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NEWTON FALLS -- Despite concerns from residents and a member of council, village council voted Wednesday to disband the historic sites and structures advisory committee saying the community center and other sites can be handled by the parks and recreation committee.
Resident Rick Kerlin, who spoke at against ending the committee, said after the meeting he has started circulating a petition to get the sites and structure committee issue on a future election ballot so the public can decide.
Kerlin said the committee had been working on securing money to make improvements to the center, including getting asbestos removed.
"They were working to get the center open again in a reasonable amount of time," he said. "The committee was able to accomplish getting work done on the roof to stop it from leaking. The floor was caving in and the asbestos inside was getting worse. I asked council to hold off on passing this ordinance.
Council voted 4-0-1 to end the committee with 3rd Ward Councilwoman Brenda Persino abstaining after serving on the committee briefly before being appointed to council.
Persino said although she was abstaining from voting she would like to see the committee remain in place.
"The committee was working to ensure the history of sites and structures owned by the village remain," she said. "I don't want to see this committee go away. They were focusing on more than just one building."
Persino was hoping members of Heritage Accord would have been part of the committee.
Fourth Ward Councilman Kevin Rufener questioned what the committee did since the leaking roof was covered by village insurance.
"We already have a parks and recreation committee that can handle this," he said. "Why do we need another one," Rufener said.
Rufener would like to see the center reopened but said there needs to be a project design plan and available funds on hand in order to do the work, or the community as a whole will need to be willing to pay for it. He said no project plan is in place and no money is available.
CITIZEN INPUT
Kerlin said people on the committee volunteered their time to help not only with the community center but other sites and structures.
He said Heritage Accord had not been able to do much in recent years.
Resident Adam Zimmermann agreed the committee should be ended and the community center and other sites should be under the control of the parks and recreation committee currently in place.
"The parks and recreation committee can work with others to see what can be done to get the center up and running if possible," he said.
The committee had met the past few months and was focused on saving the center.
The former USO building is on the National Register of Historic Places but needs money to get fixed. Village manager Pam Priddy has said the committee was looking for grants up to a million dollars to help with the costs.
The biggest need was asbestos removal and fixing the flooring. Priddy estimates it will cost around $120,000 to remediate the asbestos and another $35,000 for the flooring.
When the center reopened, the goal was to hold parties, wedding receptions and other events there.