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NILES -- City Council's passage of 14 pieces of legislation during the last meeting of the year, including several items that move the fiscal recovery plan forward, was overshadowed by four city officials announcing their exit plans.
Council President Robert Marino and councilmen Stephen Papalas, D-at Large, and Frank Pezzano, D-1st Ward, announced they would not be seeking another term but will continue in their positions through next year.
Law Director J. Terrence Dull announced he would retire in February because of health issues.
The council members cited family obligations for the decision, and Papalas said he believes he can do more for the city through his work in the engineering office and through community action.
The session also marked the last meeting for Lori Kuszmaul, the clerk of council, who announced last month that she was leaving. Deputy auditor Nicole Bacak is taking over.
As expected, council members gave the safety service director permission to advertise for bids to lease the wellness center. Dull and attorney Douglas Neuman are preparing the advertisement -- which must run for five weeks -- and the city could know by the end of January if there are any takers.
The minimum lease price is $240,000 to cover the center's bank note, and if the city finds a tenant, it will save about $160,000 a year, city Auditor Giovanni Merlo said, noting that estimate is a conservative one.
Neuman said he would add a clause specifying the tenant must pay any property taxes that the building could incur and an environmental clause protecting the property from hazardous waste.
Council also approved a measure to place the wellness center under the supervision of the parks board. Parks Director Carmen Vivolo expressed irritation that members of council did not more clearly represent to him what his responsibilities for the center would be. Councilwoman Linda Marchese, chairwoman of the public grounds committee, said she thought that was outlined in the Dec. 19 board meeting and classified the misunderstanding as a "miscommunication."
The center was lacking official supervision because the administration eliminated the advisory board that was rarely meeting and the previous administration eliminated the director's position. Leasing the center is a part of the city's fiscal recovery plan, but the center still needs a contact within the city to ensure the terms of the lease are being met, Neuman said.
In other business, council created the position of project manager for public utilities and infrastructure coordinator, a $55,000 a year job responsible for finding and writing grants, drafting construction documents and directing projects. He or she will be paid from the city's fiscally healthy utility funds, the legislation states.
Another aspect of the fiscal recovery plan was moved forward when council granted the safety service director permission to request proposals from architectural firms to analyze the city's buildings. The assessment will ensure the city has an accurate picture of the buildings' structural needs so it can plan for repairs rather than reacting to emergencies, council members said.