Council takes step to buy land for water-well field

Police and fire chiefs' salaries are still up in the air.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
CORTLAND -- City council gave the administration authority Monday to enter into an option to buy 10 acres in Bazetta Township for a third water-well field.
The acreage is along Bradley-Brownley Road just north of Walnut Run Golf Course.
A report by MS Consultants Inc. of Youngstown on the city's water system calls for development of a third well field to complement the city's two other fields.
Service Director Don Wittman had said the land is over an aquifer. The acreage is about 500 yards from the city's water distribution system.
MS has recommended the city spend $6.8 million over the next 20 years to assure a water supply that would keep pace with the community's growth.
In other council business, after wrangling with lawmakers since early July, Mayor Curt Moll pulled from the agenda legislation to grant pay raises to the police and fire chiefs.
Moll said he wanted to confer with the Law Director Patrick Wilson before giving council another chance to vote.
Moll is seeking to raise the salaries of Police Chief Gary Mink and Fire Chief Bill Novakovich from $48,466 to $50,142.
Moll and the chiefs had sought a change that would stop the city from contributing to their accounts in the Public Employees Retirement System and give the money directly to the chiefs, who would make the contributions themselves.
Reasons for objections
During the Aug. 8 council sessions, three lawmakers opposed switching payments from the city to the individuals because the chiefs had opted 10 years ago to have the city to make the contributions.
Also, if the contributions are made directly to Mink and Novakovich, it would increase their annual income and their retirements benefits by about $200 each per month, lawmakers added.
The amount of PERS retirement benefits are based on the last three years of employment.
Councilwoman Deidre Petrosky argued that if union workers wanted the same benefit, it would result in additional accounting and costs.
Council also approved a salary increase for clerk of council Donna Lyden from $18.95 hourly to $19.61 per hour.
Also, lawmakers approved a two-year contract extension with Browning-Ferris Industries Inc., which does business as Allied Waste Services of Youngstown, that would freeze the cost of curbside trash pickup for the duration of the contract.
Property owners pay between $10.16 and $13.05 per month, depending on the service.
Mink reported that Margaret DeBonnis was hired as a clerk in the police department, replacing Pam Moses, who is moving because of the military transfer of her husband. Mink added he received about 100 applications for the job.
yovich@vindy.com