By BOB COUPLAND

Staff writer

GIRARD — City officials are hoping a moratorium on dollar stores will attract grocery stores to the city, which is without a full-service grocery store.

City council in a 7-0 vote on Monday placed a moratorium until May 2026 on the issuance of zoning permits and other licenses or permits for small box discount stores, also known as dollar stores.

Councilman Jeff Kay, D-2nd Ward, chairman of council’s economic development committee, said many people consider the dollar stores a type of grocery store and is the reason some larger grocery stores do not locate in some communities.

‘We have dollar stores now, but do not want any more. If you have too many, it is not a good look. We want to have grocery stores,” Kay said.

Councilman John Moliterno, D-at Large, said some grocery store chains also look at dollar stores as a type of grocery store and therefore competition for them.

“We would like to have a large grocery store or even smaller ones in the city,” Moliterno said.

Council gave second reading for placing a moratorium on tattoo shops and other businesses that offer tattoos, body piercing and branding services. There are five of these businesses located in Girard and they will be allowed to stay, but no more will be approved.

Kay said officials do not want to discourage any business, but there are already enough tattoo businesses within the city.

WATER CONTRACT

Also at Monday’s meeting, Mayor Mark Zuppo reported the city is continuing negotiations with the city of Niles on a new water contract. With the next water billing in November, in-city water customers will see a 16% rate increase.

Officials said earlier this month they learned that Girard owes Niles approximately $1.6 million in water payments from 2020 through 2023. A letter will be included in the November bill explaining the situation with the delinquent payments to Niles and rate increase for Girard users.

Girard owes Niles $770,000 in water payments from 2023 and also owes $848,000 from 2020 through 2022.

Zuppo said Girard has borrowed money to begin paying back the money owed. He also said Girard customers will pay $6.94 per 1,000 gallons. Zuppo said once the money owed to Niles is paid off, city water rates will be reduced from a 16% increase to a 12% increase in 2026.

Safety-Service Director Sal Ponzio said the 16% increase is on water only, not sewer..

Law Director Brain Kren said Niles discovered that Girard was to pay 40% of the inside rate and was getting billed less. Kren said the water meters from Niles to Girard used to be based on cubic feet and then was changed to gallons.

That was when the error was discovered that Niles was underbilling Girard. Kren said in 2023, Niles officials gave notice to Girard officials what the correct water rate was. He said the prior Girard administration was only paying what they thought the water bill should have been, not the actual amount.