Safety, service positions temporarily combined

The mayor said he'd appoint someone to the position by year's end.
NILES -- Safety Director Donald Allen temporarily will double as city service director while Mayor Ralph Infante Jr. searches for someone to permanently fill the post.
Council members voted 6-1 Wednesday to temporarily merge the offices and set Allen's monthly wage at $3,508.10. Councilman Paul Hogan, D-4th, was the lone dissenter, and declined to comment about his reasons.
"I'm just asking for council's cooperation and by the end of the year, we'll have another service director," Infante said.
Allen earned $1,255.48 monthly as part-time safety director. Sam Natoli, service director for 10 years, died of cancer last month.
Allen's monthly wage as director of the merged offices is the same as that of the full-time service director as set by an ordinance council passed in December.
"Don Allen, the safety director, is going to do both jobs for the one wage," Infante said.
Allen thanked council members for the vote of confidence in appointing him to the post.
"I'm looking forward to filling this important position," he said.
Water service: Council members also passed an ordinance authorizing Allen to enter a contract for extension of water service on Boston Avenue in Howland.
"It's not contiguous to the city, so annexation isn't an option," said Councilman Frank Fuda, D-1st. "It's to our advantage to sell water outside of the city because the rates are higher."
Outside city water customers pay $28.08 monthly based on the use of 7,481 gallons a month. Customers inside the city pay $18.84 a month based on the same usage.
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