After considerable contention, council voted to suspend a zoning ordinance and permit Scott and Caroline Golmic, owners of Sweet Caroline’s on 507 Lawrence Ave, to host events on an empty adjacent lot.
The Golmics originally requested permission in a letter dated June 6. However, a motion approving the event was pulled immediately prior to council’s agenda meeting on Monday, June 11.
The Golmics attended the meeting to question why their request had been pulled and were told their event violated several ordinances. Council member George Celli offered to meet with the Golmics to work out a solution. However, by the regular meeting this week, they were still waiting for an answer.
Council member George Celli
Ultimately, council unanimously approved a motion by George Celli to suspend an ordinance to allow the event, specifically prohibiting transient vendors on 4th through 8th Street. In addition, the Golmics agreed to abide by an ordinance requiring transient vendors to pay a $25 permit per day.
The lot is located on 509-515 Lawrence Avenue and is owned by Ron Lutz. The Golmics leased the lot and intend on hosting events throughout the summer featuring food, music, and games to encourage pedestrian traffic downtown. During the agenda meeting, Scott Golmic also said he hoped the events would interest entrepreneurs in constructing a new business on the lot.
On May 23, the couple teamed with other local business, including the Sweet Shop and National Grind, to host a fundraiser for the Ellwood City Amateur Baseball Federation. However, they were informed by both the borough health inspector and zoning officer that their event violated ordinances.
At the agenda meeting, Scott Golmic emphasized he was willing to pay any required fees but also questioned why the borough was interfering with the event and not providing adequate communication. In addition, the Golmics are involved in several community events, such as Let There Be Lights and Christmas in the Park, and didn’t face as many obstacles.
At last Monday’s regular meeting, Scott asked whether the issue was indeed about zoning or was a personal grudge against the Golmics. In addition, he accused council president and acting borough Judi Dici of a lack of ethics and communication and wondered if Dici was acting out of dislike for his father-in-law, former council member Brad Ovial.
Golmic said Dici would not respond to calls or texts to explain why the event was pulled and what could be done to fix it. “I thought if Donald Trump and Kim Jung Un can meet to discuss world peace, I thought I’d be able to meet with our council president to discuss a vacant lot in Ellwood City,” Golmic said during the visitor’s portion of the meeting.
Council President Judi Dici
Twice during Golmic’s opening visitor remarks, Dici informed him that he had used his allotted time. However, Golmic responded that he had not and was allowed to finish his comments.
Dici had been away at a conference the week of June 11. At Monday’s regular meeting, Dici said she had met with the Golmics at the beginning of the month and that they had failed to give specific dates and vendor lists for the meeting. Caroline Golmic countered that the borough has never had to give detailed itineraries for events such as Let There Be Lights.
Council member Jim Barry had no issue with the event but opposed food trucks, believing they would hurt local businesses. The events are held in the evening, after many local businesses are closed and the Golmics gave first right of refusal to local businesses. However, Barry said food establishments such as Red Hots and Vinny’s couldn’t necessarily set up a portable vendor on the lot and asked the Golmics if they’d be okay with an ice cream truck parked in front of their business.
Council member Lisa Guerrera spoke in support of the event, saying council should encourage activity that generates downtown traffic and business development.
Council member Jim Barry
Throughout the course of the discussion, which occurred at the beginning of the meeting and again at the end, various council members and visitors engaged in accusatory comments. Barry said he spoke to many local restaurant owners who were against food trucks but too afraid to speak to the Golmics. The Golmics said local restaurant owners had no issues with the event.
Both Judi Dici and Scott Golmic claimed information from borough officials that contradicted each other. Golmic also claimed Dici accidentally called him and made several negative comments without realizing who she was speaking too. None of these are included in detail due to EllwoodCity.org not verifying the accuracy of any comment.
In addition, there was considerable confusion over what ordinances were being broken, if they were consistently enforced, and if the ordinances were out of date. Borough solicitor Ed Leymarie specifically recommended council consider passing a food truck ordinance.
I think this article failed to mention the residents of beechwood blvd and their distaste for the council as well. There seems to be a lot of deceit coming from the borough council to validate their decision making. A comment was made that the Ellwood city council was against the citizens of ellwood city, sadly I agree.
What a shame! This is why Ellwood will always be what it is, a nothing town! The Golmics have the right idea and vision. Let them do it! There is nothing open after 5 p.m. other than bars! I guess that’s the vision has for Ellwood, DIVE BARS! I find it comical that some members of council are concerned with other business in town being adversely affected by food trucks. Evidently Sewickley has no issue as they just had a food truck event.
This town will never move forward with such backward ways!
To the Golmics and other community members making this town a better place,Keep your heads up. The vision and changes this town in the past couple years is amazing. This council trying to move us backwards time will come to an end. This town needs all of you to stay strong as a real representation for this community and to keep moving us forward in the right direction. The rest of the community has your back and will to do our part in the next election.
Why would council members be against the citizens of Ellwood?? The people that elect them? I could maybe see a liability issue here. As far as Brad Ovial he is a stand up guy. We have a chamber of commerce that I feel should be a liras in between businesses and council. Industry always had more resources to pull from than the mom and pop stores. I am hopeful things get worked out soon.
The comments confuse me. The people of Ellwood City are friendly people but it doesn’t come across that way on Facebook. When I read negative comments about Ellwood, I wonder about the age of the people who make them and if they are lifelong residents or if they moved to the town after the mills closed. I’ve never thought of Ellwood as a nothing town. It is/was a mill town that has struggled and fought to find its way back. People have never given up, whoever composed Council in the last 45 years have not given up so I struggle to identify who it is who has such a negative opinion of the town.
Other than accusations being slung and a disrespectful audience at times during the meeting, I was pleased to see the transparency at the meeting. I was pleased for the interaction between those in attendance and members of Council. I wish much success to the Golmics and all businesses in Ellwood. Regardless of what wrong numbers were called and what was said, they had not provided information that had been requested and the item was pulled. Council should have known what was going on even if Dici was not present her responsibility as Council President or acting borough manager. Careless actions yes, but perhaps none so careless as a business complaining about every attempt of other businesses independently or in committees for festivals complaining rather than stepping up and speaking to the Golmics or Chamber or Festival Committees on how they can be more involved and how events can work for them. It is called being an adult. When people are on the streets of Ellwood, everyone wins. Don’t want to be open – put something in your window that will bring people in during your regular hours. Don’t want to help or plan – offer coupons as prizes so your business is a part of the event and recognized – that works for those off the Main Street and unable to provide food for the event. Offer a discount coupon for after the event to draw people in. Or stand in the shadow, complain and allow Council to take the heat for trying to help you out.
We can be part of the problem or we can be part of the solution but to sit back and complain about those trying to make a difference – we’ll, it is anything but good citizenship or concern for your community!
Simply put – Dici needs to go, she is president of holding grudges.
Based on the decisions of a few council members, it’s painfully obvious that they aren’t interested in the betterment of our town. Keeping things the same is their apparent agenda. I’d love to know what their plan/vision is for EC. My guess, none of them, with the exception of the two new members, have one. It seems the only agenda is to keep things as they are as well as stroking their egos. Sorry, but that doesn’t work for the community.
I fail to see how it would be bad for the community for the Golmic’s to hold events on the lot they leased. How is bringing people in to EC, who would most likely not come here be a bad thing? More people visiting our town would see the other businesses we have. They may at some point come back to patronize those businesses. Every business owner in town should be outraged by councils decision.
The Golmic’s seem to have new, fresh ideas that could be great for this town. Old ideas aren’t working! Let these people move forward with their endeavors!
Classic Good Ol Boys town of Ellwood. Good news tho! If you wanna open a pizza shop or dumpy bar…APPROVED! No questions asked
Every member of Council voted to approve the Golmic’s events
Rachel you missed key information – George Celli, not the new people, made the motion to support the Golmics. A business- restaurant in town complained that started this and Councilman Barry spoke with other restaurants about their opinions. All members of council approved the event waiving current ordinances that would have blocked the events. Had council not taken action to begin to improving downtown the new businesses would not be here. At the agenda meeting it was Mr. Celli not the 2 new people you refer to who spoke first about wanting to meet with Golmics and support them. He was not alone in this but certainly lead the way for others to speak up.
According to the rest of Ellwood City – the other 2 candidates dropped out because they didn’t want to work for Dici or have her be their boss.