By Jordan Cohen

news@vindy.com

NILES

Council members are far from happy with Mayor Thomas Scarnecchia’s latest version of the fiscal emergency recovery plan, but may still vote for it when they meet in special session later today.

On Monday, four members voted against suspending the rules to pass the plan as an emergency as was the case at its first reading last Wednesday.

The plan was moved to its third reading with Councilman Frank Pezzano, D-1st, casting the lone negative vote. Pezzano declined to comment after the meeting.

Councilman Ryan McNaughton, D-at large, who last week said he could not vote for the plan because it fails to address the financial issues caused by the debt on the city’s Wellness Center, voted to move the issue to a third reading, but cautioned against interpreting his vote as supporting the plan.

“I did not vote for the plan today,” McNaughton said. “I only voted to move it to third reading.” The council member said he did not know how he will vote at today’s final reading.

McNaughton and other council members complained the mayor offered no solution to the center’s debt problem in his latest recovery-plan amendments. The city had hoped to lease the building and save $160,000 annually, but no one responded to its request for bids.

Service Director Ed Stredney said the general fund will have to continue picking up the center’s debt, which several members of council oppose. Stredney also warned there likely will be yet another plan revision after an assessment of the costs to repair 14 city-owned buildings.

The mayor’s other proposal to initiate two $5 license plate fees to generate $145,000 for street resurfacing was removed from the latest version after council offered no support for the ordinances the mayor submitted last week.

No council member interviewed by The Vindicator voiced wholehearted support for the plan although several indicated they would vote for it despite their reservations.

“I don’t like that there’s no plan for the Wellness Center, but it does contain a positive general-fund balance for five years, so I’ll probably vote for it,” said Councilman Steve Mientkiewicz, D-2nd. Councilman Steve Papalas, D-at large, said he, too, will vote in favor, but added he may not be able to attend today’s meeting due to a prior commitment.

Councilwoman Linda Marchese, D-3rd, said she, like McNaughton, is still making up her mind.

Council is under the gun to approve the latest revision today because the fiscal commission that has overseen city spending during its fiscal emergency meets Wednesday.

Quentin Potter, commission chairman, has demanded presentation of a viable recovery plan at the meeting. Potter had canceled the commission’s meeting in March to give Scarnecchia more time.

Meanwhile, Paul Hake, one of three members of the city park board, showed up at the start of Monday’s meeting to announce he is quitting. When asked for a reason, Hake would only reply “because of this [expletive]” without offering any further explanation.