WARREN — Citing inflation, city council gave its approval this week to increase the fee for cremation services from $250 to $500 per adult in the case of indigent deaths in the city.

Councilwoman Helen Rucker, D-at Large, said at Wednesday’s council meeting she has been approached by funeral directors who handle indigent cremations for the city.

“A few funeral homes have approached city officials because they can no longer do the cremations for the price we pay,” she said.

The increase is necessary as the city is responsible for cremations for indigent residents, she said. Rucker said COVID-19 funds can be used to help the city with expenses so it will not incur any additional costs.

She said funeral homes will pick up the bodies for cremations and take them to the health department crematorium. Rucker said many of the indigent residents are from the Buckeye Apartments.

Rucker said meetings should be held with the public to express the importance of insurance as many people walk away unable to pay for family members.

Warren Health Department Commissioner John May said there is a policy in place for what the city pays funeral homes for indigent burials. He agreed the increase is necessary.

In other business, council approved seeking bids for the repair of utility road cuts that occurred over the winter for the water department. Franco Lucarelli, director of utilities, said bids will be sought for repairing curb cuts and resurfacing the roads dug up because of the water main breaks.

Third Ward Councilman Greg Greathouse said each council member can check his or her ward for any road cuts that need to be done and compile a list.

Council gave first reading to an ordinance allowing for the advertising for bids for summer street paving. Councilman-at-Large Ken MacPherson said priority roads need to be resurfaced in each of the city’s seven wards.

“Each ward has priority roads and then there is a list of the next group of roads that need done,” he said.

MacPherson said the 7th Ward has $1.49 million worth of priority road paving; 6th Ward, $1.57 million; 5th Ward, $1.4 million; 4th Ward, $1.47 million; 3rd Ward, $1.33 million; 2nd Ward, $973,000; and 1st Ward, $995,000.

The project will be put out for bid shortly.

Auditor Vincent Flask said COVID-19 funding in the budget is being used for $1 million for business improvement grants; $242,835 for a pickup truck and dump truck; $422,365 for machinery; $16,800 for the wall at Quinby Park shelter house basement; and $134,800 for design work and engineering for different projects.