The Martins Ferry City Council met in Regular Session on Wednesday, October 5, 2022, 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, followed by a prayer by the Clerk. 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 Burn and Jack Regis, Council at Large Members. Jim Schramm, Council at Large Member, told President Davis he was not able to attend this meeting.
Minutes: Minutes of the September 21, 2022 Regular Council Meeting were approved as written.
Correspondence: Correspondence was received from the Walter Drane Company they were shipping 14 sets of the 2022 Replacement Pages for the Martins Ferry Codified Ordinances. The internet will be updated soon. (These codified ordinances have already been placed on Council Members desks). The Ordinance, to adopt these replacement pages, will be acted on at the next Council Meeting after Council Members have had a chance to look through the pages.
Reports of Officers of the City:
Mayor: Mayor Davies gave permission for Jessa Lepic to speak during his report time. Ms. Lepic addressed Council regarding her qualifications and desire to be elected to the position of Belmont County Auditor in November. She then answered a few questions of Council.
The Mayor asked Council to approve the purchase of 2 low mileage SUVs for the EMS to transport patients. Cost would be approximately $50,000 and the American Rescue Money could be used for this purchase. The EMS would also like permission to sell their LifePac 10s which they no longer use.
Currently the city has between 80-100 tons of road salt. The 4-K Owners are permitting the city to store the salt inside one of their buildings (The Old Beans Foundry).
The paving on 6th Street, 8th Street, 9th Street and Crawford Heights is complete. The Mayor reviewed the rest of the scheduled paving projects. The Paving Company said they are able to work until the second week of November if the city would like to schedule additional paving projects. It is believed that the price of asphalt will increase by 10% next year.
The Police Contract has to be re-negotiated. The Mayor asked for a couple of Council Members to sit in on the negotiations. Council Members would not be able to negotiate but they could have input.
Unified Bank has donated $2,500 toward the cost of the Splash Pad (which will go into the Permanent Improvement Fund). The Mayor showed representative of Unified Bank the Splash Pad and said that he hoped to put artificial turf around the Pad. The Mayor mentioned to Mr. Everson, Bank President, that he would like to put artificial turf around the Pad which would cost around $2,750. Mr. Everson said the Bank would cover this cost. The Mayor praised the Bank for their phenomenal support of citywide projects.
Mr. Shrodes asked for an update on the auction for the city vehicles. Mr. Sutak said he is working on getting that organized. Hopefully the auction can be held at the end of this month or sometime in early November.
The Mayor said this week is Curbside Clean-Up for the city. He highly praised the city crews for their efforts in picking up the trash.
Discussion was held regarding the mine subsidence in the North Ridge, Hillendale and State Route 647. Mr. Sutak is searching for answers to this problem and wants to address it before it becomes a major issues.
Service Director: Mr. Sutak, Assistant Auditor Trish Headley, and Auditor Randall have looked over the budget to get some line items adjusted to get appropriations finalized and approved.
Mr. Sutak explained that since the city is able to store the road salt inside, the grit can be brought inside to be mixed with the salt. Because the salt will stay dry, it will retain more strength and work more efficiently to clear the snow and ice from the roads.
Safety Director: No report.
Auditor: No report.
Law Director: No report.
Police Department: No report.
Fire Department: No report.
Code Administrator: No report.
Park District: No report.
Water Department: No report.
Reports of Committees of Council:
Finance and Audit:
Street: No report.
Ordinance: No report.
Sewer/Sidewalk: No report.
Code Administration:
Safety: No report.
Service: No report.
Cemetery: No report.
Public Relations: No report.
Real Estate: No report.
Utility:
Income Tax: No report.
Citizens To Be Heard:
Richard Hord, 915 Virginia Street,
Ordinances and Resolutions:
This Resolution was given a First Reading. A
AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF MARTINS
FERRY TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT FOR THE ZANE
HIGHWAY 12” WATERLINE CONNECTION TO AETNA
STREET BOOSTER STATION AND DECLARING AN
EMERGENC
Miscellaneous Business:
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. Rodgers. After an affirmative voice vote, the motion passed.
Mr. Hunker moved to adjourn, which was seconded by Mr. Rodgers. After an affirmative voice vote, the motion carried and the meeting was adjourned at 6:56 p.m. with a salute to the flag.
The next regular meeting of the Martins Ferry Council will be held on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. at the Donald Myers Council Chambers.
___________________________________ ___________________________________ Kay H. McFarlan, Clerk of Council Kristine Davis, Council President
The Martins Ferry City Council met for a Special Meeting on Sunday, September 18, 2022, at 6:00 p.m., at the Donald Myers Council Chambers. This meeting was called for the discussion of purchasing police vehicles.
Council President Kristine Davis called the meeting to order and the Pledge of Allegiance was recited by those present, followed by a prayer by the Clerk. Answering Roll Call were Bob Hunker, First Ward Council Member; Bruce Shrodes, Second Ward Council Member; Suzanne Armstrong, Third Ward Council Member; Tom Burns and Jim Schramm, Council at Large Members. Absent: Jack Regis, Council at Large Member and Rick Rodgers, Fourth Ward Council Member.
The Mayor said the Police Department needs to buy 3 vehicles. He asked Council to appropriate $225,000 which would cover the cost of the cruisers, necessary accessories, decals and any penalty imposed by Enterprise Rent-A-Car. This money would be taken from the American Rescue Money. Police Chief McFarland explained the problems with the 3 leased vehicles from Enterprise. A Chevrolet Dealer in Pittsburgh, PA has offered a price of $43,413.20 per vehicle. This is $6,000 less than other quotes received. There would be an additional expense to outfit the cruisers with the necessary equipment. Chief McFarland consulted with Service Director Sutak and it was estimated that purchasing these vehicles instead of leasing would save the General Fund almost $2,600 a month.
Mrs. Armstrong made a motion to reflect an amendment to the previous motion regarding the purchase of police vehicles on September 7, to make the final total up to $225,000, which includes $19,000 of equipment for the vehicles. Motion was seconded by Mr. Burns. A roll call vote was heard with Mrs. Armstrong, Mr. Burns, Mr. Schramm, Mr. Hunker and Mr. Shrodes voting yes. The motion was declared passed.
Mr. Shrodes made a motion to excuse Mr. Regis and Mr. Rodgers from tonight’s meeting. Mrs. Armstrong seconded the motion. After an affirmative voice vote, the motion passed.
Mr. Hunker moved to adjourn, which was seconded by Mr. Shrodes. After an affirmative voice vote, the meeting was adjourned at 6:13 p.m. with a salute to the flag.
___________________________________ ___________________________________ Kay H. McFarlan, Clerk of Council Kristine Davis, Council President
The Martins Ferry City Council met in Regular Session on Wednesday, September 7, 2022, 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, followed by a prayer by the Clerk. 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; Jim Schramm and Jack Regis, Council at Large Members. Tom Burns, Council at Large Member, informed President Davis he would not be able to attend tonight’s meeting. Minutes: Minutes of the August 17, 2022 Council Meeting were approved as written. Correspondence: The Walter Drane company has contacted the Council Clerk regarding updating the Codified Ordinances. Ordinances passed since August 5, 2021 will be sent to the company and the Clerk will be notified when the updates pages are completed and ready to be shipped. Reports of Officers of the City: Mayor: The Mayor reported that the Semper Fi Paving Company submitted the lowest bid at $662,045.39 for the paving of 9th Street, 8th Street and 6th Street, the area locally known as “Bull Town”. This bid was accepted and hopefully paving will begin at the end of September. Because recent water line breaks have ruined a few roads, the Mayor asked Council to include 3 other roads (Ohio Rd., Highland Rd., and Wood Rd.) in the “Bull Town” paving job. He will get the additional cost estimates for these jobs and report back to Council. The Mayor reported on several water line replacements and catch basins being worked on. Code enforcement is now being done by the Police Department. There will no longer be any warnings. Citations will be issued for high grass, weeds, trash can violations, and piles of junk on property. Offenders will come to Mayor’s Court and be fined. The problem with the Street Sweeper has been identified but it is not known how long it will take to get the parts to fix it. Tickets will not be issued for improper parking on Street Sweeper Days for the remainder of the year. The Cemetery Crew will be finishing with grass cutting soon. Some routine maintenance still needs done and a few trees need removed. Four hundred tons of salt has been purchased and Mr. Sutak is working with a company to possibly store the salt inside. The Mayor reported on the progress of the Impound Lot at 636 South Zane Highway. The lot is already paved, easy to police, and cameras can easily be installed. The Mayor asked Council if the $30,000 appropriated for the Impound Lot, which was to be built on the former Rose Café site, be put back into the General Fund and instead use some of the American Rescue Money for the Impound Lot on Zane Highway. Mr. Stecker is checking to see if the American Rescue Money can be used for the Impound Lot. One neighbor disagrees with the placement of the lot. Mr. Regis mentioned the neighbors he spoke with asked that the lot 1) not create problems for residents getting in and out of their garages in the alley and 2) the city clean up the mess and keep it organized. Mrs. Armstrong is concerned that the proposed site of the impound lot is on a major thoroughfare in the center of town and will make things look bad in that area. She is also afraid it may depreciate the neighbor’s property values. It is not the impound lot that Mrs. Armstrong is against, it is the location. The Mayor said that the cars towed to the city’s impound lot are ones that will be recovered. The lot will not be filled up with junk cars. Mr. Shrodes asked that the security lights shine down directly on the lot and not shine onto the surrounding homes. The Police Department and the EMS Department are having problems with vehicles. Two of the EMS cars are small and great on gas mileage. However, when there is snow on the roads or a larger person needs transported, these vehicles are inadequate. The EMS Department is asking for a larger 4-wheel drive vehicle. The Mayor estimated the cost to be around $50,000. This purchase can be paid out of the American Rescue Money. The Police Department would like to purchase 2 cruisers this year and one next year in order to stop the leasing arrangement. These purchases would probably amount to $250,000. The Mayor informed Council that $150,000 needs to be encumbered due to a major problem with the force main. It is believed that the force main is broke somewhere under a 1 miles stretch of the National Limestone Company. Mrs. Armstrong asked if the EMS carries COVID Testing Kits. The Mayor thought they did but didn’t know for sure. She was concerned because she knew a man who was treated by the EMS and within the next two days he tested positive for COVID. The Mayor will check on this issue. Mrs. Armstrong stated that other streets in town need lines painted. Mayor Davies stated if crews have time, they will be painted. The Fall Curb-Side Clean-Up Day will probably be sometime in early October. The Mayor will have the exact date for the next meeting.
Service Director: Mr. Sutak said a Resolution will be brought to Council at the next meeting to accept the amounts and rates as determined by the Budget Commission and Authorizing the Necessary Tax Levies and Certifying them. This Resolution has to be passed so it can be submitted to the County Auditor’s Office before October 1, 2022. Mr. Sutak will ask Mr. Stecker to create an Ordinance to have Council authorize moving .3 of the inside millage over into the bond retirement fund to help pay for Street Paving. A few more catch basins still need done before some of the roads are paved. Safety Director: No report. Auditor: No report. Law Director: No report. Police Department: Chief McFarland asked the Times Leader Reporter to remind citizens that fines will assessed if building permits or contractor licenses are not secured. Mr. Sutak asked that the fees received from the sale of building permits and contractor licenses be placed in the Safety Service Line Item which paid the previous Code Administrator’s salary. Any officer doing code enforcement duties can be paid from this fund, thus alleviating the General Fund of this responsibility. Research will be done to see if the fines for high grass and garbage can infractions can also be placed in the Safety Service Fund. The Chief reported grant applications have been submitted 1) for Laptops for officers who attend trainings and 2) to help with the cost of maintenance of current Body Cameras. Fire Department: No report. Code Administrator: No report. Park District: No report. Water Department: No report. Reports of Committees of Council: Finance and Audit: Chairman Regis scheduled a meeting for Tuesday, September 13 at 10:00 a.m. to look at line items of the budget and see if anything needs changed. Mr. Sutak reported that the settlement of property taxes have been received and can be reviewed at this meeting. Street: No report. Ordinance: No report. Sewer/Sidewalk: No report. Code Administration: Mr. Regis will set up a committee meeting with Attorney Stecker to discuss the city’s liability, if any, with known dilapidated properties in town. Safety: Mr. Schramm will check with the Police Department on a few safety codes. Service: No report. Cemetery: No report. Public Relations: No report. Real Estate/Utility: No report. Income Tax: No report. Citizens To Be Heard: Richard Hord, 915 Virginia Street, complimented Officer Starkey on the fine job he has been doing with code enforcement. Mr. Hord asked for an updated on the water run-off on the Miller property discussed at Council Meeting a few months ago. The water run-off has been alleviated by running a hose to a creek bed. As soon as the part is available, the problem will be permanently fixed. Mr. Hord reported that the Belmont County Commissioners approved $75,000 for the city’s paving improvements from the permissible license tax. The Mayor said this money will be used to pave 9th Street. There is no update regarding the former Staffilino Property. The Mayor said he still plans to honor Mr. Nicholson, Mr. Wallace, and Mr. Sommers at a future meeting. Mr. Hord asked about Auditor Randall and was told she was still in the “decision-making loop” but has not been released to return to work.
Ordinances and Resolutions: This Ordinance was given a First Reading. An Ordinance Increasing The Hourly Wage For Certain Part-Time Positions in the EMS Department. Motion was made by Mr. Shrodes to suspend the rules. Motion was seconded by Mr. Schramm. A roll call vote was heard with Shrodes, Armstrong, Rodgers, 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 and Schramm voting yes. The motion carried and the Ordinance was declared passed. AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF MARTINS FERRY TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT FOR THE ZANE HIGHWAY 12” WATERLINE CONNECTION TO AETNA STREET BOOSTER STATION AND DECLARING AN EMERGENC Miscellaneous Business: Mr. Regis made a motion that Council appropriate $60,000 from the American Rescue Money for the purchase of 1 police cruiser. Motion was seconded by Mr. Rodgers. A roll call vote was heard with Regis, Hunker, Shrodes, Armstrong, Rodgers and Schramm voting yes. The motion carried. Mr. Shrodes inquired about the Auction for older city vehicles. Mr. Regis said he is waiting for the Auctioneer to give him an available date. The Auctioneer will take care of placing an ad in the paper. Sometime early next year, Mr. Shrodes asked for a list of every vehicle, machinery and piece of equipment the city owns. Mr. Sutak said he will gather this information and get it to Mr. Shrodes. Mr. Hunker made a motion to allow the Mayor to establish an impound lot at 636 South Zane Highway (formerly Robert’s Pontiac). Motion was seconded by Mr. Schramm. A roll call vote was heard with Hunker, Shrodes, Rodgers, Schramm and Regis voting yes. Mrs. Armstrong voted no. The motion passed. Mr. Regis made a motion to approve $30,000 from the American Rescue Fund Money for the Impound Lot cameras and fencing. Motion was seconded by Mr. Hunker. A roll call vote was heard with Regis, Hunker, Shrodes, Rodgers and Schramm voting yes. Mrs. Armstrong voted no. The motion carried. Mr. Regis made a motion to grant the Mayor permission to add Ohio Avenue, Highland Avenue and Woods Lane to the Paving Project. Motion was seconded by Mr. Schramm. A roll call vote was heard with Regis, Hunker, Shrodes, Armstrong, Rodgers and Schramm voting yes. The motion was declared passed. Mr. Shrodes made a motion and Mr. Regis seconded, to excuse Mr. Burns from tonight’s meeting. After an affirmative voice vote, the motion carried. Mr. Schramm noted that the Gas Company’s contractor who replaced the sidewalks on South Zane Highway did an inadequate job. Mr. Schramm 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. Rodgers. After an affirmative voice vote, the motion passed. After a year of trying to negotiate with the company that paved South Zane Highway, the Mayor has consulted with Attorney Stecker and decided to hire another company to get the road fixed. Bids will be accepted for this job. After the road has been repaired and the bill paid, any money left from the retainer will be given to the original paving company that did the inferior work. Council did not object to this action. Mrs. Armstrong moved to adjourn, which was seconded by Mr. Hunker. After an affirmative voice vote, the motion carried and the meeting was adjourned at 6:57 p.m. with a salute to the flag.
______________________________________________ Kay H. McFarlan, Clerk of Council Kristine Davis, Council President
The Martins Ferry City Council will be having a special council meeting on Sunday September 18th at 6pm, in the Council Chambers. This meeting will be to consider the purchase of vehicles and is requested by the Mayor.
The Martins Ferry City Council met in Regular Session on Wednesday, August 17, 2022, 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, followed by a prayer by the Clerk. 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 August 10, 2022 Special Council Meeting were approved as written. This includes Mrs. Armstrong’s recommendation that the EMS Worker’s increase in salary be retroactive to August 1, 2022.
Correspondence: There was correspondence from the Ohio Division of Liquor Control regarding the transfer of the Belmont Brewerks Liquor License to the new owners. Police Chief McFarland was consulted and he has no concerns with this transfer.
Reports of Officers of the City:
Mayor: No Report.
Service Director: Bids have been received for the Street Paving Project. The Mayor, Service Director, and Engineer will meet and carefully review the bids. The project will need to be finished by October 31, 2022. Mr. Rodgers asked that the Street Committee be involved in the review of the paving bids.
A new Catch Basin has been installed in Floral Valley.
The Splash Pad is open. Donations are still being accepted to help with the cost. The administration is looking into the cost of installing turf around the area to prevent dirt and grass from getting into the Splash Pad. After 30 days, the cap will be installed to protect the cement. There is no additional chlorine in the water going to the Splash Pad. The water comes straight from the city’s water lines. It is not re-circulated.
Many of the summer helpers will be leaving for school soon. Mr. Sutak praised the summer workforce for their efforts in keeping the grass controlled in the cemeteries, ball fields, parks and other properties the city maintains.
Mr. Regis asked about a house that is slipping from its foundation. Mr. Sutak said they are aware of it, but the city does not own the property. The city administration will see if anything can be done about the property.
Mr. Rodgers asked that a pothole between 7th and 8th Street near the old Mackey Community Center be patched. He also asked that property near the United Dairy be cleared of debri. Chief McFarland will look into this situation.
The Street Sweeper will be repaired as soon as the parts are available. The administration may consider filing a complaint under the Lemon Law since the Sweeper has broken down 6-7 times in the first year of use.
Safety Director: No report.
Auditor: No report.
Law Director: Mr. Stecker gave a short explanation of the PACE Resolution and 2 Ordinances that would be voted on later in the meeting.
Police Department: Chief McFarland and the Mayor measured the EMS lot that will be converted into an impound lot. It will measure 107’ x 9’. The current Code Administrator will be retiring soon and these duties (enforcing code laws) will now be taken over by the Police Department. There will no longer be warnings for high grass and trash not placed in acceptable receptacles. Tickets will be issued immediately.
Fire Department: No report.
Code Administrator: No report.
Park District: No report.
Water Department: No report.
Reports of Committees of Council:
Finance and Audit: No report.
Street: No report.
Ordinance: No report.
Sewer/Sidewalk: No report.
Code Administration: No report.
Safety: No report.
Service: Mr. Shrodes stated the Service Committee met on August 11, 2022. The Committee discussed: 1) Council becoming more active with property violation, specifically trash and run-down properties, 2) Street Sweeper Problems, 3) Alleys not being maintained and 4) Business lots overgrown with weeds. Minutes of this meeting were submitted and will be filed with these Council Minutes.
Cemetery: No report.
Public Relations: Mrs. Armstrong announced the Chamber of Commerce is having a banquet on September 15th. The speaker will be the coach of the Wheeling Nailers.
Real Estate/Utility: No report.
Income Tax: No report.
Citizens To Be Heard:
William Graft, 514 North 8th Street, ask the Service Director to check on:
A Gabion Basket Wall that the city installed behind his house. He believed that wall is moving because his yard is starting to slip. This wall is on top of his water, sewer and gas lines.
Trees on the hillside by Riverview Cemetery, in front of his house, is overtaking his cable and telephone wires. He loses services when there is a lot of wind or a bad storm.
In the alley behind his house, trash is put out in cans with no lids and animals scatter the garbage and it stinks.
At 522 North 8th Street, there is a vacant house where rats, raccoons, groundhogs and feral cats inhabit.
Mr. Sutak will address this situation with the help of Office Starkey who will be enforcing code ordinances.
Richard Hord, 915 Virginia Street, asked the Service Director on how the re-opening of East Ohio Regional Hospital has impacted the city. Mr. Sutak said the hospital has rejuvenated the city and joint ventures between the city and the hospital maybe planned for the future. Mr. Hord was told the Betty Zane Festival went well even though the weather wasn’t the greatest. Everyone was pleased with the Fireworks Display. Mr. Sutak announced that even though the Street Sweeper isn’t running, tickets will still be issued if vehicles are on the wrong side of the street Mr. Hord asked about honoring the Ohio Valley Printing Company and owner Phil Wallace and was told the Mayor is working on something. No updates were available on the former Staffilino Property. Mr. Hord also inquired about the former Curley property. Bel-O-Mar has scheduled this property to be demolished by October 15.
Ordinances and Resolutions:
For the reading of the following legislation, Mr. Regis made a motion to waive the 72 Hour Rule. Mr. Rodgers seconded the motion. A roll call vote was heard with Regis, Hunker, Shrodes, Armstrong, Rodgers, Burns and Schramm voting yes. The motion carried.
This Resolution was given a First Reading. A ResolutionApproving the Petition for the Creation of the City of Martins Ferry, Ohio Energy Special Improvement District and the Imposition of Special Assessments for Special Energy Improvement Projects and a Program Plan for Special Energy Improvement Projects Under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 1710, and Declaring an Emergency. Motion was made by Mr. Hunker to suspend the rules. 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. Motion was made by Mr. Schramm to pass the Resolution 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 Resolution was declared passed.
This Ordinance was given a First Reading. An OrdinanceDetermining to Proceed with the Acquisition, Construction, and Improvement of Certain Public Improvements in the City of Martins Ferry, Ohio in Cooperation with the City of Martins Ferry, Ohio Energy Special Improvement District, and Declaring an Emergency. Motion was made by 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. Rodgers to pass the Ordinance as read. Motion was seconded by Mr. Burns. A roll call vote was heard with Rodgers, Burns, Schramm, Regis, Hunker, Shrodes, and Armstrong voting yes. The motion carried and the Ordinance was declared passed.
This Ordinance was given a First Reading. An Ordinance Levying Special Assessments for the Purpose of Acquiring, Constructing and Improving Certain Public Improvements in the City of Martins Ferry, Ohio in Cooperation with the City of Martins Ferry, Ohio Energy Special Improvement District, and Declaring an Emergency. 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 Mr. Hunker. 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 AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF MARTINS
FERRY TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT FOR THE ZANE
HIGHWAY 12” WATERLINE CONNECTION TO AETNA
STREET BOOSTER STATION AND DECLARING AN
EMERGENC
Miscellaneous Business:
Mr. Burns thanked the Legion for placing the Veteran Banners near the City Park. He also shared his experience riding with several Police Officers on their rounds and is very pleased with their professionalism.
Mr. Regis made a motion to appoint Mayor Davies and Mr. Hunker to the ESID (Energy Special Improvement District) Board which will have oversight to the above Legislation that was passed. Mr. Schramm seconded the motion. After an affirmative voice vote, the motion carried.
Mr. Regis asked Mr. Sutak to clear shrubbery on the Alley between North 7th St. and North 8th Street near Ellet Street. It is being overrun by raccoons.
Mr. Regis praised the summer youth for their hard work in keeping the grass cut in the cemeteries and other city properties. He also thanked the police department for their assistance in keeping people away from a house fire on North 9th Street a couple weeks ago.
Mr. Schramm reported to Mr. Sutak that the alley behind Keller Funeral Home is impassible due to huge potholes.
Mr. Shrodes informed Mr. Sutak that a Stop Sign is down in front of 1300 Kennedy Avenue. Also, a few driveways on Concord Street need to be striped yellow so parked vehicles don’t block resident’s access.
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. Shrodes. After an affirmative voice vote, the motion passed.
Officer Starkey will be assuming the duties of the retiring Code Administrator. His title will not be Code Administrator. He will just enforce the codes since the Police Department has this authority. Council asked Mr. Stecker to prepare an Ordinance to place Building Permits and Contractor License Fees into the General Fund.
Mr. Rodgers asked for a report on updating the council chamber’s public address system. President Davis met with Mr. Baker and he will be recommending a new, reasonably priced system. The estimate will include new microphones, recording system and a camera. The quote should be received sometime in September.
Mr. Shrodes moved to adjourn, which was seconded by Mr. Hunker. A roll call vote was heard with Shrodes, Armstrong, Rodgers, Burns, Schramm, Regis and Hunker voting yes. The motion carried and the meeting was adjourned at 7:08 p.m. with a salute to the flag.
___________________________________ ___________________________________ Kay H. McFarlan, Clerk of Council Kristine Davis, Council President
Young man on asphalt paver at work on construction site. Concept employee, builder at building, lay asphalt. Vector illustration.
Starting Monday September 19, 2022 the City will start a big paving project. The paving will take place on 6th Street (Columbus Ave), 8th Street and 9th Street to St. Myers. This will include the top of 6th Street Hill to Mackey Ave and then from the N 9th Street to St. Myers and upper part of Heil Ave. There will be absolutely NO parking on the street while this project is being done. We apologize for the inconvenience during this time.
Our annual trash clean up will be held on the 1st week of October, the 3rd-7th. It will run on your normal trash day and it will be done curbside. No tires, paint or electronics will be picked up as usual.
The whole North end of town is without water due to a large water break on North bound 7. The water department is out fixing it, we do not have an ETA on when it will be fixed.
The Martins Ferry City Council met for a Special Meeting on Wednesday, August 10, 2022, at 6:00 p.m., at the Donald Myers Council Chambers. This meeting was called for the consideration of legislation. Council President Kristine Davis called the meeting to order and the Pledge of Allegiance was recited by those present, followed by a prayer by the Clerk. 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 and Jim Schramm, Council at Large Members. Absent: Jack Regis, Council at Large Member.
Minutes: Minutes of the July13, 2022 Regular Council Meeting were approved as written.
Ordinances and Resolutions:
This Ordinance was given a First Reading.
An Ordinance Authorizing The Director of Public Service to Advertise for Bids and Enter into a Contract for the Repair of Certain City Streets. Motion was made by Mr. Hunker to suspend the rules. Motion was seconded by Mr. Shrodes. A roll call vote was heard with Hunker, Shrodes, Armstrong, Rodgers, Burns and Schramm voting yes. The motion carried and the rules were suspended. 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, Hunker, Shrodes, Armstrong, Rodgers and Burns voting yes. The motion carried and the Ordinance was declared passed.
This Resolution was given a First Reading. An Resolution Authorizing the City of Martins Ferry to Prepare and Submit an Application to Participate in the Ohio Public Works Commission State Capital Improvement and/or Local Transportation Improvement Program(s) and to Execute Contracts as Required.
Motion was made by Mr. Rodgers to suspend the rules. Motion was seconded by Burns. A roll call vote was heard with Rodgers, Burns, Schramm, Hunker, Shrodes, and Armstrong voting yes. The motion carried and the rules were suspended. Motion was made by Mr. Hunker to pass the Resolution as read. Motion was seconded by Mr. Shrodes. A roll call vote was heard with Hunker, Shrodes, Armstrong, Rodgers, Burns and Schramm voting yes. The motion carried and the Resolution was declared passed.
This Resolution was given a First Reading. A Resolution Approving The OneOhio Region 11 Governance Structure Under the OneOhio Memorandum of Understanding.
Motion was made by Mr. Schramm to suspend the rules. Motion was seconded by Mr. Burns. A roll call vote was heard with Schramm, Hunker, Shrodes, Armstrong, Rodgers, and Burns voting yes. The motion carried and the rules were suspended. Motion was made by Mr. Rodgers to pass the Resolution as read. Motion was seconded by Mr. Burns. A roll call vote was heard with Rodgers, Burns, Schramm, Hunker, Shrodes, and Armstrong voting yes. The motion carried and the Resolution was declared passed.
Mayor Davies stated his intent to bring in legislation about the Martins Ferry EMS. He met with the EMS and they are dissatisfied with their hourly wage of $10 an hour. The City’s part-time summer help make $12 an hour. The Mayor plans to bring in legislation for Council to consider, specifying a $12 an hour wage for EMS regular employees (a 20% raise). Mrs. Armstrong recommended that any ordinance brought in make wage adjustments effective retroactively to August 1, 2022.
Mr. Shrodes made a motion to excuse Mr. Regis. Mr. Rodgers seconded the motion. After an affirmative voice vote, the motion passed.
Mr. Hunker moved to adjourn, which was seconded by Mrs. Armstrong. After an affirmative voice vote, the meeting was adjourned at 6:18 p.m. with a salute to the flag.
___________________________________ ___________________________________ Kay H. McFarlan, Clerk of Council Kristine Davis, Council President
