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On the record – Niles

WHAT: City Council meeting Wednesday

PRESENT: Council President Barry Steffey Jr., Michael Lastic, Ryan McNaughton, Barry Profato, Sheri Smith, Linda Marchese, Al Cantola and Mayor Steve Mientkiewicz

ABSENT: P.J. Kearney

Council:

• Did not excuse P. J. Kearney’s absence in a 5-1 vote. Kearney’s absence at the May 15 meeting also went unexcused;

• Appointed Richard Hale to a second term on the Board of Directors of Meander Reservoir through May 5, 2022;

• Waived the sign permit fee Aug. 2-4 for a city-wide garage sale;

• Appropriated $260,040 from the unappropriated capital funds project and $297,411 from the sewer fund for the McKee’s Lane sewer project;

• Authorized a $12,000 transfer within the water department to the materials and operational supplies accounts;

• Appropriated $20,000 for the miscellaneous maintenance materials account and $25,000 for the miscellaneous contracted labor account. Mayor Steve Mientkiewicz said the money will be used to replace a rusted out dump truck bed and to purchase maintenance supplies for faded road signs and associated labor;

• Approved a resolution of support urging the Ohio Governor and General Assembly to restore the local government fund to pre-recession levels. The local government fund was reduced in 2011 by 50 percent from 3.68 percent to 1.66 percent;

• Approved consent legislation for the resurfacing of U.S. Route 422 by the Ohio Department of Transportation. The project will be done at no cost to the city;

• Adopted the retire / rehire employment policy to create a consistent process for rehiring retired individuals who possess specified skill sets. City administration must notify council 90 days before an individual retires that is under consideration for rehire, and 30 days before the rehire, the administration must justify the need for the rehire. Rehire employees will contribute a 20 percent health care premium and 100 percent of employee’s share OPERS pension. They will not be eligible for overtime pay or vacation sellback;

• Authorized the contract for the 2019 hot mix resurfacing program for street resurfacing;

• Had a first reading of an appropriation of $100,000 for an equipment purchase for the wastewater treatment plant. Mientkiewicz said it is for security and a fiber optic line that will replace the plant’s plan with Spectrum;

• Had a first reading for the purchase of a 37-foot aerial unit truck and accessories through the State of Ohio Cooperative Purchasing Program, the total cost of which would be $62,815;

• Had first reading for the appropriation of $43,402 from the park fund and $11,515 from the cemetery fund for maintenance of the floor and track at the Niles Wellness Center, which has developed bubbles and humps, according to Mientkiewicz, and for repairs to the motors on the garage door and basketball hoops at the wellness center;

• Had first reading for the appropriation of $20,000 for repairs to the Niles Greenway bike trail. The city is responsible for 3 miles of trail and has not spent money on maintenance since the trail’s creation, Mientkiewicz said;

• Had first reading for an ordinance amending the authorized strength and compensation for certain city employees;

• Had first reading for the cessation of overtime pay for full-time, non-union, non-elected positions;

• Had second reading of an agreement between the city and Youngstown State University for grant writing services. The agreement, which is approximately $10,500, would give the city access to YSU grant research and writing services;

• Announced mosquito spraying will be Monday;

• Heard from Mientkiewicz that GIS mapping through YSU is on track to finish in October;

• Heard from Smith that legislation is available online for citizens to review;

• Heard from Treasurer Stephen A. Telego Sr. that the city will receive a $28,000 retainer rebate from RITA on June 28 and tax collection is a little ahead of this time last year;

• Heard from Mientkiewicz that the former Garfield School property was officially transferred back to Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership. The final cost to the city for the demolition was $13,500, he said.

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