City council to discuss budget, labor contracts

Re-zoning and blight-control ordinances are set for second reading.
WARREN -- The city's 2006 budget and labor contracts for firefighters and other city workers are among the items scheduled for introduction by ordinance at Wednesday's city council meeting.
The 242-page proposed budget totals about $74 million, including $27 million in the general fund. This year's budget is about $71 million, and the increase is largely due to inflation, city Auditor David Griffing has said.
The mayor's proposed general fund budget for 2006 includes $35,000 for a home-buyers' incentive program, $65,000 for demolition, $15,000 for sidewalk improvements and $500,000 for street resurfacing and upgrading.
The proposed three-year contract for the city's 75 firefighters belonging to Local 204 of the International Association of Firefighters calls for 2 percent annual pay increases, 2 percent pension pickup by the city and a new health-care plan designed to save the city $144,000 a year.
The pay scale ranges from about $32,000 a year for a starting firefighter to about $69,500 for an assistant chief.
The other proposed three-year labor contract to be introduced is the agreement with 217 city workers belonging to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 74, who work in all departments, except police and fire. That agreement would give AFSCME workers, whose salaries average about $35,360 a year, 1.5 percent annual pay increases.
Other business
Also to be introduced is an ordinance sponsored by Robert Holmes III, D-4th, under which the city would enter into contract with a private firm for downtown parking enforcement. Holmes is also sponsoring another ordinance under which the city would enter into contract for management of its downtown parking deck on Franklin Street. Both contracts have been held by USA Parking.
An ordinance that would rezone from residential to commercial about 15.8 acres of vacant wooded land along the north side of East Market Street abutting Howland Township is scheduled for second reading.
Property owner Martin Finegold has said he plans to sell the land to a company that would build a large store there. County and township officials have expressed concern about the proposal because the land is a designated floodway.
Also scheduled for second reading is a blight-control ordinance that would require those filing foreclosure complaints on properties with buildings on them to notify the city.