WHAT: City council meeting April 21

PRESENT: President George Levendis, Timothy O’Bryan, Bryan Tedesco, Joseph Mazzocca and Robert Stanko, Law Director Brian Macala and Mayor Nick Phillips

Council:

• Set the salary for finance clerk Eileen Valentin at $31,200 per year;

• Agreed to pay $4,848 to Tactical Protection and Surveillance for the police department’s GPS equipment;

• Set the wage for part-time police officers at $13.50 per hour, which will rise to $14 per hour after a year of service and include a $500 uniform allowance. Part-time officers are not part of the police union and can work no more than 28 hours per week, the legislation states. Council members said the higher wage is needed to attract and retain part-time officers;

• Set the salary of part-time civilian clerk-dispatchers in the police department at $12.50 per hour;

• Agreed to sell two backhoe attachments;

• Agreed to pay $1,308.11 to Team Wendy for the purchase of ballistic supplies for the police department;

• Announced street sweeping, black topping, hot patching started, with 9th Street, Pin Oaks, 13th Street and Elizabeth Lane being completed and others coming up on the rotation;

• Discussed using COVID-19 relief money to purchase three trucks for the road department at approximately $160,000 per truck, which are fully loaded with a seven-year extended warranty. There was some discussion about the timing of the relief money, but it was agreed the service director should pursue the purchase;

• Discussed striping some streets if money is available in the road fund, especially on Coitsville Road, where people pass other cars going 60 mph when the speed limit is 25 mph. Stanko suggested striping would cut down on some of the violations;

• Agreed to sell two parcels of property owned by the city land bank: a vacant parcel at 106 Buell Ave. valued at $3,450, according to the Mahoning County Auditor’s Office website, and 370 Penhale Ave., valued at $32,910;

• Agreed to pay $1,965.13 to Austintown, Boardman and Mahoning County Council of Governments Joint Communications District for use of the dispatch system;

• Heard from a Breetz Drive resident about possibly putting a dog park at Roosevelt Park. Council said the idea was discussed previously, possibly at the former Penhale School, but nothing was decided. The resident also expressed concern about paving on Breetz Drive and Elizabeth Lane because of the number of potholes on both streets. He also said some of the curbing needs fixed and some downspouts going into the streets are obstructed;

• Heard from a resident that council should consider re-establishing the left and right turn lanes at the bottom of Coitsville Road onto Wilson Avenue. He said drivers cut the corners short and he is concerned about accidents;

• Set the next meeting at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in council chambers, with caucus at 6:30 p.m.