WARREN Council names at-large member

A councilman at-large was elected council president.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- The city's newest council member wants to gather with other city leaders to develop a plan to market the city.
The city's Democratic precinct committee members met Thursday and elected Felipe M. Romain Jr. councilman at-large. He fills the vacancy left when Daniel E. Polivka was named Trumbull County commissioner.
"I want to get together with the mayor and gather the brightest minds in the city to come up with a plan to market our city," said Romain, a retired city firefighter.
Romain ran unsuccessfully last May for an at-large post.
Council president
Committee people also elected longtime Councilman at-large Robert A. Marchese to the council president's slot, left open when Doug Franklin was named safety-service director.
Marchese garnered 25 votes to the 22 votes cast for Emanuel Michelakis, the former head of the city's water department and the other contender for the seat.
Marchese's election to the council-president post means another meeting will be scheduled in coming weeks to fill his at-large seat.
Marchese said he wants to examine the council committees to determine if some may be combined.
"The important thing is to work on the city's needs and having the right people in place to do it," Marchese said.
W.D. Packard Music Hall, for example, should be included in one of council's committees, he said.
Marchese also is considering asking area clergy to lead the prayer at the beginning of council meetings rather than having a council member do it. He also is thinking about decorating council chambers, perhaps with student art.
"It [council chambers] needs to be more of a community center rather than just a sanitary room," Marchese said.
Romain beat out seven other candidates for the at-large seat, earning 28 votes. Robert L. "Doby" Dean Jr., an employee at the Cuyahoga County Port Authority, garnered the next highest total with 10 votes.
Nicholas D. Bellas, safety and attendance officer at the city schools, and Bill Dolan and John B. Hunter, both former councilmen, got one vote each. Christopher Brown, an employee at Delphi Packard Electric Systems, earned two votes.
Tristan Hand, a downtown businessman who ran unsuccessfully for a council seat in 2001, garnered three votes. No votes were cast for Ronald E. White Sr., another former councilman.
Objectives
Romain said accountability and carrying out pledges to the public will be paramount in his term. He referred specifically to hiring 84 police officers, which city officials said would be done if the income tax passed in 2001.
Officials have said that number hasn't been reached because the Warren Civil Service Commission's list was exhausted before all 84 were selected.