NILES — At the beginning of Wednesday’s meeting, city council chose to amend its agenda, removing legislation regarding the potential expansion of the city building.

The motion to remove the ordinance from the agenda was made by Councilman Aaron Johnstone, D-2nd Ward.

The ordinance, which is listed on the agenda under items for first reading, would authorize the service director to advertise for bids for an addition to the west side of the city building.

Council has discussed two options for expanding the city building. One is a 25-foot-by-25-foot addition to act as an “extended lobby area.” The other option, which the removed agenda item referred to, is a full-wing addition to the building that would include meeting rooms, new council chambers and features for better customer service.

Councilman at-Large Doug Sollitto said the potential 25-foot-by-25-foot addition is already out to bid. He said the city wants to see what the numbers for the smaller project are before moving on to the full wing.

“We want to get that price first, and then if that price looks really excessive, we’re going to move onto the other one,” Sollitto said. “Instead of having two at the same time, we might get a great deal on this one with better dimensions, so we want to see what this comes back with.”

Sollitto said another option would be to allow residents to enter through the historic front entrance on the south side of the building and have the city hire a full-time police officer for security.

“But that can get costly long-term,” he said. “It would be a good short-term fix to allow access, but if you’re going to take that across 10 years, you’re going to spend as much as it would to have built the wing and be done with it.”

Sollitto said the full-wing expansion “is not dead.”

In other business, council voted to adopt a resolution requesting the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio deny the proposed 30% rate increase by Enbridge Gas Ohio, formerly Dominion Energy Ohio.

Enbridge has filed with PUCO for a 30% increase for its natural gas distribution services.

If the rate hike is approved, it will cost the average residential consumer more than $100 per year. Additionally, the utility is asking to inflict on its consumers additional monthly charges of $8.78 per month this year, and as much as $29.69 per month by 2032.

“There’s no rationale on doing it,” Sollitto said. “It’s gouging our citizens who are already paying.”

The same resolution was recently adopted by Warren City Council.

Sollitto said Niles council wants to be united with other local communities in speaking against the proposed rate increase.

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