WELLSVILLE - Council approved an ordinance for a payment of $100,000 to Pusateri Excavating to settle a claim regarding unfinished repairs to a section of sewer line behind village hall at its meeting Tuesday evening.
Councilwoman Rosie Goss said the measure was an effort for the village to fix what she called the "mess" left by a previous village administration. "I guess that statement's true about paying for our father's sins," she said.
During his report, councilman Don Brown moved for the payment of a $3,262.50 invoice from GGJ Engineering. After seconding the motion, councilman Tony Cataldo voiced his objections to the payment based on a lack of detail in the document.
The invoice is for assistance provided by the firm from Jan. 12 through Feb. 15 of this year, during which the village came to its out-of-court settlement with Pusateri Excavating over the sewer line repair.
Councilwoman Diane Dinch agreed, saying that the invoice submitted by GGJ was vague and did not specify precisely what the village was being billed for. "I almost would like to see an itemized statement of the time they put in and actually what information they provided for us before approving something like this," she said.
Village counsel Andy Beech, who was present Tuesday evening, said he didn't have the documentation on hand and would have to consult his files. "I think you're entitled to an explanation if you're not sure what you're being billed for," he said.
However, Cataldo also claimed that at a meeting during the settlement period, Mike Pusateri told Cataldo that he had made up a fake identification number for billing purposes. "He made his own ID number up so he could get paid, he told us, without us knowing it, because he couldn't get paid out of STAG," Cataldo said. "He had to get paid out of our own funds."
Furthermore, Cataldo claims monthly bills totalling $12,000 so far have been paid to Pusateri for the completion of unknown services. "I don't have a clue what he's done," he said. Following the discussion, council unanimously voted against making the payment.
The board did, however, approve a payment of $11,659.05 to Allison Contracting for repairs to a forced main sewer line break near the Second Street pump station on Jan. 17. Greg Stewart of United Water reported that in the intervening period, another line break occurred the morning of March 15 at Wellsville Terminals. The line, which currently runs under the coal piles on the property, has been the site of six breakages over the past seven years, Stewart said.
Village administrator Thom Edgell announced Wellsville's participation in Columbiana County's annual tire recycling drive, which begins today and runs through April 30. Residents of the village and Yellow Creek Township may bring old automobile, light truck or smaller tires and leave them at the recycling bins near the old road grader behind village hall. Edgell asks that people limit there drop-off to 12 tires per person.
In other business:
* Mayor Haugh encouraged Wellsville residents to participate in Organ Donor Awareness Day, from 1-4 p.m. this Saturday at Sellabration Hall on Commerce Street. "One donor can save eight lives," Haugh said.
* Council approved the appointment of two new part-time police officers. They are Jeremy Hinton, who has been serving as a reserve officer since June of last year, and Robert Kern, who was sworn in on March 15.
