Saturday, December 31, 2005
Legislation on sale of the water treatment plant was sent to a second hearing.
CAMPBELL -- City residents are going to have to wait a little longer to find out if the water treatment plant here will be sold.
Members of council passed a resolution earlier this week requiring the city to set aside nearly $1.6 million of the $3 million anticipated payment for the plant from Aqua Ohio, to be used only after any referendums or legal proceedings are completed. Council also passed a temporary, 90-day budget for 2006, by consecutive 4-0 votes.
Council President William Vansuch was not present for the vote.
On Friday, council again voted unanimously, again in the absence of Vansuch, to rescind all legislation passed earlier this week, then approved the 90-day 2006 budget again.
Passage of the legislation earlier this week was deemed not in compliance with the city charter after several audience members objected after the meeting because President Pro Tempore Lewis Jackson failed to call for a time of audience participation.
As for the sale of the water treatment plant, the lawmakers voted unanimously to send the legislation to a second a reading. Council will consider the measure again at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Comments from audience
Audience members were given an opportunity to address council after Friday's meeting. About 20 attended, and two chose to speak.
Atty. Mark Hanni, representing a referendum committee that circulated petitions to force a vote on the plant's sale, had said he planned to file a lawsuit seeking to invalidate the legislation approving the sale.
Hanni said the suit is being prompted by city Law Director Brian Macala's refusal to file a taxpayers suit against the city, on behalf of the referendum committee members, for rejecting their petition.
Macala said it would have been a conflict of interest for him to represent the referendum committee because he wrote legal opinions supporting measures taken by Finance Director John J. Leskovyansky Jr. and city council regarding the sale of the plant.
Leskovyansky declared the referendum petition invalid last week.