GIRARD Council removes stipulations from water-damage contracts

City council gets another month to study the Lower Girard Lake dam issue.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
GIRARD -- A reluctant city council has removed amendments from four ordinances that would have disqualified the city from getting federal reimbursements.
The majority of council took the action Friday at the request of Mayor James J. Melfi.
Those attending the special noon meeting were Charles Doran, D-4th, and John Moliterno, Joseph Lambert and Joseph Christopher, all D-at large. Other members couldn't make it.
At Monday's regular meeting, lawmakers approved four pieces of legislation for awarding contracts to make repairs because of flood damage.
To assure that the city wouldn't lose any money, amendments were added that the contractors wouldn't get paid until the city was reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The projects are to repair High Street, $83,200; replacement of Amherst Avenue, $36,000; structure repairs at the sewage treatment; and $19,300 for office furniture at the plant.
If the amendments were not be removed, FEMA would not reimburse the city 90.5 percent of the cost.
"We should have some sort of comfort level," Moliterno said because FEMA might reduce the amount it will repay the city. "We may have contracts we can't pay."
"We're all uncomfortable," Melfi said.
The mayor added that although he probably didn't need council's approval to spend the money, he wanted the OK because of the large sums.
Law Director Mark Standohar said that only four councilmen, a simple majority, needed to approve removing the amendments because they are "irrelevant" to the legislation.
Christopher asked if the city could pressure FEMA to reimburse the city by the end of the year.
Standohar said it couldn't be done.
Transfer of funds
Also, Standohar reported that Judge John M. Stuard of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court has approved the transfer of $107,557 from the capital improvements fund to the general fund, which has a current accumulated deficit of $1.6 million.
The transfer was needed if the city hopes to balance this year's general fund.
Melfi reported the Ohio Department of Natural Resources has extended the deadline to provide a plan to resolve the Lower Girard Lake dam issue.
ODNR had given the city until Tuesday to submit a plan.
The agency has informed the city that if a plan is not put together to repair the aged structure that could collapse, the state will remove it and send the bill to the city.
yovich@vindy.com