SAFETY FORCES Girard council to seek Nov. levy

The amount of the levy has not been worked out, a councilman says.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
GIRARD -- City council is asking that legislation be prepared to place a safety-forces levy on the November general election ballot.
The request was made Monday night by Councilman Frank Migliozzi, D-1st, chairman of the health and safety committee.
Migliozzi said his committee recommended the levy so the police and fire departments can increase staffing and resume the city-operated ambulance service.
In December, Mayor James J. Melfi suspended the service, which was operated by the fire department, to save money.
Migliozzi explained that the amount of millage required in the levy has not been determined. The amount won't be known until his committee meets with the police and fire chiefs.
One mill of property tax will generate nearly $130,000 annually.
The city has until Aug. 19 to notify the county elections board to get the issue on the general election ballot.
Such an issue has been discussed for some time because the city is in fiscal emergency. The accumulated general fund budget is $1.6 million.
Police and fire department expenses are paid out of the general fund. Rural-Metro Ambulance Services has been servicing the city.
Seeking grants
In another matter, council authorized the mayor to file for the 2004 Community Development Block Grant of $60,000 and small distressed cities grant of $300,000.
The CDBG budget called for $30,000 to be used to demolish the old North Avenue Elementary School building.
However, Councilman John Moliterno, D-at-large, chairman of the community development committee, announced that the Girard Community Improvement Corp. has approved $30,000 to raze the building. The site will be used to construct senior citizen housing.
Moliterno said the $30,000 that was budgeted for razing the structure can now go toward street resurfacing.
The distressed cities grant is competitive. If the city receives one of the 10 grants available through the Ohio Department of Development, most of it will be used for sidewalks and street resurfacing west of State Street and improvements to Hartzell Park.
Moving meeting location
Also, council decided to move the location of its meeting, at least until the end of the year, from its chambers in city hall to the courtroom of Girard Municipal Court in the justice center.
The motion to move the meetings beginning with the Aug. 9 session was made by Councilman Thomas Seidler, chairman of the employee welfare committee.
The move is needed, Seidler explained, because the current second-floor meeting room is not handicapped-accessible and because the city hall chambers are run-down.
Court security will have to be hired on meeting nights to ensure security and staff the metal detectors at the entrance to the center. It's not known how much the security will cost.
yovich@vindy.com