Girard council OKs property demolition

By Sarah Lehr | February 24, 2016 at 12:00a.m.

GIRARD

Council approved the transfer of two land parcels to the Trumbull County Land Reutilization Corp. for demolition.

The parcels, both on Main Street, include two vacant buildings that have since been found to have asbestos. The city purchased the buildings for $1,300 in 2015 with the intent to tear them down.

The reutilization program, run through the Trumbull County Lank Bank, provides grants for demolishing vacant structures and states an aim to return blighted properties to productive use.

Another pending ordinance would authorize the city to enter into a contract with Burgess & Niple Inc. for improvements to the Girard Wastewater Treatment Plant with engineering fees not to exceed $1,423,300.

Pending approval by council, the city will also seek engineering assistance for improvements to the plant from DM Enginnering, LLC with fees not to exceed $142,000.

In other business earlier this week, council sent an ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter into a contract with the Trumbull County Combined Health District to its second of three readings. The city is planning to eliminate its own health department and merge with the county’s agency.

Thomas Borocz will represent Girard on the TCCHD board through March 2020. Future board representatives will be appointed by Girard’s mayor. Girard will support the TCCHD from the city’s general fund with an amount not to exceed 0.15 millage (about $16,334) a year.

Mayor James Melfi said he estimates the merger will save the city at least $50,000 a year.

Council also reviewed several pieces of pending legislation, including an ordinance that would set appropriations totaling about $4.97 million for the 2016 budget.

An amendment that prohibits people from tying animals outside during harsh weather will come up for final passage at council’s next regular meeting, March 14. Council lacked the votes necessary to suspend its regular order of business and pass the amendment as emergency Monday because there were not enough members of council in attendance. About a dozen animal rights advocates, who have been lobbying council on the issue, protested outside city hall before the meeting.

Additionally, council introduced legislation that would have police enforce speeding with civil citations and a radar speed camera. The city of Youngstown is operating a similar program, in which a private company called OptoTraffic mails tickets to speeders.