this Dept. of Justice program. It pays for hiring or keeping an officer for three years and the Village has to agree to pay for the fourth year of salary & benefits. The grant can be used to pay for an additional officer or keeping one that is in danger of being laid off as other communities are planning on doing. Wellsville applied for three officers hoping to get enough for two. It got enough for one. Money from the awarded grant is expected to start coming in around January, 2010.
In the good news category Cataldo announced they have been advised by the Village engineers that Region 5 EPA officials said that if documentation can be furnished for 15 expenditures of the STAG funds by September 3 all will be forgiven. All documentation furnished by the Village has been examined by the EPA that was originally asking for $1.2 million in findings for recovery earlier this year. If Village officials can furnish documentation for the 15 items the balance of this old grant will be released. That amounts to approximately $600,000 which has been earmarked for the Highland Avenue project and to finish up-dates at the Sewage Plant. The 15 items in question involve payments to three different contractors. Both Cataldo & Dale Davis expressed confidence that the documentation can be located and sent onto the EPA. This grant was first awarded in the early 1990s for various sewer projects.
It was interesting that Davis announced that he recently renewed a Certificate-of-Deposit for the viilage and the best interest rate available was 1%. Glad it's not in STAR Ohio. Rates from them were a mere 0.19% for July.
No new legislation was proposed to be presented at the next regular Council meeting. Davis said a review of the budget would be advisable. Not being able to count on what amount will be received from taxes in the second half it is time to "start tightening the belt" according to the Fiscal Officer.
Council will only have one regular meeting in the month of September. That is scheduled for 6 P.M. at Village Hall Tuesday, September 1. In October they will return to holding meetings the first & third Tuesdays of each month.
ole nib
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