2 will share leadership of troubled water dept.

Additional money is not being spent to split the position.
By AMANDA C. DAVIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- The city is splitting up duties of the water department director between the current acting director and the director of Water Pollution Control.
Mayor Hank Angelo said Friday the water department's acting director, Bob Davis, will handle water filtration and distribution.
The mayor's cousin, Tom Angelo, will head up the water department office and its service. He is director of the city's wastewater department.
Hank Angelo said splitting the duties is a temporary move to straighten out some of the problems in the water department, and become more efficient and customer friendly.
He pointed out that no one has lost a job and no positions have been cut in the move, which becomes effective Monday.
Water department director Manuel Michelakis is off indefinitely on sick leave.
Confident: Tom Angelo said he's confident he'll be able to handle duties in both departments, saying he'll concentrate on billing and meters when he's working with the water department.
He added it's not the first time he's taken on extra work and that he's used to being busy.
The mayor said Tom Angelo won't receive additional money for the added duties.
Missing money: The water department has come under fire several times in recent years because of missing money.
The state auditor's office issued findings for recovery of $26,036 earlier this year in a special audit requested last year by city officials when missing funds were discovered.
A supervisor was suspended without pay for his role and the finding for recovery was issued against the department's former head cashier.
Among problems, the audit turned up math errors, late deposits and an indication some money was not being deposited at all.
Tom Angelo said there's no doubt that changes are being made in the department to address concerns about missing money and inefficient practices.
Davis and Tom Angelo will be meeting with staff to discuss ways to tighten up procedures.
The department is in the midst of a $12 million capital improvement project to upgrade the water filtration plant on Elm Road and meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mandates.
Rates for city water customers increased by 14 percent to help absorb the cost of improvements.
davis@vindy.com