Fire chief, mayor trying to stop rise in insurance rates

By Jeanne Starmack

Council heard a protest on its gun-sales ban.

CAMPBELL — The fire chief and the mayor are trying to stop an increase in residents’ property insurance by boosting manpower in the fire department.

Mayor George Krinos told city council at its Wednesday meeting that the city’s Insurance Services Office rating is dropping in June from a 6 to a 10, on a scale of one to 10.

ISO is a private company that analyzes a community’s fire protection capabilities, assigns a rating and provides the data to insurance companies. The rating affects property-insurance rates.

ISO sent Krinos a letter earlier this month indicating the rating is dropping because the department can’t assure four firefighters at a fire scene. It wants to see six months’ worth of run records showing that at least four members are responding to fires.

The letter also says ISO wants to see six months’ worth of training records for all new firefighters.

Then, it will need a written request from Krinos or fire Chief Nicholas Hrelec to do a re-evaluation to improve the rating.

The city has been working with only one firefighter on a shift and depending on mutual aid from Coitsville and Struthers. But ISO will not count the mutual aid toward the manpower requirement, Hrelec said.

Krinos said he has recalled a laid-off firefighter. The city laid off four firefighters after going into fiscal emergency in 2004. A state commission that oversees Campbell’s spending is allowing the recall, Krinos and Hrelec said.

Krinos said the recall will cost the city $16,000 annually, but will save $30,000 in overtime and $20,000 in overtime benefits.

Hrelec also said that two weeks ago, Campbell and Coitsville agreed to automatic mutual aid. It should count toward the manpower requirement. He said that two Campbell firefighters at a fire is enough for a backup until other firefighters are called in or mutual aid arrives.

The department now has six members, including the recalled firefighter and the chief.

In other business, council voted unanimously against legislation that would drop health-care benefits for elected officials.

Council members said the legislation contained more than one subject, which is against the city’s charter. Krinos, who sponsored the legislation, included a breakdown of how to use the $69,401 savings. The breakdown called for giving city employees a 40-cents-per-hour raise, raising the city administrator’s salary from $10,000 to $26,000 per year for a full-time position and increasing council members’ salaries. Council members also pointed out they are not allowed to change the municipal court judge’s benefits.

Krinos said he will likely rewrite the legislation.

Council also heard from Les Henry of North Lima, who protested its recent passage of an ordinance that bans gun sales in the city.

Henry argued the ban violates the Constitution. City Law Director Mark Kolmacic disagreed. He also said council is planning to amend or correct the ordinance to allow private residents to sell guns. The ordinance is really aimed at stopping gun shops from opening in the city.