CORTLAND Council OKs 1st transit reading

Council has asked for more information on the transit plan by its Nov. 11 meeting.
By JASON FUTEY
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
CORTLAND -- City council approved first reading of an ordinance authorizing a one-time contribution of $6,830 to a new community transit service, but council members warned they still have serious misgivings about the program.
Councilman James Chubb said the information that council received Monday from the Trumbull County Demand Response Public Transit Service is confusing and unclear about where exactly Cortland fits into the plans.
The planned transportation service would be operated by Niles.
"It's been about a year, and we've had a heck of a time getting any information at all," Chubb said. "Based on this, this isn't a real deal for Cortland. This doesn't make sense."
Some questions
Chubb and other council members expressed concerns about the type of vehicles that will be used by the service, the fee schedule and the nature of the community's contribution.
"There are still too many unanswered questions," council president Diana Sweeney said. "We don't even know how many vehicles would be provided for the county."
Chubb said that based on the information provided to council, a nonelderly, nondisabled Cortland resident could pay $18 for one-way transportation to the Eastwood Mall.
Councilwoman Deidre Petrosky questioned whether the residents of noncontributing communities of Warren and Girard would be able to use the service.
"Initially, we were told that our residents can go to Warren and Girard, but that Warren and Girard residents could not be picked up and transported," Petrosky said. "[Then] yes, Warren and Girard residents will be able to use it, but they would have a different fee schedule. But what I'm seeing right here does not indicate that."
Questions to come
After discussion, council agreed to approve the first reading of the contribution ordinance by a 5-0 vote, in view of the established time frame for the project.
A letter of questions and concerns is to be drafted and sent to representatives of the transit service program, and council hopes to have someone from the service attend its Nov. 11 meeting to answer questions from council and community members.
South High Street project
In other business, council heard from Paul Makosky, city service director, regarding the $1.7 million South High Street widening and waterline replacement project. The apparent low bid for the project was submitted by Marucci & amp; Gaffney of Youngstown, Makosky said.
Construction on South High Street will begin some time in November and the project is expected to take about a year to complete, he said.