January 6th, 2016 Council Minutes

Posted on January 6th, 2016 by City of St. Clairsville

Once approved, a link to the official council minutes will be at the bottom.

COUNCIL MINUTES

January 6, 2016

St. Clairsville City Council met at the Municipal Building on Wednesday, January 6, 2016 for a Special Council Meeting with the following present

Jim Weisgerber, Council President

Mark Bukmir, Council, 3^rd Ward Jeff Henry, Police Chief

Linda Jordan, Council-At-Large Cindi Henry, Finance Director

Beth Oprisch, Council-At-Large Richard Myser, Law Director

Jake Olsavsky, Council, 1^st Ward

Frank Sabatino, Council, 2^nd Ward

David Trouten, Council, 4^th Ward

The meeting was called to order by Council President Jim Weisgerber

Cindi Henry: Cindi explained that the Ordinance establishing sewer rates needed to be at the office by January 11 by 1:15. So we have to get it done by Friday in order to get it to her by Monday to get it approved. I thought we had another week from her emails a month ago. Beth Oprisch: We have to get what done by Friday? In order to apply for an OWDA loan I went to RCAP (Rural County Assistance Program) an organization that will do all the leg work for us. We do all the prep for it basically then they go to OWDA with our presentation and package and make it look nice to get the loan approved. Their deadline we were told initially was the 19th. She emailed me yesterday and it is now the 11^th. They will walk it to them by the 19^th and we will know by the 28^th if we are approved for the loan or not. Dennis Bigler: They want it submitted by the 15^th. Cindi Henry: That is right the 15^th not the 19^th. Basically what we have to do is put together an amortization showing that we can pay the loan off. With our current revenue we can’t pay the loan off. That is why we need to raise the sewer rates. : Dennis Bigler: They want the meeting minutes accepting the bids. We have determined the best bidder but we have not awarded it because they did not want to award it until we had the money. Beth Oprisch: Is this vehicles we are talking about Dennis Bigler: No this is about the Wastewater Plant upgrade. Beth Oprisch: So does this have to do with the increase that we have been talking about? Dennis Bigler: Yes it is the principal reason for the increase. Beth Oprisch: So we thought we could wait on that? Dennis Bigler: We thought we could read it at the next regular meeting on the 19^th but now we were told they have to have it to OWDA by the 15^th. Jim Weisgerber: So we will have to suspend the rules and pass it on an emergency because we were not aware. I do not like this at all. I prefer to have three open readings for anybody in the city to have a chance to address this. Dennis Bigler: We can do it we will just have to have special meetings. Cindi Henry: That or it will hold us off to February applying. Dennis Bigler: The bids are good until the end of this month. Beth Oprisch: Is there an opportunity to tell her we need a little more time? Cindi Henry: No they don’t care, they have other people in line. Dennis Bigler: I don’t want to sound crass but what will you do if someone comes up here and says I don’t like the rate increase? We have got to upgrade this Wastewater Plant. It is on an EPA permit we don’t have much choice. I can see if you don’t want to do it tonight just for appearance sake but you don’t have much choice but to do it or you will be telling the court why you are not doing it. Beth Oprisch: To me it is not agreeing or disagreeing if we need to increase we need to increase what I would like though is time to digest. Dennis Bigler: I know. Beth Oprisch: I don’t want to come in here on the first time and just rubber stamp things. I am accountable to the voters and that is what my issue is. I want to be able to understand that and its somewhat unrealistic to expect you to digest all that so it’s not that people are going to come and say why did you raise the rates, I want to be able to tell them because I have looked at the information and it was the best decision. Dennis Bigler: I understand and for new Council people that is definitely the case most of you though we have been talking about RBC’s and the plant for months if not years. Bids were taken around October or November.

After a lengthy discussion on budgetary matters three ordinances were read to Council.

There was presented and read to Council on its second reading by title only ORDINANCE NO. 2016-04. ORDINANCE AMENDING CODIFIED SECTION 933.02 (B) TO ESTABLISH SEWER RATES EFFECTIVE AT THE EARLIEST DATE DETERMINED BY LAW. Beth Oprisch moved that the rules requiring ordinances and resolutions to be read on three separate readings be suspended and declaring an emergency; Jake Olsavsky seconded the motion.

Roll Call Vote:

Bukmir Yes Olsavsky Yes

Jordan Yes Sabatino Yes

Oprisch Yes Trouten Yes