August 21, 2023 Council Minutes
Once approved, a link to the official council minutes will be at the bottom.
ST. CLAIRSVILLE CITY COUNCIL
August 21, 2023 Meeting
Jim Velas, Council President Kathryn Thalman, Mayor
Don Vincenzo, Council, 1st Ward Jeremy Greenwood, Public Service/Safety Director
Kristi Lipscomb, Council, 3rd Ward Don Smithberger, Super. of General Services
Terra Butler, Council, 4th Ward Annette Whealdon, Finance Director
Linda Jordan, Council-At-Large Matthew Arbenz, Chief of Police
Beth Oprisch, Council-At-Large Tom Murphy, Planning & Zoning Administrator
JC Thrash, Council 2nd Ward Elizabeth Glick, Law Director
Mike Smith, Council-At-Large
The meeting was called to order by Council President Jim Velas at 7:00 pm. President Velas led Council in the Pledge of Allegiance. Members of the public were thanked for their attendance.
ROLL CALL:
Butler ABSENT Smith HERE
Jordan ABSENT Thrash HERE
Lipscomb HERE Vincenzo HERE
Oprisch HERE
Five (5) Present Two (2) Absent
MINUTES: Council President Jim Velas confirmed all Councilmembers received the minutes from the August 7th Council Meeting. Councilman Smith made a motion to approve the minutes from August 7, 2023, Council Meeting; motion seconded by Councilwoman Lipscomb.
ROLL CALL:
Butler ABSENT Smith YES
Jordan ABSENT Thrash YES
Lipscomb YES Vincenzo YES
Oprisch YES
Roll Call Vote: Five (5) YES Zero (0) NO Zero (0) ABSTAIN Two (2) ABSENT
Motion Carried
Council President Jim Velas confirmed all Councilmembers received the minutes from the August 7th Special Council Meeting. Councilwoman Lipscomb made a motion to approve the minutes from August 7, 2023, Special Council Meeting; motion seconded by Councilman Smith.
ROLL CALL:
Butler ABSENT Smith YES
Jordan ABSENT Thrash YES
Lipscomb YES Vincenzo YES
Oprisch YES
Roll Call Vote: Five (5) YES Zero (0) NO Zero (0) ABSTAIN Two (2) ABSENT
Motion Carried
NEW BUSINESS: Councilwoman Lipscomb made a motion to have the City’s Trick or Treat on Tuesday, October 31st, from 6 – 7:30 pm. Councilman Smith seconded the motion.
ROLL CALL:
Butler ABSENT Smith YES
Jordan ABSENT Thrash YES
Lipscomb YES Vincenzo YES
Oprisch YES
Roll Call Vote: Five (5) YES Zero (0) NO Zero (0) ABSTAIN Two (2) ABSENT
Motion Carried
CITIZEN HEARING: None
CORRESPONDENCE: Samantha Hearn of the Belmont County Soil and Water Conservation District requested permission from the Council to host the 6th Annual Boo at the Bike Trail event on October 24th, from 4-6 pm.
Councilwoman Oprisch made a motion to allow Belmont County Soil and Water to host their annual Boo at the Bike Trail event on October 24th, from 4-6 pm, seconded by Councilman Smith.
ROLL CALL:
Butler ABSENT Smith YES
Jordan ABSENT Thrash YES
Lipscomb YES Vincenzo YES
Oprisch YES
Roll Call Vote: Five (5) YES Zero (0) NO Zero (0) ABSTAIN Two (2) ABSENT
Motion Carried
REPORTS:
Mayor Kathryn Thalman reported several meetings with the service director and the fire department to discuss concerns and issues. She attended the American Legion Picnic on August 12th to thank the Legion for their commitment to our veterans. She also participated in an EPA Zoom meeting with Jeremy regarding the tank and an Omega lunch on August 15th, where she could network with Congressman Johnson and Senator Vance’s representatives about city issues and concerns.
Additionally, she met with Wendy Anderson from the Chamber to discuss upcoming events like the Christmas parade. She also attended an open house at Barolos Engineering, formerly AJ Smith’s, to congratulate them on their merger. Mayor Thalman has also been driving around the city on hot days, delivering freeze pops to city workers.
With the election year approaching, Mayor Thalman took the opportunity to remind everyone of some of the wonderful things the Council and Mayor have accomplished in the last four years. They prevented the sale of water to Aqua, settled two lawsuits, saved money by moving away from chlorine tablets in the water plant, put new competent people in finance and service director positions, and acquired leak detection equipment to find waterline breaks more quickly and efficiently.
Furthermore, they were able to maximize and wisely spend their COVID money, bought gently used cruisers for the police, acquired two police dogs through donations and networking, filled vacant space, hired a wastewater superintendent to replace an outside contract firm, acquired a full-time employee rather than paying 10,000 more for part-time help, and brokered the sale of the fire department building to the fire department so they could apply for grants and loans to update the building and stay in town. Switching city insurance also saved them $40,000 a year.
Service/Safety Director Jeremy Greenwood reported that he received a phone call from an engineer regarding the Dorothy Water Tank. The engineer admitted that they had not obtained a permit for the tank’s current location but also shared an email sent to council members on August 10th discussing the installation key and notice of violation. As a result, Mr. Greenwood has requested an executive session to discuss this matter later. In addition, several other completed projects have been reported, including water node meter installations, sink repairs, and a successful meeting with Shepherd Terrace regarding the Dorothy Water Tank. Negotiations for easements and temporary construction easements for the West End Route 40 Waterline project have also been completed, and paperwork is expected to be returned soon. Furthermore, the Federal EPA inspection report has been reviewed, and corrections have been submitted. The Water Distribution Project is working its way down the north side of Route 40, and most Spring Park services have been hooked up to the new line. Communication is being improved, and upcoming projects are being planned. AEP has proposed a tentative power outage this Friday at midnight for 12 hours due to power loads. Still, more information will be available after Donnie’s meeting with AEP to confirm details. The rec center gym HVAC unit has been ordered, and the Route 40 water line extension project is expected to start in two weeks. Water distribution projects are ongoing, and citizens are being notified with door hangers, code reds, and other methods. The first water tank has been drained and cleaned out, and the 1929 tank will be cleaned out on Thursday. A voluntary conservation order was issued to the public last week due to these projects. Border patrol will remove all the air out of the line on all I-70 next week, and the 29 water breaks this year are estimated to be due to the water distribution project.
Councilwoman Oprisch asked why the City has been experiencing so many sinkholes. Mr. Greenwood noted that most of the culverts in the City are galvanized, and over time, they rust and disintegrate and become an issue when heavy rainfall occurs. Furthermore, Councilwoman Oprisch asked for clarification, stating that an email sent to just Council ended up to the engineering firm that installed the Dorthy Water Tank. Mr. Greenwood noted that that was correct, and the email was sent to the Council, the Law Director, the Council Clerk, and the Council President.
Police Chief Matt Arbenz reported that all our staff are healthy and working. They have made it through the vacation season with plenty of cooperation on schedule changes. They are preparing for the new school year to be back in session. He thanked Harbor Freight for a $300 gift certificate to purchase supplies for the department. He recently got confirmation from the state that our 24 hours of continual professional training, which every officer must do for the year, would return to the department. So that’s about $3,400 in training that will come back to the department.
Finance Director Annette Whealdon reported on September 12th at 8:00 AM OPERS, and in conjunction with Colonial Life, will be at the City to offer plans for anyone who works for 10 hours or more a week for the City if anyone’s interested. Furthermore, she is still waiting for the results of the 2022 audit. They’ve finished asking all the questions and are just waiting to hear back the results.
Planning & Zoning Administrator Tom Murphy announced that the Dora committee will meet this Wednesday at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the concept of a designated outdoor refreshment area, or Dora, and to establish guidelines for it to determine if it would be suitable for St. Clair. This is an educational meeting, and no decisions will be made. The public is welcome to attend, and the committee members include Councilwoman Oprisch, Councilwoman Lipscomb, and Councilman Thrash. The Fire Department’s project progresses slowly as they finalize their plans and the related variances. Once this is complete, a public hearing for the variances will be scheduled, but no date is set yet. There was also a project with Columbia Gas near Christ the King Church and the Bell Store on Route Nine. They plan to upgrade an older line accidentally placed through one of the sanitary manholes during Bell Store’s construction. This may cause construction and traffic delays for the next few weeks, but they will have flaggers and workers on site to help. Lastly, a new jewelry business called River Valley Designs will open in the Zelle building at 100 West Market Street. The owner hopes to open a storefront if things go well eventually. Keep an eye out for updates on this new addition to the town.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Finance Chair Don Vincenzo brought up Ordinance 2023-23 which pertains to supplemental appropriations. He noted that he discussed the reasoning behind this ordinance and will be open to answering any questions about it later on.
Utilities Chair Terra Butler No report.
Police Chair Mike Smith No report.
Streets – North Side Chair Mike Smith received a complaint from a local business owner about water draining into the back of their body shop. Mr. Greenwood explained that there are two different property owners involved, neither of whom is within the city limits. The owner of the retaining wall needs to clean it out, while Whiteside must clean out the back of their building.
Streets – South Side Chair JC Thrash No report.
Safety Chair JC Thrash No report.
Buildings and Grounds Chair Beth Oprisch No report.
Planning Commission Chair Kristi Lipscomb No report
Fire Chair Linda Jordan No report.
Recreation Chair Kristi Lipscomb reported fall baseball and softball leagues, along with flag football and volleyball, are scheduled to begin next week and the second week of September, respectively. Councilwoman Lipscomb announced that the leagues will run until the first week of October, and 194 kids have already signed up. The fall festival is set for September 9th. The craft and vendor fair will occur at the rec center in the morning, followed by bands and festivities outside at 4 p.m. Three bands are scheduled to perform; you can find more details on the rec website and Recreation Facebook page.
Park District Chair Linda Jordan No report.
ORDINANCES & RESOLUTIONS: Law Director Elizabeth Glick
FIRST READING
ORDINANCE No. 2023-26 – AN ORDINANCE TO MAKE SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS AND REVENUES FOR THE NORMAL EXPENSES AND OTHER EXPENDITURES OF THE CITY OF ST. CLAIRSVILLE, STATE OF OHIO, FOR THE PERIOD JANUARY 1, 2023, THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2023, AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
A motion was made by Councilman Smith that the rules requiring three separate readings be suspended on Ordinance No. 2023-26 and that the Ordinance, be passed on an emergency basis; seconded by Councilwoman Lipscomb.
ROLL CALL:
Butler ABSENT Smith YES
Jordan ABSENT Thrash YES
Lipscomb YES Vincenzo YES
Oprisch YES
Roll Call Vote: Five (5) YES Zero (0) NO Zero (0) ABSTAIN Two (2) ABSENT
Motion Carried
Councilman Smith made a motion to approve Ordinance No. 2023-26, the motion was seconded by Councilwoman Lipscomb.
ROLL CALL:
Butler ABSENT Smith YES
Jordan ABSENT Thrash YES
Lipscomb YES Vincenzo YES
Oprisch YES
Roll Call Vote: Five (5) YES Zero (0) NO Zero (0) ABSTAIN Two (2) ABSENT
Motion Carried
ORDINANCE No. 2023-27 – AN ORDINANCE TO MAKE INTERFUND TRANSFERS FOR THE NORMAL EXPENSES AND OTHER EXPENDITURES OF THE CITY OF ST. CLAIRSVILLE, STATE OF OHIO, FOR THE PERIOD JANUARY 1, 2023, THROUGH DECEMBER 31,2023 AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
A motion was made by Councilman Smith that the rules requiring three separate readings be suspended on Ordinance No. 2023-27 and that the Ordinance, be passed on an emergency basis; seconded by Councilman Vincenzo.
ROLL CALL:
Butler ABSENT Smith YES
Jordan ABSENT Thrash YES
Lipscomb YES Vincenzo YES
Oprisch YES
Roll Call Vote: Five (5) YES Zero (0) NO Zero (0) ABSTAIN Two (2) ABSENT
Motion Carried
Councilman Smith made a motion to approve Ordinance No. 2023-27, the motion was seconded by Councilwoman Lipscomb.
ROLL CALL:
Butler ABSENT Smith YES
Jordan ABSENT Thrash YES
Lipscomb YES Vincenzo YES
Oprisch YES
Roll Call Vote: Five (5) YES Zero (0) NO Zero (0) ABSTAIN Two (2) ABSENT
Motion Carried
Ordinance No. 2023-28 – AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 2023-15 IN ORDER TO CORRECT A TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR TO THE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL WATERRATES NOT WITHIN CITY LIMITS AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY
A motion was made by Councilman Smith that the rules requiring three separate readings be suspended on Ordinance No. 2023-28 and that the Ordinance, be passed on an emergency basis; seconded by Councilwoman Lipscomb.
ROLL CALL:
Butler ABSENT Smith YES
Jordan ABSENT Thrash YES
Lipscomb YES Vincenzo YES
Oprisch YES
Roll Call Vote: Five (5) YES Zero (0) NO Zero (0) ABSTAIN Two (2) ABSENT
Motion Carried
Councilman Smith made a motion to approve Ordinance No. 2023-28, the motion was seconded by Councilwoman Lipscomb.
ROLL CALL:
Butler ABSENT Smith YES
Jordan ABSENT Thrash YES
Lipscomb YES Vincenzo YES
Oprisch YES
Roll Call Vote: Five (5) YES Zero (0) NO Zero (0) ABSTAIN Two (2) ABSENT
Motion Carried
ORDINANCE No. 2023-29 – AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 2023-21 IN ORDER TO PROVIDE AN EFFECTIVE DATE FOR SAID LEGISLATION AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY
A motion was made by Councilwoman Oprisch that the rules requiring three separate readings be suspended on Ordinance No. 2023-29 and that the Ordinance, be passed on an emergency basis; seconded by Councilwoman Lipscomb.
ROLL CALL:
Butler ABSENT Smith YES
Jordan ABSENT Thrash YES
Lipscomb YES Vincenzo YES
Oprisch YES
Roll Call Vote: Five (5) YES Zero (0) NO Zero (0) ABSTAIN Two (2) ABSENT
Motion Carried
Councilwoman Oprisch made a motion to approve Ordinance No. 2023-29, the motion was seconded by Councilman Smith.
ROLL CALL:
Butler ABSENT Smith YES
Jordan ABSENT Thrash YES
Lipscomb YES Vincenzo YES
Oprisch YES
Roll Call Vote: Five (5) YES Zero (0) NO Zero (0) ABSTAIN Two (2) ABSENT
Motion Carried
ORDINANCE No. 2023-30 – A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING KATHRYN THALMAN, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF ST. CLAIRSVILLE, 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 AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY
A motion was made by Councilman Thrash that the rules requiring three separate readings be suspended on Ordinance No. 2023-30 and that the Ordinance, be passed on an emergency basis; seconded by Councilman Vincenzo.
ROLL CALL:
Butler ABSENT Smith YES
Jordan ABSENT Thrash YES
Lipscomb YES Vincenzo YES
Oprisch YES
Roll Call Vote: Five (5) YES Zero (0) NO Zero (0) ABSTAIN Two (2) ABSENT
Motion Carried
Councilman Trash made a motion to approve Ordinance No. 2023-30, the motion was seconded by Councilwoman Lipscomb.
ROLL CALL:
Butler ABSENT Smith YES
Jordan ABSENT Thrash YES
Lipscomb YES Vincenzo YES
Oprisch YES
Roll Call Vote: Five (5) YES Zero (0) NO Zero (0) ABSTAIN Two (2) ABSENT
Motion Carried
EXECUTIVE SESSION
Councilman Thrash made a motion to enter an Executive Session under ORC Section 121.22 (G)(2), seconded by Councilman Smith.
ROLL CALL:
Butler ABSENT Smith YES
Jordan ABSENT Thrash YES
Lipscomb YES Vincenzo YES
Oprisch YES
Roll Call Vote: Five (5) YES Zero (0) NO Zero (0) ABSTAIN Two (2) ABSENT
Motion Carried
Executive Session entered at 8:03 pm
Councilman Thrash made a motion to exit Executive Session, seconded by Councilwoman Lipscomb.
ROLL CALL:
Butler ABSENT Smith YES
Jordan ABSENT Thrash YES
Lipscomb YES Vincenzo YES
Oprisch YES
Roll Call Vote: Five (5) YES Zero (0) NO Zero (0) ABSTAIN Two (2) ABSENT
Motion Carried
Executive Session exited at 8:51 pm
Council President Jim Velas reported that no action was taken in Executive Session.
ADJOURNMENT: With no further business to come before Council, Councilwoman Lipscomb made a motion to adjourn; seconded by Councilman Smith. The meeting was adjourned at 8:52 P.M.
The next meeting will be Monday, September 5, 2023, at 7:00 P.M. All Councilmembers will be present at the City Building for the next meeting. Members of the public are encouraged to attend the meeting in the Council Chambers.
August 21, 2023 Council Minutes