August 21, 2023 Council Minutes

ST. CLAIRSVILLE CITY COUNCIL

August 21, 2023 Meeting

Jim Velas, Council President                                             Kathryn Thalman, Mayor

Don Vincenzo, Council, 1^st Ward                                      Jeremy Greenwood, Public Service/Safety Director

Kristi Lipscomb, Council, 3^rd Ward                                 Don Smithberger, Super. of General Services

Terra Butler, Council, 4^th 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 2^nd 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 7^th 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

August 8, 2023 Council Minutes Special Meeting

ST. CLAIRSVILLE CITY COUNCIL

August 8, 2023 Special Meeting

Jim Velas, Council President                                             Kathryn Thalman, Mayor

Don Vincenzo, Council, 1^st Ward                                      Jeremy Greenwood, Public Service/Safety Director

Kristi Lipscomb, Council, 3^rd Ward                                 Don Smithberger, Super. of General Services

Terra Butler, Council, 4^th 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 2^nd Ward                                            Elizabeth Glick, Law Director

Mike Smith, Council-At-Large

The meeting was called to order by Council President Jim Velas at 12:00 pm. President Velas led Council in the Pledge of Allegiance. Members of the public were thanked for their attendance.

ROLL CALL:

Butler                   HERE                                           Smith                   HERE

Jordan                 ABSENT                                      Thrash                  HERE

Lipscomb            HERE                                           Vincenzo         HERE

Oprisch               HERE

Six (6) Present                                 One (1) Absent

ORDINANCES & RESOLUTIONS: Law Director Elizabeth Glick

FIRST READING

Resolution No. 2023-25 – A RESOLUTION SUBMITTING TO THE ELECTORS OF THE CITY OF ST. CLAIRSVILLE THE QUESTION OF THE RENEWAL OF AN EXISTING NINETY-FIVE HUNDREDTHS (0.95) MILL TAX LEVY FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING AND MAINTAINING MOTOR VEHICLES, COMMUNICATIONS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT USED DIRECTLY IN THE OPERATION OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND PAYMENT OF SALARIES OF PERMANENT POLICE PERSONNEL AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES SET FORTH IN OHIO REVISED CODE §5705.19(J) AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY

A motion was made by Councilwoman Lipscomb that the rules requiring three separate readings be suspended on Resolution No. 2023-25 and that the Resolution, be passed on an emergency basis; seconded by Councilwoman Butler.

ROLL CALL:

Butler                   YES                                                  Smith                   YES

Jordan                 ABSENT                                         Thrash                  YES

Lipscomb            YES                                                 Vincenzo         YES

Oprisch               YES

Roll Call Vote:    Six (6) YES    Zero (0) NO    Zero (0) ABSTAIN    One (1) ABSENT

Motion Carried

Councilman Thrash made a motion to approve Resolution No. 2023-25, the motion was seconded by Councilwoman Oprisch.

ROLL CALL:

Butler                   YES                                                  Smith                   YES

Jordan                 ABSENT                                         Thrash                  YES

Lipscomb            YES                                                  Vincenzo              YES

Oprisch               YES

Roll Call Vote:    Six (6) YES    Zero (0) NO    Zero (0) ABSTAIN    One (1) ABSENT

Motion Carried

ADJOURNMENT: With no further business to come before Council, Councilwoman Lipscomb made a motion to adjourn; seconded by Councilman Thrash. The meeting was adjourned at 12:06 P.M.

The next meeting will be Monday, August 21, 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 8, 2023 Council Minutes Special Meeting

August 7, 2023 Council Minutes

ST. CLAIRSVILLE CITY COUNCIL

August 7, 2023 Meeting

Jim Velas, Council President                                            Kathryn Thalman, Mayor

Don Vincenzo, Council, 1^st Ward                                     Jeremy Greenwood, Public Service/Safety Director

Kristi Lipscomb, Council, 3^rd Ward                                Don Smithberger, Super. of General Services

Terra Butler, Council, 4^th 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 2^nd 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                   HERE                                          Smith                   HERE

Jordan                 HERE                                          Thrash                  HERE

Lipscomb            HERE                                          Vincenzo              HERE

Oprisch               HERE

Seven (7) Present                          Zero (0) Absent

MINUTES: Council President Jim Velas confirmed all Councilmembers received the minutes from the July 17^th Council Meeting. Councilwoman Butler made a motion to approve the minutes from July 17, 2023, Council Meeting; motion seconded by Councilwoman Lipscomb.

ROLL CALL:

Butler                   YES                                                  Smith                   YES

Jordan                 YES                                                  Thrash                 YES

Lipscomb            YES                                                  Vincenzo             YES

Oprisch               YES

Roll Call Vote:    Seven (7) YES    Zero (0) NO    Zero (0) ABSTAIN    Zero (0) ABSENT

Motion Carried

Council President Jim Velas confirmed all Councilmembers received the minutes from the August 2^nd Special Council Meeting. Councilwoman Butler made a motion to approve the minutes from August 2, 2023, Special Council Meeting; motion seconded by Councilwoman Lipscomb.

ROLL CALL:

Butler                   YES                                                  Smith                   YES

Jordan                 YES                                                  Thrash                  YES

Lipscomb            YES                                                  Vincenzo              YES

Oprisch               YES

Roll Call Vote:    Seven (7) YES    Zero (0) NO    Zero (0) ABSTAIN    Zero (0) ABSENT

Motion Carried

NEW BUSINESS: Mayor Thalman asked the Council for their consideration in the reappointment of Brad Breisch for the Board of Architectural Review.

Councilwoman Oprisch made a motion to approve Mayor Thalman’s reappointment of Brad Breisch for the Board of Architectural Review; Councilwoman Butler seconded the motion.

ROLL CALL:

Butler                   YES                                                  Smith                   YES

Jordan                  YES                                                 Thrash                  YES

Lipscomb            YES                                                  Vincenzo              YES

Oprisch               YES

Roll Call Vote:    Seven (7) YES    Zero (0) NO    Zero (0) ABSTAIN    Zero (0) ABSENT

Motion Carried

Mayor Thalman asked the Council for their consideration in the reappointment of Peggy Riccadonna for the Board of Architectural Review.

Councilwoman Jordan made a motion to approve Mayor Thalman’s reappointment of Peggy Riccadonna for the Board of Architectural Review; Councilwoman Oprisch seconded the motion.

ROLL CALL:

Butler                   YES                                                  Smith                    YES

Jordan                  YES                                                 Thrash                  YES

Lipscomb            YES                                                  Vincenzo              YES

Oprisch               YES

Roll Call Vote:    Seven (7) YES    Zero (0) NO    Zero (0) ABSTAIN    Zero (0) ABSENT

Motion Carried

Councilman Vincenzo reported receiving several calls from residents on Crisswell Drive, who are seeking the Council’s permission to shut down a portion of the street to host their annual block party on September 2nd.

Councilwoman Lipscomb made a motion to allow the residents of Crisswell Drive to host their annual block party on September 2nd; Councilman Vincenzo seconded the motion.

ROLL CALL:

Butler                   YES                                                  Smith                   YES

Jordan                 YES                                                  Thrash                  YES

Lipscomb            YES                                                  Vincenzo              YES

Oprisch               YES

Roll Call Vote:    Seven (7) YES    Zero (0) NO    Zero (0) ABSTAIN    Zero (0) ABSENT

Motion Carried

CITIZEN HEARING: None

CORRESPONDENCE: None

REPORTS:

Mayor Kathryn Thalman announced that the Meet the Team event will occur on August 16th at the stadium. The event welcomes teams and kids back to school, and citizens are encouraged to attend. Thalman also met with Jeremy, Jeff, Ron, and Mike Reed to discuss infrastructure and water projects. She hosted a meeting with other mayors to discuss APA funding and participated in the Cool Fest, where there was an Earth, Wind, and Fire Tribute Band.

Service/Safety Director Jeremy Greenwood gave an update on the various meetings he had attended since the last Council meeting. The water nodes and water meters were still being worked on, and there was an EPA meeting about the Dorothy Tank. Negotiations were made for the West End Route 40 waterline property easements, and the I 70 Waterline Project was progressing. All pipes have been installed, and the water will be filled to disinfect and test it tomorrow. The construction of the water distribution project was ongoing, and they had completed work on Young Lane. They were investigating waterline areas that were inaccurate in their mapping and are still working on notifications. The bearings for the third screw pump with the sewer plant were installed. They were still working on sinkholes, culvert replacements, and building projects. They were also updating administrative policies and procedures and contract negotiations. The water tanks would be cleaned the week of the 21st, and the electric department was doing maintenance and service work. The water and wastewater department had 21 breaks this year. They fixed hydrants, curb boxes, and valves when possible and updated policies and procedures. The street department was patching potholes and fixing sinkholes.

Councilwoman Oprisch asked if title searches have been completed for the houses the City is purchasing on Neffs Street. Mr. Greenwood stated that the title searches should be conducted by the end of the week. Councilwoman Jordan asked why the City was purchasing these houses. Mr. Greenwood noted that the City is purchasing the homes because there is a sinkhole near central park and that the City could use the property as access.

Councilman Vincenzo asked Mr. Greenwood if the Streets would be paved in Spring Drive once the taps for the houses were complete. Mr. Greenwood stated that once the taps are complete, they will scope the sewer line to confirm the condition, and the street can be paved if they are in good condition. Furthermore, Councilman Vincenzo asked about the status of the inground fuel tank at the City Garage. Mr. Greenwood stated that the project is almost complete and are waiting on inspectors. Councilman Smith asked Mr. Greenwood how much the tank cost. Mr. Greenwood noted he didn’t have exact figures, but it was around $360,000. Councilman Smith asked Mr. Greenwood if the City took bids on the fuel tanks. Mr. Greenwood stated that the City did not take bids, but rather used cooperative purchasing. Mr. Smith asked if that is State Purchasing, which Mr. Greenwood agreed.

Police Chief Matt Arbenz [ABSENT] Lieutenant TJ Stewart reported that in July, there were 453 calls for service, 1 SWAT team callout, 82 arrests, 21 warrants served, four domestic violence callouts, and 117 traffic stops. 

Finance Director Annette Whealdon reported that she is back at work after taking a week off and that the audit is still ongoing. Annette has not heard from the auditor since returning to work, and the auditor did not send anything to Dana during that time either. Regarding the annual financial statement, Annette shared that it is complete and in draft form at the state auditor’s office. Once approved, it will become public, and Annette will provide a copy when it becomes available. It covers the year 2022.

Planning & Zoning Administrator Tom Murphy reported that he spoke with Jim last week about the idea of a designated outdoor refreshment area (DORA) that the owners of the Newellstown Diner proposed. Mr. Murphy noted that this would allow businesses with the ability to sell alcoholic beverages to have a designated outdoor area for patrons to enjoy their drinks instead of just taking up sidewalk space in front of their business. The legislative authority for the city, which would be the Council, would need to set up guidelines for this type of area, and it’s being suggested that a Committee be formed to research the requirements further and present them to the Council for approval. Mr. Murphy noted that this is all very preliminary, but it’s worth looking into further.

Councilwoman Oprisch, Councilwoman Lipscomb, and Councilman Thrash have offered to be on the Committee; they will meet to investigate the requirements and guidelines and develop a recommendation to the Council.

COMMITTEE REPORTS: 

Finance Chair Don Vincenzo No report.

Utilities Chair Terra Butler reported that the Utility Committee met before the Council meeting, discussing the monthly billing report and granting two sewer credit requests.  

Police Chair Mike Smith No report. 

Streets – North Side Chair Mike Smith spoke to three Pinecrest households. They expressed concern about the poor condition of Pinecrest, Greentree, and Legion roads.

Streets – South Side Chair JC Thrash No report.

Safety Chair JC Thrash No report. 

Buildings and Grounds Chair Beth Oprisch reported that on July 18th, the Building and Grounds Committee met, where they scheduled a joint meeting between the city and junior sports planned for August 22nd at 6 pm in the city building. Also, at the Buildings and Grounds Meeting, they discussed acquiring titles for properties on Nest Street to address the sinkhole and the potential to improve the road to junior sports for safer vehicle travel.

Planning Commission Chair Kristi Lipscomb No report

Fire Chair Linda Jordan No report.

Recreation Chair Kristi Lipscomb announced that the fall festival will take place on Saturday, September 9th. The rec center will host a craft and vendor show, and there will be events outside. They are currently accepting applications for 25 vendor spots, each for $25. You can sign up by calling the rec center or visiting the website. All sports signups from the last meeting are still open.

Park District Chair Linda Jordan No report.

ORDINANCES & RESOLUTIONS: Law Director Elizabeth Glick  

FIRST READING

Resolution No. 2023-24 – A RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE COUNTY AUDITOR TO CERTIFY TO THE CITY OF ST. CLAIRSVILLE THE TOTAL CURRENT TAX VALUATION OF THE CITY OF ST. CLAIRSVILLE AND THE DOLLAR AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT WOULD BE GENERATED BY NINETY-FIVE HUNDREDTHS (0.95) MILL RENEWAL LEVY FOR THE ST. CLAIRSVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY

A motion was made by Councilwoman Oprisch that the rules requiring three separate readings be suspended on Resolution No. 2023-24 and that the Resolution, be passed on an emergency basis; seconded by Councilman Thrash.

ROLL CALL:

Butler                   YES                                                  Smith                   YES

Jordan                 YES                                                  Thrash                  YES

Lipscomb            YES                                                  Vincenzo              YES

Oprisch               YES

Roll Call Vote:    Seven (7) YES    Zero (0) NO    Zero (0) ABSTAIN    Zero (0) ABSENT

Motion Carried

Councilman Thrash made a motion to approve Resolution No. 2023-24, the motion was seconded by Councilwoman Butler.

ROLL CALL:

Butler                   YES                                                 Smith                   YES

Jordan                  YES                                                 Thrash                 YES

Lipscomb            YES                                                  Vincenzo             YES

Oprisch               YES

Roll Call Vote:    Seven (7) YES    Zero (0) NO    Zero (0) ABSTAIN    Zero (0) ABSENT

Motion Carried

ADJOURNMENT: With no further business to come before Council, Councilwoman Oprisch made a motion to adjourn; seconded by Councilwoman Butler. The meeting was adjourned at 7:45 P.M.

The next meeting will be Monday, August 7, 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 7, 2023 Council Minutes