CORTLAND — With neither Mayor Deidre Petrosky nor Interim Service Director Sean Ratican at Monday’s council meeting to answer questions, council originally voted to table until the next meeting a motion to enter into a contract with Lake Shore Strategic Consulting LLC for economic development assistance for the former school building the city has purchased for $85,000.

However, after hearing from several residents during the meeting concerned over the proposed contract, council voted unanimously to reject the contract with Lake Shore Strategic Consulting.

Councilman John Picuri made the motion to pull the ordinance off the table and allow council to vote on it without waiting for the next meeting.

Council President Kevin Piros told a filled council chambers that the mayor and interim service director had other obligations so they could not be there to answer questions.

Resident Rita Dodd said the plans for the school building and the status of the service director are big issues for which residents want answers.

Resident Mike Matheny said Lake Shore Strategic Consulting LLC is owned by Ratican and questioned if that is appropriate. Several council members confirmed Ratican is the owner.

Resident and former councilman Jerry Bayus said the mayor needs to explain this “controversial piece of legislation.” He said the general fund was used to purchase the school building via property taxes.

Finance Director Patty Gibson said general fund money can be used for any city purpose or business. Bayus said residents were led to believe that the school would be torn down for a parking lot for the nearby splash pad and park.

“We need to know what is planned,” he said, noting people have heard it may be used for apartments.

Picuri said he believed the building was going to be torn down.

SERVICE DIRECTOR

Bayus said residents are concerned about the status of the service director position as Ratican’s contract as interim service director expires Aug. 31 and there is no one to replace him. He said Ratican was named as interim service director by the mayor as an independent contractor and was being paid $30,000 more than the previous service director, Kim Blasco, who was paid $70,000.

Officials said the main difference is Blasco received benefits and Ratican does not.

Bayus said Ratican was Petrosky’s selection for service director despite there being 15 other resumes. He said the person selected should have a strong engineering background.

He said Blasco was a degreed engineer, but Ratican has degrees in other areas such as public administration and philosophy.

Bayus said the city of Niles, which is larger and has more people than Cortland, has an experienced engineer being paid $90,000.

Piros said Petrosky has done interviews of other applicants, and each council member was asked to review the resumes and independently rank who their top four candidates would be.

Councilman Jim Bradley said he did not submit his selected candidates.

“This is a very important hire with a six figure salary. We need to hire the right person,” he said, noting the mayor is responsible for finding a service director.

Previously, Petrosky recommended Ratican as service director, but council did not support her choice. Picuri said there have been “no” votes by council on ordinances recommended by the mayor for emergency passage.

Bayus said there have been too many emergency ordinances from the mayor needing passed, such as Ratican’s contract, that should have gone three readings and allowed for public input.

“She went for eight months not looking for a service director. Council should have been able to have their say on the service director,” Bayus said.

Piros said Petrosky has narrowed her selection for service director to three.

Bayus said he will be filing a complaint with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office to see if any investigation is warranted into practices and preferential treatment in the past two years by the mayor.