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EAST LIVERPOOL -- City council on Monday fine-tuned its wages and benefits ordinance overseeing non-union employees..
Although a planning director wasn't named, council members unanimously did agree to that appointee with three years or more experience would be paid $27.66 per hour compared to those without. Those individuals with less than three-year experience would earn $23 per hour.
Finance Committee chairman Fred Rayl said this ordinance change does not reflect a pay increase for the planning director post, which currently is being filled on the interim by city Safety-Service Director David Dawson, since Kayla Crowl was shifted to an environmental health post in the city's Health Department after returning from maternity leave.
Crowl had replaced Dawson as the planning director years ago, when he was hired by then-Mayor Ryan Stovall and reportedly let go after a "fundamental difference of opinion."
Dawson had served as the East Liverpool planning director for just more than a month and a half, after longtime Planning Director William Cowan left over 27 years to accept another job.
No other action or discussion took place regarding filling the planning director post during either the council meeting or the Finance Committee meeting that preceded it.
During personal privilege, Melissa Cain, a Klondyke neighborhood resident who works as a nurse at East Liverpool City Hospital, invited the community to a car rally to support members of ELCH's nursing union the weekend before nurses resume contract negotiations with Prime HealthCare, owners of the hospital.
The parade will meet at 11:45 a.m. Saturday in the East Liverpool High School parking lot and end at the hospital.
She said the nurses have been working without a contract since June.
Council approved the following:
-- Accepted a $20,000 donation from county commissioners for the purpose of defraying costs related to assignment of a city police officer to the county Drug Task Force. The city currently does not have any officers on the DTF due to manpower shortages, but they will receive the donation if they join.
-- Authorized the city's Board of Control to advertise for bids and contract for the purpose of meters, chemicals and supplies for the water and wastewater department.
-- Appointed Richard Wolf to the Thompson Park board.
-- Transferring a list of 13 properties from the county land bank to the city's Community Improvement Corporation: 1272 Erie St., 739 Chester Ave., 817 W. Ninth St., 1890 Anderson Blvd., 354 Ray St., 344 Grant St., 745 Valley Ave., 433 Prospect St., 684 Almont St., 702 Cadmus St., 744 Sophia St., 800-802 Avondale St., 1323 Ceramic St., 510 John St. and 1711 St. Clair Ave.
Mayor Greg Bricker told council the CIC needs to determine what structures they can remediate and what must be demolished. He also provided council an email, detailing a monthly report for Better City, which is currently doing a housing sustainability study for the city as part of its contractual duties.
First Ward Councilman Ray Perorazio also asked Bricker about the myriad of projects that appear to be at a standstill in his ward, such as a big service center on Mulberry Street, the marijuana grow facility and Elizabeth Street bridge.
Bricker said that all appear to be moving forward despite the pandemic, and he expects the Elizabeth Street bridge to go out for bids later this month with construction this year.