Girard Council considers health department merger

By Sarah Lehr | October 1, 2015 at 12:00a.m.

GIRARD

A proposed merger of the Girard City Health Department and the Trumbull County Health District would save the city money at the expense of three city jobs, Mayor James Melfi said.

The proposed ordinance would allow the mayor, council’s Health and Safety and Finance committees to negotiate with and enter into an agreement with the county health district.

Council voted during a meeting earlier this week to send the ordinance to a third reading. Council typically votes on passage after a third reading.

Though council has yet to authorize negotiation of a contract, Melfi said the merger would save the city less than $50,000 and would mean the loss of three city positions – a full-time director, a full-time clerk and a part-time nurse.

In other business, council sent an amendment of a drainage ordinance to a third reading. The proposed amended ordinance would require people to have have troughs or downspouts on homes, garages or any other building within the city to ensure that water is directed into a storm sewer. Councilman Joseph Shelby vehemently opposed this requirement.

“I’ve worked 45 years in the construction industry and I can tell you that gutters and downspouts don’t mean anything when it comes to drainage,” he said. “You’re going to mandate that every property owner expend money on something that isn’t necessarily necessary.”

Councilman Stephen Brooks, a member of the council’s Zoning Committee, said the amended ordinance mirrored requirements in neighboring municipalities and that the more-stringent requirements would prevent residents from suing one another over flooding.

Representatives from the animal advocacy group Nitro’s Ohio Army also addressed council, asking for a repeal of the city’s ban on pit bulls.

“What we need to do is get this misunderstanding out of people’s heads about pit bulls,” said Beverly Spicer, an administrator with Nitro’s Ohio Army. “I’ve gotten calls from people saying I don’t want to come to this meeting because I don’t want notice taken that I have a pit bull.”

Council agreed to discuss the ban during a 6:30 p.m. caucus session before the next regular council meeting Oct. 13.

Canfield City Council is reconsidering its ban on pit bulls. Activists say the ban conflicts with state law.