Martins Ferry City Council Meeting Minutes of June 2, 2021

Posted on: June 2, 2021

The Martins Ferry City Council met in Regular Session on Wednesday, June 2, 2021, at 6:00 p.m., at the Donald Myers Council Chambers. The meeting was called to order by Council President Kristine Davis with the Pledge of Allegiance recited by those present in chamber, followed by a prayer by the Clerk. Seating was spaced for social distancing and other precautions were observed in accordance with the COVID-19 compliance.

Answering Roll Call were Bob Hunker, First Ward Council Member, Bruce Shrodes, Second Ward Council Member; Suzanne Armstrong, Third Ward Council Member; Rick Rodgers, Fourth Ward Council Member; Tom Burns, Jim Schramm and Jack Regis, Council at Large Members.

Minutes: Minutes of the May 19, 2021 Council Meeting were approved as written.

Correspondence: Council received a letter from Columbia Gas of Ohio informing the Mayor and President of Council that Columbia Gas of Ohio will file an application at the end of June with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to increase Columbia’s base distribution rates and to implement an alternative rate plan. President Davis will scan the document received and send to all Council Members with the rates. She will give the document to the Mayor Office to make public for citizens to view.

As discussed at the last meeting, Council agreed to change the order of business for the meetings in June so Legislation could be addressed first. This would insure not only a quorum but to allow Mrs. Armstrong to be present for the reading of legislation since she needs to leave the June meetings at 6:30 p.m.

Ordinances and Resolutions:

An Ordinance Directing The Allocation of 4% of Net Income Tax Revenue Received To The Street Department Capital Projects Fund Beginning January 1, 2022.

Motion was made by Mr. Rodgers to suspend the rules. Motion was seconded by Mr. Hunker. A roll call vote was heard with Rodgers, Burns, Schramm, Regis, Hunker, Shrodes and Armstrong voting yes. The motion carried. Motion was made by Mr. Schramm to pass the ordinance as read. Motion was seconded by Mr. Burns. A roll call vote was heard with Schramm, Regis, Hunker, Shrodes, Armstrong, Rodgers and Burns voting yes. The motion carried and the Ordinance was declared passed.

An Ordinance Authorizing The Auditor To Establish The Street Department Capital Projects Fund.

Motion was made by Mr. Regis to suspend the rules. Motion was seconded by Mrs. Armstrong. A roll call vote was heard with Regis, Hunker, Shrodes, Armstrong, Rodgers, Burns and Schramm voting yes. The motion carried. Motion was made by Mr. Hunker to pass the ordinance as read. Motion was seconded by Mr. Shrodes. A roll call vote was heard with Hunker, Shrodes, Armstrong, Rodgers, Burns, Schramm, and Regis voting yes. The motion carried and the Ordinance was declared passed.

An Ordinance Directing The Allocation of 10% of Net Fine Revenue Generated By The Police Department to the Police Department Capital Projects Fund Beginning July 1, 2021.

Motion was made by Mr. Schramm to suspend the rules. Motion was seconded by Mr. Hunker. A roll call vote was heard with Schramm, Regis, Hunker, Shrodes, Armstrong, Rodgers and Burns voting yes. The motion carried. Motion was made by Mr. Burns to pass the ordinance as read. Motion was seconded by Mrs. Armstrong. A roll call vote was heard with Burns, Schramm, Regis, Hunker, Shrodes, Armstrong and Rodgers voting yes. The motion carried and the Ordinance was declared passed.

An Ordinance Regarding Dogs in City Parks.

Motion was made by Mr. Shrodes to suspend the rules. Motion was seconded by Mr. Rodgers. A roll call vote was heard with Shrodes, Armstrong, Rodgers, Burns, Schramm, Regis and Hunker voting yes. The motion carried. Motion was made by Mr. Regis to pass the ordinance as read. Motion was seconded by Mr. Hunker. A roll call vote was heard with Regis, Hunker, Shrodes, Armstrong, Rodgers, Burns and Schramm voting yes. The motion carried and the Ordinance was declared passed.

An Ordinance Authorizing Auditor to Establish the EMS Levy Fund.

Motion was made by Mr. Hunker to suspend the rules. Motion was seconded by Rodgers. A roll call vote was heard with Hunker, Shrodes, Armstrong, Rodgers, Burns, Schramm, and Regis voting yes. The motion carried. Motion was made by Mr. Schramm to pass the ordinance as read. Motion was seconded by Mr. Regis. A roll call vote was heard with Schramm, Regis, Hunker, Shrodes, Armstrong, Rodgers and Burns voting yes. The motion carried and the Ordinance was declared passed.

A Resolution Authorizing City Service Director To Apply For, Accept, and Enter Into A Water Supply Revolving Loan Account (WSRLA) Agreement on Behalf Of The City Of Martins Ferry For Construction Of Water Facilities; And Designating A Dedicated Repayment Source For The Loan.

Motion was made by Mr. Regis to suspend the rules. Motion was seconded by Mr. Hunker. A roll call vote was heard with Regis, Hunker, Shrodes, Armstrong, Rodgers, Burns and Schramm voting yes. The motion carried. Motion was made by Mr. Schramm to pass the ordinance as read. Motion was seconded by Mrs. Armstrong. A roll call vote was heard with Schramm, Regis, Hunker, Shrodes, Armstrong, Rodgers and Burns voting yes. The motion carried and the Resolution was declared passed.

Reports of Officers of the City:

Mayor: Mayor Davies commended the Martins Ferry Police Department and all the safety forces involved in the quick response to the shooting on Washington Street on Memorial Day.

Council was reminded that the city cuts grass in Riverview Cemetery, Walnut Grove Cemetery, the ball fields, the city park and on 51 lots that do not belong to the city. City employees are keeping up as best as they can. The Code Administrator is out daily fining people for high grass.

Water lines have been replaced in North Lawn. Crews should finish replacing the water line in Hillendale next week. The water line replacement project in the Sunset Heights area should be finished this week. These water lines have incurred multiple breaks over the past few years. It is hoped that by replacing these problem lines, employee overtime can be avoided.

A new pump and motor has been purchased for the city swimming pool. As soon as other plumbing supplies are received and installed, the pool will be ready for the summer season. It will be up to the Park District on when the pool will be opened.

City Administration has met with local and state officials regarding funding for a trunk water line that would run from Tiltonsville to Shadyside and possibly to Powhatan and Wheeling, WV. When meeting with Mr. Herron, Wheeling City Manager, he mentioned that Wheeling also supplies water to Pennsylvania. This project could possibly be a 3 state project and would ensure that no city or town tying into this line would run out of water.

The Street Sweeper was repaired and is now operational. The Sewer Truck is broke and is being fixed. The Mayor is very dissatisfied with the company the sewer truck was purchased from and will not deal with them again.

The Demolition of three properties has been slowed due to paperwork. As soon as all the necessary paperwork has been filed, the Mayor will demolish these structures using his own equipment.

The Mayor asked Council for permission to schedule activities in the Park every weekend during the summer, except of course for those weekends already reserved by organizations. Funding is being sought to repair the Park’s Amphitheater and to update the Park.

Service Director: Mr. Sutak reported that workers cut the grass and trimmed the City Park and it looks very nice. The bucket truck will be used to trim some of the trees in the Park. The Fountain area needs cleaned. It is hoped that a group would undertake the Fountain area as a service project and plant flowers around it. The Walnut Grove Cemetery has also been cut and trimmed. Some trees need pruned there also.

An application, for funding a direct water line to the hospital and business district, is almost ready to be submitted.

State Route 7 has been cut and trimmed. Mr. Sutak will try and get ODOT to use a brush hog and trim up near the fence.

Mr. Schramm asked to Mr. Sutak to check on property owned by Mr. Bozo on the 6^th Street Extension. There is a tree growing from the foundation and it is blocking the sidewalk.

Auditor: Auditor Randall distributed the May Financials to Council Members. Regarding recent questions about the income tax, the Auditor directed Council to the Revenue Report that clearly shows the Income Tax collected under each fund. According to the State of Ohio, the city has the authority to spend up to $50,000 without Council’s approval. The Auditor is aware of the appropriations and budgets and tries to stay within these bounds, but sometimes expenditures arise and they go over appropriations. She will need approval of Council for payment for 3 items: an armature, a golf cart and a bill for $29,060 to rebuild a high service pump for the water department. She reminded the Administration of the need for purchase orders.

Safety Director: Director Regis apologized for missing the last 2 meetings. The new ambulance will be arriving by the end of July. Betty Zane Days will be held on Wednesday, August 4-Saturday, August 7. The Fire Department seeks permission from Council to use the Park from August 1-8 to give them enough time to prepare, set up, and clean the Park after Saturday night. Director Regis witnessed the shooting on Washington Street on Memorial Day. He highly praised the city’s safety forces on their professionalism in their response to secure the scene, apprehend the suspect, and rendered aid to the victim before EMS arrived.

Law Director: No report.

Police Department: Chief McFarland echoed the sentiments of the Mayor and Safety Director regarding his department’s response to the shooting on Memorial Day. He thanked Mr. Shrodes for coordinating the volunteers who placed flags on veteran’s graves. The Chief reported that a full-time dispatcher position is open and there are no part-time dispatchers trained to move into this position. He would like to see the wage increased for part-time police department employees. The Mayor asked the Chief to consider an amount that he would like to see paid to part-time employees, and bring it to the next meeting.

Fire Department: No report.

Code Administrator: No report.

Park District: No report.

Water Department: No report.

Reports of Committees of Council:

Finance and Audit: Mr. Regis will schedule a meeting after the Auditor receives notices of Liability Insurance costs and Health Insurance costs for employees.

Street: Mr. Rodgers thanked Council Members for passing the Ordinance Allocating 4% of Net Income Tax Revenue to the Street Department Capital Projects Fund.

Ordinance: Mr. Shrodes scheduled an Ordinance Meeting for Tuesday, June 15 at 5:30 p.m. to review the city’s table of organization.

Sewer/Sidewalk: No report.

Code Administration: No report.

Safety: No report.

Service: No report.

Cemetery: Mr. Burns thanked everyone involved in keeping the cemetery looking nice.

Public Relations: No report.

Real Estate/Utility: No report.

Income Tax: No report.

Citizens To Be Heard: President Davis reminded citizens to limit their speaking to 5 minutes.

Richard Hord, 915 Virginia Street, asked if another bank or business has shown interested in the buildings formerly occupied by PNC Bank and Dollar General. The Mayor said nothing definite but there has been some interest in all the downtown area buildings. Mr. Hord also inquired if any recognition was being planned for 4 recently retired businessmen who have contributed to the city. Nothing yet has been planned. The Mayor was asked what he would like to accomplish before the end of the year. Top priorities are: More business in the downtown area, more activities in the city park, and secure funding to upgrade the infrastructure. Mr. Hord asked when the Curley Residence might be torn down. Mr. Sutak said that house is on the list to be torn down and Bel-O-Mar is submitting bids for demolition of this structure.

Thomas Burns, 411 Grant Avenue, thanked Chief McFarlan, Mayor Davies, Mr. Stecker and Belmont County Judge Chris Berhalter for removing the vicious dog that bit and mauled his wife. He said that Martins Ferry has an excellent Police Force and he appreciates everything they do.

Miscellaneous Business:

Mr. Shrodes thanked Mayor Davies, Mr. Sutak and all the employees for keeping the cemetery trimmed and looking nice. Also, he thanked all who came out to put flags on the Veterans Graves.

For the past year and a half, city employees have done an outstanding job with the COVID-19 problems and restrictions. He would like to show these employees appreciation for their hard work during the Pandemic. Therefore, Mr. Shrodes made a motion to allocate $500 from the COVID Money to each currently employed, full-time, permanent employee who worked during the COVID Pandemic in the year 2020. This is a bonus for hazard duty. Motion was seconded by Mr. Schramm. After a 10 minute discussion, a roll call vote was heard with Shrodes, Burns, Schramm, Regis, and Hunker voting yes. Mr. Rodgers abstained. The motion carried by a majority.

Mr. Rodgers made a motion to raise the wage of Part-Time Police Department Employees to $16.50 an hour. Motion was seconded by Mr. Schramm. A roll call vote was heard with Rodgers, Burns, Schramm, Regis, Hunker, and Shrodes voting yes. The motion carried.

Mr. Shrodes motioned to authorize the Mayor to utilize the City Park for functions as he sees fits this summer. Exclusions include June 13, June 19 and August 1-8. Motion was seconded by Mr. Regis. A roll call vote was heard with Shrodes, Rodgers, Burns, Schramm, Regis, and Hunker voting yes. Motion was declared passed.

Mr. Rodgers made a motion Council approve the expenditures as submitted by the Auditor for the Swimming Pool Pump, the Golf Cart and the high service pump for the Water Department. Motion was seconded by Mr. Burns. A roll call vote was heard with Rodgers, Burns, Schramm, Regis, Hunker, and Shrodes voting yes. The motion carried and the purchases were approved by Council.

Mr. Regis made a motion to reflect Council has received reports from the Officers and Management, and to incorporate these reports into the minutes. Motion was seconded by Mr. Schramm. After an affirmative voice vote, the motion passed.

Mr. Shrodes made the motion to excuse Mrs. Armstrong retroactively from the May 19, 2021 Council Meeting. Mr. Rodgers seconded the motion. After an affirmative voice vote, the motion passed.

Now that the Pandemic is ending, Mr. Burns would like to schedule a ceremony to dedicate the Veteran Banners. A pamphlet will be available listing a story on each Veteran.

Mr. Rodgers reported that 3 new flags for the Cemetery are at Jim Nicholson’s office. He reported that the funeral flowers, sent by the city, for the father of former Mayor Krajnyak, were gorgeous. Also, Mr. Rodgers received a call from Ken Bonnell saying his grandparents grave stone in Riverview Cemetery is off its base. Mr. Bonnell was told by a person in the Utility Office that it was the city’s responsibility to repair the stone. Mr. Sutak noted that only stones displaced due to ground movement are the City’s responsibility. The Mayor said many stones need attention and he hopes crews can get to this in the near future.

Mr. Hunker asked if any progress has been made on the South Zane Highway regarding the poor paving job done by the contractor. This job was arranged by Bridgeport’s Engineer and the work was done by a contractor from Wellsburg, WV. The Mayor directs all calls received about this stretch of highway to the Engineer and Contractor.

Mr. Regis aired his concerns about the management of the Recreation Center and Parks. The Mayor said a meeting was held with 3 Park Board Members last week. They discussed the lack of personnel to take care of these properties. The Mayor asked the Park Board to relinquish control of the Recreation Center, the city Park, the cemetery, and the ball fields to the City. The Park District would only be responsible for running the swimming pool and concessions. The Park Board is meeting on June 3 to consider future plans. The Mayor would like to attend this meeting, and hopefully Mr. Burns and Mr. Schramm can also attend.

Mr. Rodgers made a motion to allocate $250 from the COVID-19 Relief money to each currently employed, part time, permanent personnel, who worked during the COVID Pandemic in the year 2020. This will be considered as compensation for hazard duty. Motion was seconded by Mr. Schramm. A roll call vote was heard with Rodgers, Burns, Schramm, Regis, Hunker, and Shrodes voting yes. The motion carried.

Mr. Rodgers moved to adjourn, which was seconded by Mr. Hunker. After an affirmative voice vote, the meeting was adjourned with a salute to the flag.