Newton Falls - Newly elected Councilman Rich Monteville questioned City Manager Jack Haney about the water rate increase during Monday nights Council meeting . The 5% rate hike, bringing the cost of 1,000 gallons of water to $3.44, was passed by the previous council in 2008. This included an immediate rate hike and three successive 5% hikes in following years. Councilwoman Mary Ann Johnson asked the same question about sewer rates and was told that residents saw a 3% rate hike in their recent sewer bills.
Haney defended the hikes, reminding council that the city did not have the luxury of a large customer base to spread the cost as compared to larger communities with lower rates. Haney said that the cost per 1,000 gallons is about mid-range in comparison. He also stated that there are certain fixed costs to maintain the systems and debt retirement for improvements that must be paid back. Utilities are enterprise funds and the state requires that these be run like businesses.
Residents may face an additional hike in these rates after a planned rate study is done by Arcadis of Akron. Council approved the new water rate study in 2009. Arcadis will do an engineering study looking at the water system to determine what rates should be charged to meet current and future needs of the system, (i.e. maintenance, infra structure improvements, debt retirement, etc.). The study would suggest just what rate should be charged to keep the system viable. Council will have the final say in the matter and could implement the recommended rate structure immediately, choose to raise the rates over an extended period of time, or do nothing. The last water rate study was done in 1999 by Arcadis and implemented in 2000.
In other business City Law Director Rick Schwartz will work with City Manager Jack Haney and Police Chief John Kuivila to draft a memo that would clarify when city employees can speak with members of the City Council and Mayor. City employees were recently directed not to speak to members of Council and the Mayor at a staff meeting and by email. Councilman Rich Monteville said that he didn’t want employees to be disciplined when they answered a simple question or if they spoke with council or the mayor during a chance meeting.
Councilman Jim Luonuansuu asked the law director for an opinion on his contract after Council received a letter from a concerned resident stating that Council would have to pay 4 years severance if they chose to terminate the law director’s contract. Schwartz confirmed that he had a 6 month severance package clause in his contract and didn’t expect that a Title 19 civil rights clause would apply. The contract also stipulates that if the Law Director is terminated with cause he would not be entitled to any severance pay.
Ordinances 2010-06 and 2010-07 concerning the license plate tax and putting the matter before voters was tabled until March to allow the city manager to present a comprehensive street repair plan. Former Mayor and Councilman Tom Moorehead and former Councilman Phil Beer both spoke out in support of retaining the tax for road improvements. Resident Bud Fetterolf spoke out against the ordinance citing the lack of a comprehensive road improvement plan, saying that the voters should decide the matter after they were presented with a plan.
Ordinance 2010-05 creating an assistant to the City Clerk/Council Clerk was rejected after City Manager Jack Haney unexpectedly introduced a 1994 ordinance relating to the position. The ordinance will be back on the table at the next meeting in a modified form after review of the existing ordinance. City Law Director Rick Schwartz told Council that they could modify any ordinance by ordinance.
Council adopted ordinances 2009-38, authorizing the sale of a 9th street property, 2010-02, authorizing the purchase of hydroelectric power,(to meet the City’s expected future green energy requirements), and 2010-03, modifying a sanitary sewer service area agreement, to collect the cost of recent improvements for the county. Passing the first reading were ordinance 2010-04, regarding usage and identification of city equipment, and 2010-09, adjusting budget appropriations for the purchase of video cameras used to televise council meetings, legal fees and reimbursements, transferring funds donated to the police department and the JAG grant. A public hearing on the ordinances will be held at the next regular meeting of Council. Ordinance 2010-09 was defeated; the ordinance would have restricted the placement of political signs. Council adopted by resolution a new policy for the investment of public monies. The policy was instituted to comply with the State Auditor’s recommendation and to bring the City into compliance.
The next regular meeting of Council will be on Thursday February 18th at 6pm due to the Monday holiday.
