Struthers council adjourns, cuts off auditor

The premature adjournment angered many people in attendance.

By WILLIAM K. ALCORN

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

STRUTHERS — Auditor Tina Morell was cut off — literally in midsentence — during her Wednesday report to city council by an undebatable motion to adjourn.

It was 2nd Ward Councilman Daniel R. Yemma who abruptly moved to end the meeting. This happened when Morell began to explain an issue that council had denied her the right to speak about, by a 4-3 vote, earlier in the meeting.

Yemma’s motion not only stopped Morell from speaking, it ended the meeting before the public comment portion.

At issue is the transfer of funds from the city’s water treatment plant debt retirement account to the storm water management account.

Council passed an ordinance earlier in the year directing Morell to transfer 54 percent, or about $84,000, from the debt retirement fund to storm water management.

On Wednesday, Yemma introduced a motion again directing Morell to make the transfer. The motion passed 7-0.

Then, Councilman-at large and Mayor-elect Terry P. Stocker moved to allow Morell to talk on the issue. Stocker’s motion first passed, 4-3, but after a call for a revote by Yemma, 4th Ward Councilman Paul J. Garchar Jr. changed his “yes” vote to “no,” and the motion failed.

Morell, during her regular report to council, again tried to talk about the fund transfer. That was when Yemma moved for adjournment and the meeting ended, an action that angered many people in attendance.

Reactions

“That was shabby treatment of the public, the way Yemma pulled the plug on the meeting,” said Harold Grace of Wilson Avenue.

In her office after the meeting, Morell said she has transferred money collected from the fee charged customers to retire the debt for the period of January through March, because the receipts were known.

However, she said she has elected to not transfer money from the treatment plant debt fund to the water management fund for the period after March because the amount of the receipts is not yet clear.

“As soon as I know the amount, I will make the transfer,” she said.

Also involved in the issue is the mandated creation of a storm water management account and the June action by council eliminating the monthly $6.50 treatment plant debt service fee. It was replaced with a $3.50-per-month storm water management fee.

Plant manager Rich DeLuca says eliminating the debt service fee will empty the account within seven years and force a future council to raise fees.

In June, however, Mayor Daniel Mamula said the city had $650,000 in the debt services budget. That’s enough, he said, to cover existing and anticipated debt for the next 10 years — barring any unforeseen costs.

Truck-weight ordinance

In other action, council passed to a second reading an ordinance that would raise the size of trucks allowed to be parked in areas zoned residential from 3/4 ton to 1 ton. Several residents argued against the ordinance, most saying they are concerned it would “open the floodgates” to all kinds of commercial vehicles, which they say would be an eyesore and a safety hazard.

Councilman-at large Jerry L. Shields defended the legislation, saying there are many 1-ton pickup trucks owned by residents that are not used for commercial purposes. An effort by Shields to have the measure passed as an emergency failed, when Stocker and Councilman-at large Ronald M. Mathews voted against the motion.

alcorn@vindy.com