Tuesday – September 6: Wellsville Village Council held a regular meeting last night at Village Hall. Present at the meeting was Mayor Joe Surace and Council members Sue Haugh, Rosie Goss, Joe Soldano, Randy Allmon, John McMahon and Tony Cataldo. Also attending was Fiscal Officer Dale Davis, Village Legal Advisor Andy Beech, Village Administrator Jim Saracco and Sewage Treatment Plant Operator Greg Stewart.
In the Public Speaking portion of the agenda 11th Street resident Dave Butcher addressed Council about the paucity of cruisers available for members of the Police Dept. Butcher stated he thought each officer should have their own cruiser. Surace said they would “take that under advisement”.
Main Street resident Terry Welch next addressed Council about a marble bench that was removed from her husband's grave site at Springhill Cemetery without her knowledge. In the process of removing it a corner was broken off the bench. Councilwoman Haugh advised she asked the cemetery caretaker to advise the owner that it had been removed and where it was located. The caretaker refused to notify the owner and Haugh remarked she was unaware that it was broken. Fiscal Officer Davis advised a claim has been filed and it was referred to the Claims, Rules & Ordinance Committee for disposition. Cemetery rules prohibit placing benches on individual plots. Mrs. Welsh remarked she was never advised of such restrictions by either cemetery officials or funeral home personnel. Another member of Council stated that there were no rules posted at the cemetery and that the box was empty where copies are normally available for visitors. Mrs. Welsh concluded her remarks stating something like this needs to be addressed for others in the future.
Although Village Administrator Saracco had no report, Councilman Allmon inquired about the availability of light bulbs for the lights in Broadway Park. Saracco replied there are five lights burned out and bulbs were available to replace them. However, the Fire Chief is reluctant to use the ladder truck since he has to beg someone to volunteer their time to cover the station or pay wages for someone to do it. Saracco added there is a privately owned bucket truck available to Street Department workers but he has to discuss compensation for using it with the Fiscal Officer.
In the Mayor's Report Surace advised “they” are going to get real serious warning residents about grass not being kept cut and ticketing people parking with two wheels on sidewalks.
Finance Committee Chairman Cataldo reported that as of the end of July the General Fund had $9,400, the Street Department had $7,400, Cemetery Fund had $4,000 and total of all funds was $360,971. At the start of the year total of all funds were $506,971. Cataldo also announced that he was calling a Finance Committee meeting for Friday, September 9 at 2 PM.
Water, Sewer & Refuse Committee Chairman Allmon made a motion to authorize the Village Administrator to advertise for bids for the Pump Station #1 & Forced Main Replacement project. It was seconded by Cataldo. Councilwoman Haugh noted she had very serious concerns putting this project out for bid since it is still unknown exactly were the pipe line is going to go once it gets to a certain point. She questioned how the Committee can ask for anyone to bid on this when the plans are still incomplete. Easements are pending settlement for this project which will determine a vast portion of the costs of the total project. Council voted 5 to 1 to put the incomplete plans for the project out for bid. Haugh cast the lone negative vote.
In the Property, Equipment & Cemetery Committee report Haugh inquired if the air conditioner for the K-9 cruiser got repaired. Saracco responded he had orders to get another cruiser repaired first. The Mayor added he heard the mechanic had started working on the K-9 limo but ran out of time to complete the repairs before the end of the day.
Additionally Haugh stated she is increasingly concerned about the electrical line for the flood wall pump that that was accidentally cut by an outside contractor last spring. Haugh related the village was very fortunate that the heavy rains from Hurricane Irene didn't make a direct hit on Wellsville. Since that pump is the last working flood wall pump uptown the village would have had serious problems if it would have been in a direct path of that storm. An East Liverpool electrical contracting company quoted a price of $10,500 to replace the whole line. That included installation of the whole line in conduit by them. If they encase the line in cement the price would be approximately $3,000 to $4,000 more. The East Liverpool company is very reputable and Haugh stated that she didn't think AEP would have any undue concerns about their quality of work. Haugh stated it needs fixed and she felt the price was reasonable. Saracco said the last he heard was that WFD Chief Smith was to have a meeting with the company that did the damage. He has not heard anything since then. The Army Corp of Engineers said the whole line has to be replaced to maintain electrical integrity to operate the mammoth pump. It can not be spliced. The damage was done when the contractor was repairing a break in a sewage line.
For Claims, Rules & Ordinances Councilwoman Goss announced she and the Village Administrator will be going around town listing unkempt properties that the Village will be taking action on with warning letters, citations, etc.
For Legislation, Council passed Resolution 11-10 under suspension of rules to accept the amounts and authorizing the necessary levies be certified to the County Auditor. This is a standard action done yearly. Council also passed an ordinance unanimously to amend the contract with United Water to operated the Sewage Treatment Plant. Fiscal Officer Davis explained that there is a clause in the contract permitting United Water to amend the contract if the Village made any substantial changes such as the new digesters at the treatment plant. Once fully operational the new digesters will cost approximately $5,000 a month for electricity versus the $2,000 average it cost previously. With United Water reducing their monthly fee by $2,000 the Village will take over the electric bill for the plant. Cataldo remarked he didn't know where the money was going to come from to pay the bill. Cataldo has been advocating a sewage rate increase for months now.
Under Old Business Haugh made a motion to go into Executive Session which lasted 37 minutes about purchase of property and legalities regarding it. When they returned Haugh requested the Mayor schedule a Special Council Meeting for Friday, September 9 at 1 PM if the engineers for the forced main project can attend. Cataldo expressed that he thought the meeting should just be a Property Committee meeting but Haugh stated she thought it would be better to call a full Council meeting. When asked after the meeting Haugh explained by having a Special Meeting it would give all Council members an opportunity to vote on the property issue if need be.
Allmon announced the jointly sponsored 9/11commeration ceremonies planned by the Chamber of Commerce and Village officials under New Business. That is to take place this coming Sunday. See our post below.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:07 PM. The next regularly scheduled meeting is Tuesday, October 3 at 6 PM at Village Hall. There will be a Special Meeting Friday if the GG&J engineer can make it. There will be a Finance Committee meeting at 2 PM Friday too.
ole nib
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21 comments:
How can council enforce grass/weed ordinance when they let the grass on village property get over a foot high ? Check out some playgrounds in the village, shameful.
No way should the bench have been removed from the gravesite without first telling the widow. And what did happen to the large sign that posted the "rules" of the cemetery ? Now I hear that past records of the cemetety have disappeared from the computer ? Seems like a lot of things are missing from the cemetery. Did they ever find out who took the weedwacker ?
Correction on a name. It is Terry Welch, not Welsh. :)
What contractor accidentally cut the electric? And why would they not be held responsible?
Our apologies to Mrs. Welch for mispelling her name.
The contractor that cut the electrical line is being held responsible. It seems getting it repaired has taken a back seat. We also think it should be a priority item.
nib
Everyone running for their council seat this year needs to be voted out. Please go out and vote. We need all new faces. I have never seen the village in such terrible shape.
Why wasn't Pusateri Contracting at the council meeting? Shouldn't they have addressed this serious issue months ago? Maybe they can put in another change order on the digestor job to cover the cost.
EVRYTHING TAKES A BACK SEAT IN THIS TOWN!!!!
Why don't they do something with the Jim Kenney Center? It seems there needs to be an alternative for the kids instead of loafing on the streets.
THERE IS NOTHING HERE FOR KID'S!
You can't blame Pusateri for the Change Orders on the aerobic digester project. Although Change Orders are very common on big projects if you need someone to blame look at the former GG&J engineer who put the package together for the Village. From what we've been told a couple of those changes wouldn't have been necessary if the engineer had been more thorough investigating the lay out of the existing equipment at the Sewage Treatment Plant.
nib
True there is not much for children in town that is furnished by the Village government. However there are some churches in town that are very active with youth activities, etc. The library also have many programs for children and the Family & Community Resource Center is trying very hard to find grant funding for other youth activities.
A couple of years ago some teachers and school officials tried to get some after school activities going for kids at Beacom Memorial. It went by the way side for lack of participation. The same was true when the FOPA tried something similar at the Jim Kenney Center before that. No one showed up.
There are things for kids to do in town. Just turn off the television and look around you...
nib
It is hard to believe that village employees pay NOTHING for their health care. That is hard to believe in this day when health care benefits are a sticking point in most contracts. This needs to change if the village ever hopes to stay out of debt.
Turn off the television and look around? Are you kidding me? LOOK AROUND!! Wow!
No, we were not kidding. What brought on that bit of sarcasism? There are things for children to do around town.
nib
As I remember when we were kids, We "made" things to do.. football, soccer, catch. There is always something to do if you choose to look and I agree with Nib the TV/Video Game era is here and that consumes many of our youth these days. I believe that playing these games and hibernating inside only helps with creating an anti-social personality within our children.. I know that alot will disagree and that is not only my opinion it is a proven fact. Ok, although I do realize that there aren't alot of places to go for our kids to "go", but we and the children have helped with the disapearance of the "fun places",like kaybee, theaters, ect. Even as a kid I only remember the only local thing to do in East Liverpool as the American Theater. Melody Lanes and Kay Bee roller arenas were to far to walk.. so as far as places to go. I do not believe that has changed so much in the years, but the eagerness and willingness to enjoy life outside of the tv/video game world has.
When did the school try to get after-school activities at Beacom Memorial?? I've been a parent for years, and have not found the school board cooperative, or even caring. I bet you remember when there was "recreation" in Beacom. I don't recall anything like that being proposed.
If memory serves us correctly it was talked about a year ago at one of the BOE meetings. Think the idea was dropped when no one showed any enthusiasm on the part of parents & students alike.
nib
Nib, I highly doubt that. There was nothing sent home, and what kid wouldn't want to participate in after school recreation??? Take off your rose-colored glasses!
Thank you people. Seemed like "nib" was workin hard to convince me that there are activities for our kid's here in The Ville. Thank goodness I am not the only one "Shutting off our T.V's and looking around.
Since when is it up to the BOE to provide "recreation" for our students after school hours ? I thought their main concern was to educate our students ?
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