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07/22/2008 08:27 AM

 

Ellwood City Council Meeting Recap July 22, 2008 ECO staff - Eric Johnson, Student Journalist ELLWOOD CITY -- City council moved forward with plans to keep people out of borough playgrounds after dark. Council agreed to advertise an ordinance that would designate hours of operation for borough playgrounds from 8 a.m. to dusk. Council members had been discussing the matter previously, but last week former council member Glen Jones told council that there have been fights after dark at Circle Playground as well as drugs, alcohol and other problems. The proposed ordinance will require all playgrounds close at dusk year round. When Jones brought the matter to council last week, Councilman John Todorich suggested Jones contact Buffalo, N.Y., where Todorich believed there was a citizen patrol to monitor similar problems. Jones said Monday that he contacted Buffalo officials and they do not have a citizen patrol. Jones said the city does have 62 surveillance cameras in the city. Council members will likely vote on the playground hours of operation at next month’s meeting. COUNCIL BRIEFS: Police Chief of Operations Richard McDonald is looking over applications for a new part-time police officer. Mayor Don Clyde questioned council about the hiring contending the department needs a new officer soon. “We are in bad shape. We had only four police officers over the weekend,” Clyde said. The mayor said the chief of operations had to be called in to guard an inmate because they had no other officers available for call out. He noted that some are on vacation and at least one is off on sick leave after being injured in a car chase. Council gave no indication when a new police officer would be hired Council gave $3,000 to the Holy Redeemer/Ministerium Social Services “energy fund.” Council members said the agency requested the amount. Approved a request to have close Third Street between Lawrence and Crescent avenues and Cherry Way from Lawrence to Crescent avenues during the annual Holy Redeemer bazaar Aug. 5 to Aug. 9. Council also discussed requiring the church to pay for two police officers to patrol the event. Councilman Anthony “Lefty” DeCarbo said there were seven arrests at the 2007 bazaar. DeCarbo asked that the church be required to cover any overtime incurred by the officers if arrests are made this year. Awarded a multi-year paving contract to A. Folino Construction at a cost of $53,622.40 to eliminate the wearing course on Wayne Avenue until 2009. The borough has $52,500 from Community Development Block Grant funding and $1,122.40 in the general fund to pay the contract. Approved a request by the Ellwood City Historical Society to use shelter 2A/2B at 5 pm.. Sept. 8. (article is sponsored by Comprehensive Children and Family Services) Changed job classification and pay for Mark Linville retroactive to June 1, 2008. Linville will go from lineman III to lineman II and his base pay rate will change from $18.95 per hour to $19.56 per hour. Approved an increase in the mileage reimbursement rate for borough employees to 58.5 cents per mile effective July 1 through Dec. 31. Approved the purchase of office furniture from Office Max in the amount of $7,666.04 for the new council chambers. The money is coming from the general, electric and sewage reserve funds. The furniture will be used when borough council moves its meeting room to the second floor of the borough building. Borough workers are currently painting the room and a new ceiling and lighting are being installed, said Dom Viccari, borough manager. Council approved the sale of a vacant lot at 231 Fountain Ave. to John and Lisa Vincik for $12,000. Agreed to advertise for bids to demolish 1010 Crescent Ave. and 1011 Center Ave. Approved a request by the Lincoln High School girls soccer team to use Stiefel Park from 8 to 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. July 22 to Aug. 8. Donated $250 to the Rod and Classic Club to help defray the costs of the car cruise held Saturday night along Lawrence Avenue. Approved the purchase of a 2008 Ford Crown Victoria police cruiser at a cost of $21,164. The money is coming from the general capital reserve fund. Mayor Don Clyde requested that police log all time spent in Ellport. Clyde said he wants the information to be used the next time the borough negotiates a contract with Ellport for police protection. Jonathon and Channa Robinson will be the third farm to sell their fruits and vegetables at the weekly farmer’s market along Beaver Avenue. Councilwoman Marilyn Mancini said the borough has waived the $25 fee for the farmers this year to help generate more interest. Two other farmers are already participating in the Saturday morning farmer’s market.