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Canfield council delays $1.24 million loan vote
By Robert Connelly
CANFIELD
Canfield City Council delayed a measure on a new loan to the city while approving funding for road improvements and next winter’s road salt order.
During the first few minutes of Wednesday’s meeting, Councilman Chuck Tieche made a motion to remove an item from the agenda. That item was to authorize Joe Warino, Canfield city manager, to obtain a loan of no more than $1.24 million to restructure the city’s debt, specifically Red Gate Farm, property the city purchased 11 years ago but has not developed.
It was removed from the agenda in a 3-2 vote, with Mayor Bernie Kosar Sr. and council President Steve Rogers voting no.
Warino said councilmen decided during an executive session after the city council meeting to discuss the loan further at a later session. The meeting to discuss the loan to lower the interest rate and pay off some of the debt of Red Gate Farm will be open to the public in the city council chambers at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Council voted 5-0 to continue to order road salt through the state. The city is going to order 500 tons during the summer to replenish their storage bin and then an additional 600 tons during the winter. Only the summer order is guaranteed.
“Thirty-some years I’ve been involved in this business, [and] they’ve never had a summer salt purchase,” Warino said. He added the city still has 70 tons on back-order from an order made in February.
The council also unanimously approved a resolution to use federal funding for the third phase of road improvements to North Broad Street. Those funds are through the Federal Congestion Mitigation Air Quality Funds operated by the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments. CMAQ is providing 80 percent of the funds, and the city will have to pay the remaining 20 percent, or $305,000.
But Warino told council he will seek a grant through the Ohio Public Works Commission to pay for the city’s part, making the project fully funded by grants.
The third phase of the North Broad Street improvements, set to begin in June or July next year, will include a two-way left-turn lane on North Broad Street between Dartmouth Drive and the Ohio Turnpike bridge. The second phase is being worked on, and Warino said only the sidewalks and the top coat of asphalt are left for workers to finish.
In other news, council approved the purchase of a new police-dog vehicle for the police department, valued at up to $29,700. Council also approved the purchase of a new dump truck with a snow plow and salt spreader for the public-works department for up to $118,000.