Tuesday – June 7: Wellsville Village Council held their bimonthly meeting Tuesday evening at Village Hall. Present at the meeting was President Pro-Tem Randy Allmon and Council Members Sue Haugh, John McMahon & Tony Cataldo. Also attending was Fiscal Officer Dale Davis, Legal Advisor Andy Beech and Village Administrator Jim Saracco. Council Members Rosie Goss and Joe Soldano were excused.
In Public Speaking, 15th Street resident Don Brown addressed Council saying he was representing Stevenson Manufacturing owners Todd & Tim Lynch. Brown said he and Fire Chief Bill Smith approached the Lynch brothers to see if Stevenson could manufacture metal hangers capable of holding the fireman's fall out gear. The hangers being used are either wire or wooden ones, many of which have come from the old Fire Station. Stevenson found some and ordered enough to furnish both fire departments. Brown remarked that Stevenson has helped both fire departments and have also been a great asset to the Wellsville Memorial Council. Fire Chief Smith, left, is shown above with Brown holding a sample of the hangers being supplied by Stevenson.
Village Administrator Jim Saracco reported that as of June 7 two of his men have applied a total of 40 tons of hot patch filling pot holes. Saracco noted there is still many more pot holes to be filled but commended his two men for the job they are doing. With the hot patch supplier from Toronto currently unavailable to supply the kind of asphalt used by the Village the workers have to get the patch from a Weirton company. To avoid the hot patch setting up and being wasted before it's used they are only able to get a couple of tons at a time. Saracco said they then “have to work like heck” once they get back to town and thought the two should be commended for the job they are doing.
Saracco also said he would like to thank Skip Daniels and his two sons for their help getting grass cut at the cemetery.
Fire Chief Bill Smith reported he has received serveral calls about “open burning”, such as bon fires in back yards. Smith said after checking with the EPA it is not permitted. EPA permits are required for any open burning. Any cooking must be done in a proper container made just for that. There is an ordinance concerning this and any open burning has to be approved by the Fire Committee and have the required EPA permit. When asked by Councilwoman Haugh, Smith advised a flag burning ceremony is usually done using a drum designed for that and is no problem.
For the Mayor's Report Allmon said the Mayor is recommending recent high school graduate Chad Elliott “for employment in the Fire Dept.” Smith advised that Elliott would be required to have 36 hours basic training completed within the first year. If passed there is a grant available to reimburse the Village for the cost of the training. The recommendation was approved. After the meeting the Chief advised that Elliott would be hired as a paid, call-out volunteer.
Tony Cataldo announced there will be a Finance Committee meeting Thursday, June 9 at 2 PM. He hopes all Council members will show up “with their ideas how to cut $90,000 out of the General Fund”. He was referring to his request at a Finance Committee meeting last week when he asked for members to consider ways to cut back to avoid a deficit in the General Fund in this year's budget.
John McMahon got approval on a Police Department request to close Main Street from 8th to 9th on Sunday, June 12 for a Police Memorial Poker Run. McMahon noted the street would be closed approximately from 1 to 3 PM. The riders will be coming from Austintown.
McMahon also got an okay to order in legislation to apply for Issue 1 funds for street paving/catch basins. McMahon advised they will contacting the grant writer for a possible matching grant to cover the Village cost on this.
To wrap up his report McMahon complimented the Volunteer Fire Department for the hard work they did putting on this year's Fireman's Homecoming Festival and Saturday's parade He observed they did a nice job.
Allmon reported that the Sewer Committee is still waiting on the United Water proposal to get the flood wall pumps repaired. Cataldo requested the Village Administrator check on the sludge testing that was suppose to be done for the Sewage Treatment Plant.
Property Committee Chairwoman Sue Haugh reported on the “very informative” meeting held this past Monday evening with Everflow Eastern concering drilling for gas and oil. She advised she is getting a date set for another organization in a couple of weeks and encourages everyone attend.
With only four members present Council approved Resolution 11-4 on first reading to exclude the City of Salem for an alternative method of apportionment of Local Government Funds in 2012. Fiscal Officer Davis advised this is done yearly for these funds. East Liverpool used to be excluded but since the 2010 census Salem is now the largest city in Columbiana County.
Under New Business John McMahon suggested a thank-you letter be sent to Stevenson Manufacturing for their donation to the Fire Depts. McMahon noted that members of the community, such as Stevenson, that come forward to help the Village is a “terrific thing”.
On a motion by Tony Cataldo Council approved holding only one meeting a month for the next four months. The meetings will be held the first Tuesday of the month in June, July, August & September. Council will resume bimonthly meetings in October. Haugh explained by doing this Council members are able to schedule vacations and family events without missing any meetings. If necessary Special Meetings can be scheduled between the regular meetings.
The meeting adjourned at 6:21 PM. The next regular scheduled meeting is Tuesday, July 5 at 6 PM at Village Hall.
ole nib
30 comments:
Unreal, doesn't Surace know ethics laws. He can't recommend his grandson for a job as a fireman, or any village job. My is he for real. Come on.
Not a lot of focus on rules unless they're hard at work trying to figure out how to give someone the shaft.
Yes, that's funny, Surace does not know any better.
Why bother to meet even once a month. This village is in such great shape they should just take the rest of the year off.
Are they ever going to fix the sewage smell? This is ridiculous.
it amazes me that people think they know how things are done at village hall first an applicant fills out an application with the village chief who turns it over to the personnel committee for review who then gives it to the mayor to present to full council and by the way the mayor did not attend the last meeting he was sick give the kid some credit he makes a third generation firefighter
The stink is bad. Its now 8:00 p.m. It smells really bad. When is it going to be FIXED!!!
Bet council still will get the regular pay even though meetings arent as many. Just look around this town. They are doin such a wonderful job. What a joke! I know Nib, you are gonna stick up for them, saying so much is done outside of the meetings. Ha,just look around, the truth is stareing everyone in the face.
The Village Sewage Committee is chaired by Randy Allmon and has Tony Cataldo & John McMahon as members. Concerned residents should contact them about the stink eminating from the Sewage Treatment Plant.
nib
If you are unhappy on how the current administration is running things, then you should have thrown your hat in the ring and ran for office. It's real easy to sit back and complain, blaming everyone else, but why don't the complainers step up and try to make a difference? If you have questions for your mayor and council, then attend a meeting, whether it be a regular council meeting or even a committee meeting. They are all open to the public!
Say what you want, the Mayor has to recommend any fireman or police officer to be hired. He can't recommend his grandson case closed. I am sure they will find a way around it, they always do.
Yes the uncovered barges and trains of coal are enough, not to forget the stink left by the garbage train, should residents also have to inhale the unhealthy odor of sewage too. As for the prospective firefighter, hope he does well. It's not his fault that in the absence of Surace a council member stated this was the mayors recommendation. Unless I read misread the article.
Many people have thrown their hats into the ring and tried to make a difference. At some point have also been dumped on, examples are all around you. Maybe council doesn't know about the side meetings 1 or 2 have had with different people to attempt to create conflict. Do you really need a list of examples. If you are doing your best I thank you, but that doesn't mean they all share your values.
If you run for office and are elected then you can't be so thin skinned that you don't want to hear complaints and criticism. It comes with the territory. Telling everyone that they should have thrown their hat in the ring is just ridiculous and not an answer. It is just a way to avoid an answer.
The Village was told about the digesters not working properly back in 2002, but then they went into fiscal emergency...again. The problem was put on the back burner and forgotten about. Over time, the digesters have gotten worse and so has the smell. The digesters are suppose to heat up and liquify the sludge, then it is pumped out and put on drying beds, and then hauled to an EPA approved landfill. If the digesters aren't working properly, then the sludge is thicker and the odor unbearable. It wasn't until last year, before they went after money to help fix the problem, but in the mean time, the situation has gotten worse. Until the new system is in place and working properly, you still have to get rid of the sludge that is there and trying to dry it in the rain is impossible. Lord knows we have had plenty for a couple of months. The digester problem should have been addressed a long time ago, instead of wasting sewage money on other projects that haven't fixed anything! It's unfair for the administration to pass the blame on anyone but themselves and they should be honest to the public and keep them informed to what is going on.
My question is.......are ya all gonna be complaining when your house is on fire that he is the mayor's grandson? The answer: No!!!!!
i have sat by and listened to all the comments...and i am amazed at the things that are going on...if people have compaints or issues...go to city hall and do it there...if city hall doesnt know about complaints how can they fix them...???????they know about the smells...we just happen to live down wind and i wonder who all knows the mayor calls the railroad about the garbage trains going through this town ...on more than one occasion...oh yeah and about his grandson....How many other 19 year olds right out of high school wanted to join the fire department and wants to help out people when they could be at their worst....and by the way the only time he gets paid is when there is a fire within the city limits other than that it is strictly VOLUNTEER......
A couple of things we wanted to comment on... First the picture of Don Brown & Chief Smith was graciously given us by Councilwoman Susan Haugh for our use here. We were remiss in not mentioning that. What was I thinking? Went somewhere without our camera...horrors! Apparently we weren't thinking.
Secondly we would like to mention the selection of Chad Elliott being added to the paid call-outs for the WVFD. We'll leave the agruments about ethics to more knowledgable minds. However, we highly endorse the selection. If you know anything about Chad you would know he is a very serious, extremely hard working young man. There is nothing lacking in his work ethic from our view point. We've witness his devotion to duty and giving it his all to getting a job done, even at risk of his own health. We believe he will carry over these attributes to his duties as a fire fighter.
Next we would like to mention his getting involved at so young an age. He represents the next generation of volunteer fire fighters. It's a generation that in a few years will be very much in demand when the current roster of fire fighters approach retirement age. For the sake of the Village and the surrounding area we hope young ones will follow suit.
nib
He may be a good kid and firefighter, however there are laws in this country called ethics law. You can not hire reletives in a government job. They will be lucky if a investigation, and someone going to jail does not happen. Check the O.R.C.
Who actually does the hiring? Can someone like head of personal recommend & hire him. What a kill joy for this young man. Life is too short sometimes, work it out folks. If my house were burning I would be thankful & grateful to all of the men & officers for their help & the risk they take to save people & their homes.
"He may be a good kid and firefighter, however there are laws in this country called ethics law. You can not hire reletives in a government job. They will be lucky if a investigation, and someone going to jail does not happen. Check the O.R.C."
while this is generally true, there is a fine line regarding "hiring" relatives. I believe the person hired and the person doing the hiring have to live in the same household or the person hiring must benefit from the salary of the person hired for it to be illegal.
I'd have to check this more thoroughly, but believe this to be the case.
The mayor didn't "hire" him anyway, council did. the mayor has NO vote.
On closer inspection of the Ohio Revised Code, I amend my earlier post. It does appear that the mayor would NOT be allowed to recommend his grandson for a job with the fire department.
If he has already been approved by council, as said in newspaper, then he is in. Good luck Chad.
It is only about obeying the laws and doing things the right and proper way. It has nothing to do with being grateful to a certain fireman if they save your burning house. That analogy seems more like an exercise in hysteria.
I didn't say a certain fireman I said any firefighter, hysteria & gratitude, interesting. So then we should consider that anyone grateful for anything is hysterical. Classic. I get your point about the law.
Re: "My question is.......are ya all gonna be complaining when your house is on fire that he is the mayor's grandson? The answer: No!!!!!"
It is an ethics violation, being grateful to firemen is not relevant in the context of this argument.
ETHICS ???? We don't need no stinking ethics!
Should've known that somebody was gonna get "hosed"
You know what, Chad may be the mayor's grandson but he is also an Elliott and a 3rd generation firefighter. Did it ever occur to anyone that that is the reason he joined the VOLUNTEER Fire Department. I am Chad's stepmom and I have watched him since he was a little boy playing with his fire trucks and asking his Dad and Pap lots of questions about the fire service. I know him pretty damn good and I know where his heart is. Y'all can all talk ethics and everyone is certainly entitled to his or her opinion but my opinion on the matter is that I am so very proud of Chad and what he is doing.
If this were any of your kids I think you would get a little riled up too. I will stand by Chad and his decision to join the department, I am just glad he has not read any of these comments, he loves his PaPaw Surace and I am sure he would not like to see the comments on here about the mayor or himself. Give the kid some credit for what he is doing and just lay off of him because who he is related to.
He didn't want to wait until after the first of the year to join the department, he did the same thing his Dad did and that was join as soon as he could after graduation. He is following in the footsteps of the Elliotts in regard to the fire department. I love Chad and I am proud of him, just like the rest of his family is proud of him.
Nib, I would like to thank you for coming to Chad's defense, it is certainly appreciated. I will hush now before I stick my foot in my mouth any further than I already did.
As far as I can see, Chad doesn't need an endorsement from the mayor. He has proved himself to be very worthy of a firefighter by his actions in school and in life. Congrats. Like to see him in the fire dept.two thumbs up!
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