LORDSTOWN Council celebrates GM choice

Officials will price ads to thank General Motors.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
LORDSTOWN -- Council members breathed a collective sigh of relief Monday.
"I feel like we've been working the last year on a 5,000-piece puzzle and we just put the last piece in," Mayor Arno Hill said.
Council members took a few minutes from their meeting to congratulate one another, Hill and residents for their work in helping General Motors to bring its new small-car line to its complex here in 2004.
Councilman William Dray especially focused on thanking Hill and residents for their willingness to accept the 10-year, 100-percent tax abatement granted to GM for a $550 million expansion at the plant to accommodate the new line.
To echo the sentiments, on a proposal from Councilman D. James London, council agreed to look into the cost of advertisements "giving a hearty thank-you" to GM and its employees for making the decision to bring the new line here.
Council plans to place the ads in newspapers and in-house publications at the plant.
Computer upgrading
In other news, Hill cast the deciding vote in favor of upgrading the village's computer system at a cost of about $47,000.
Council members Dan Cuckovich, Karen Jones and Richard Morgan voted against the measure. Cuckovich said he's concerned that enough research into other companies or consultants wasn't done.
The village uses a computer system installed and maintained by Sanderson CMI Inc. of Englewood, Ohio. Under the upgrading, Sanderson CMI will install new software, transfer data to new servers and provide maintenance for one year.
Clerk Judy Hall said to go with another company could have meant new computer terminals and servers, new software programs and higher costs.
"I bet my bottom dollar we would spend more money with a new system or in repairs to this one if there is no upgrade," she said.
Hall estimated another system would run the village as much as $100,000 to $150,000.
slshaulis@vindy.com