YOUNGSTOWN — Two of the hottest issues in the city — a sewer rate increase and the reductions in the fire department — will be at the forefront of Wednesday’s council meeting.

Council is to consider a 4 percent annual wastewater rate increase for the next five years, starting Jan. 1, to pay for federally mandated improvement work.

But it’s almost a certainty that council won’t vote Wednesday on the increase.

Legislation needs the support of at least six of the seven council members to be approved by emergency measure. At least two want to wait.

“I’d like more time to educate the community and talk to more people about the situation,” said Councilwoman Lauren McNally, D-5th and chairwoman of the finance committee. “I have some more questions for the administration. Could we maybe do a two-year increase rather than a five-year?”

Councilman Mike Ray, D-4th, also said, “I’d like more time to communicate and digest and provide some information to the citizens before voting.”

The rate-increase proposal wasn’t included as part of city council’s agenda packet, which is prepared by the law department, even though Mayor Jamael Tito Brown said last week it would be in front of council this Wednesday for consideration.

Law Director Jeff Limbian said Monday: “It’s supposed to go up this week (to council as a late item) and then they can have as long as they need to decide by the end of the year” to approve it.

Sewer customers currently pay $98.91 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Under the proposal, it would go to $102.87 Jan. 1, then $106.98 in 2021, $111.26 in 2022, $115.71 in 2023 and $120.34 in 2024.

The city needs to raise the rates to cover about $15 million in additional projects to its wastewater treatment plant. The city has used about $6 million of its own wastewater money so far this year for the projects. The state Environmental Protection Agency has refused to loan any money to Youngstown as the city has put off a rate increase that would be used to repay that money.

Michael Abouserhal, the city’s financial consultant, said last week that Youngstown officials have shared the proposed rate structure with the EPA, seeking to convince the agency that the increase would cover the $15 million in loans needed to finish the first phase of a long-term wastewater improvement project. The city has already borrowed about $62 million for that first phase to be repaid over 20 years.

PAY INCREASE

Also Wednesday, council will consider increasing the money paid to Abouserhal from $25,000 to up to $50,000 — $150 per hour as well as travel and mileage reimbursement — primarily to assist the city with water, wastewater and environmental sanitation issues.

The board of control — consisting of Brown, Limbian and Kyle Miasek, interim finance director — canceled an Oct. 17 vote to increase Abouserhal’s pay because Miasek pointed out it would have violated the city’s purchasing policy. The policy allows the board to spend up to $25,000 without city council approval, and approved a contract with Abouserhal for that amount in May, so another $25,000 would have exceeded that amount.

The board also hired Abouserhal in January for a separate $25,000 contract to do a financial projection of the city’s general fund as well as assist with the hiring of a permanent finance director.

Abouserhal’s report, finished in May, stated the city has made significant improvements in its finances, but is projected to have a $5.65 million shortfall by 2024 in its general fund and other funds that receive money through that fund including police, fire and street departments. But the city is still without a permanent finance director as Miasek, deputy finance director, has done the job on an interim basis since Brown took office as mayor in January 2018.

FIREFIGHTERS

Meanwhile, council will consider legislation Wednesday to reduce the number of fire battalion chiefs from six to three, eliminating three jobs through attrition.

One battalion chief is retiring next month while another is expected to leave in about 12 to 18 months, and it’s uncertain when a third would retire.

Firefighter union officials have expressed concern about the decision saying it puts firefighters at risk as the second battalion chief at a fire serves as the safety officer, judging the layout of the scene and handling communications between firefighters and dispatch, which is an issue because of a flawed radio system.

Fire captains and lieutenants would be trained to be safety officers, Brown has said.

McNally said: “I suggest they get trained before the reduction. There will still be more discussion on it Wednesday, but I think it will go to a vote Wednesday.”

Also, several people who object to the city administration’s plan to close the Madison Avenue fire station on the North Side at the end of the year have signed up to speak at Wednesday’s meeting.

City administration officials say the 116-year-old station is antiquated and the No. 1 downtown station will be able to handle calls on the North Side. A number of North Side residents and firefighters are concerned about response time.

Among those who signed up to speak Wednesday at council’s meeting against closing the station include: Jonathan Blackshire of Baldwin Street, the Wick Park Neighborhood Association’s president; Marie Rupert of South Bon Air Avenue, whose husband, Jaret, is a firefighter and her other family members have served on the department; Sister Ann McManamon, director of the Dorothy Day House of Hospitality on Belmont Avenue; and former 5th Ward Councilman Jerry McNally of Wampum Drive.

dskolnick@tribtoday.com