POLAND Council delays filling of seat

Two men are now vying for the vacant council seat.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
POLAND -- Village council will remain one member short a while longer after lawmakers decided that making an appointment will need further discussion.
Councilman Joe Mazur was set to make a motion Tuesday night on the appointment of Marc A. Cossette -- the only resident from which council received a letter of interest -- seconds before Adam Yeloushan of College Street expressed an interest in filling the seat left vacant by Steve DeGenaro.
Said he sent letter
Yeloushan said he sent a letter of interest to council before Christmas, but council did not receive the letter.
DeGenaro left council effective Jan. 1 because of mounting responsibilities at a job that often required him to leave town.
Yeloushan and Cossette both grew up in Poland, graduated from Poland Seminary High School, left the area and later returned to the village.
Cossette was appointed to council two years ago on the condition that he would run for election at the end of his 10-month appointed term. He said a mixup in paperwork at the Mahoning County Board of Elections prevented him from running for council.
He is director of engineering at Allied Erecting and Dismantling on Poland Avenue.
Yeloushan, who moved back to the village about a year ago, is a volunteer with the Western Reserve Joint Fire District and works for General Electric.
There is no set date for a decision from council.
Other business
In other business, Mayor Ruth Wilkes made, and council accepted, her recommendations for appointments to various village boards and committees.
Councilman Bob Limmer, however, abstained because he said council needs to set a clear residency rule for appointees.
It is unclear, he said, if property owners or only actual residents can be appointed to boards and committees.
Eleven months ago, council removed Cloy Stewart from the board that oversees Fireman's Field -- a recreational area he helped put together -- saying village residents should be given first choice at such positions. Stewart lives in the township.
Council, however, agreed to appoint Randy Jones, also of the township, to the ISTEA committee. ISTEA is an acronym for the federal Intermodal Surface Transportation and Environment Act, which encourages alternative forms of transportation to reduce air pollution and traffic congestion.
Limmer said council's action shows there is no clear appointment policy for residents vs. those who own property but live outside the village.
"All of a sudden they pull this rule out of the air in regard to Cloy Stewart. If it's going to apply to him then it should apply to everyone," he said.
jgoodwin@vindy.com