CONNEAUT — A proposed city-operated vehicle impound lot was parked by Conneaut City Council at Monday night’s regular meeting.
Ward 2 Councilman Charles Lewis tabled legislation that would have authorized the creation of a lot that to hold vehicles towed under police or court order. The concept needs more study, he said.
Presently, impounded vehicles are kept on the premises of the business that does the towing. Police Chief Jon Arcaro and Public Works Director Bob Howland devised the idea to help the cash-strapped city earn some money. Officials have estimated a lot could earn as much as $12,000 annually for the city.
The proposed lot would be created in a corner of the street department garage already fenced and guarded by security cameras. Ward 1 Councilman Dave Campbell had objected to the idea, saying it would hurt tow companies within his ward.
In other business, a majority of council rejected an ordinance that would have rewritten the city’s personnel policy to assist non-union employees. The measure would require the city manager to provide just cause for terminating a worker. Right now, those employees are considered “at-will” employees, meaning the manager need not justify the action.
Ward 3 Councilman Greg Mooney sought the change, saying department heads may feel compelled to lie or cover up information to keep the manager happy — and hang onto their jobs. “(The ordinance) gives them the freedom to speak up,” he said.
Council members opposed to the change said council is empowered to control the manager and ensure no abuse of supervisory staff occurs.
Elsewhere, council:
• Learned engineering work on the East Conneaut Industrial Park infrastructure project should be completed by the middle of next summer
• Learned the city saved more than $5,000 on the recently-completed, court-ordered storm sewer repair project on Lake Road, built by Schwartz Construction of Conneaut. Schwartz finished the work for $30,000, well below the contract price. The city lost a lawsuit filed by Lake Road residents who claimed a faulty storm sewer was ruining their lakefront property.
• Learned repairs to the Ohio State Highway Patrol weigh scales on Interstate 90 will take four to six months to complete — whenever it begins. No start date is known, said Finance Director and interim City Manager John Williams. The city has lost tens of thousands of dollars in court fees and fines from traffic offenses detected at the scales. The scales were closed last year when failing concrete was found near the scale mechanism.
• Learned the city’s workers compensation rates would jump about $11,000 in 2009. An increase was anticipated, Williams said.
• Heard a letter from Steven Sanford, president of Local 651 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, that expresses a willingness to discuss ways to help the city save money. Overtime within the fire department has come under fire in recent weeks. Sanford, in his letter, said talks should begin as soon as possible.
Local News
Conneaut council tables municipal impound lot
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