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WELLSVILLE -- Village council Tuesday night authorized Mayor Bob Boley to apply for a grant for the marina project.
After holding the two public hearings required to apply, council unanimously gave Boley permission to submit an application for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program's Flexible Grant for the Wellsville Marina.
OMEGA, with whom the village has been working to help develop opportunities for growth in the village, has agreed to submit the application on behalf of the village.
The resolution adopted gives Boley the authority to direct OMEGA to prepare the grant application in the amount of $250,000.
Council also approved the salary for new members of council. The salary will increase from $200 a month to $300 a month. The increase only applies to those who have been newly elected or re-elected for the term beginning Jan. 1. Remaining council members will have to be re-elected when their term expires to receive the increase. The legislation passed with a four to two vote. Council members Bill Taft and Karen Dash opposed it.
An ordinance increasing the mayor's annual salary from $20,000 to $24,000 passed with a five to one vote. Taft opposed the increase.
The ordinance to increase appropriations for current expenses and other expenditures for the village for the period of Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2023, passed by emergency measure with an all-in-favor vote.
Council approved the payment of bills totaling $426.98.
In his report, Boley addressed the vandalism taking place around the village. He said he is fed up with it and he isn't playing games and that if the vandals are caught he will file charges. He also noted that if caught, those who vandalized the flood wall will face much steeper charges and penalties because it will be the Army Corps of Engineers filing the charges for that.
Boley again said that if anyone provides any information to himself, the police chief or police lieutenant that leads to the prosecution of the vandal(s) he will give a $500 reward and the person will not be named.
Village Administrator Jeff Cope said the vandalism is just getting ridiculous.
In her report, Fiscal Officer Hoi Wah addressed the grant application being filed for the village by OMEGA and several other grant opportunities the village is looking at. The village has applied for four grants for the marina project.
Fire Chief Barry Podwel requested a meeting with the personnel and finance committees. The meeting will be held after the first of the year when the new council members are sworn in and a new personnel committee chair is selected. Tuesday's meeting was the last meeting for Council member and Personnel Committee Chair Christy Thirtyacre.
Taft, Finance Committee chair, requested a committee meeting for Jan. 23 at 6 p.m. Taft also noted that the village needs to meet one more time with the sheriff to get all the details of using the county 9-1-1 system versus using dispatchers for the fire department and make a decision which way they want to go.
Council member Keith Thorne noted there were issues with the dollar amounts on a recent ordinance passed for cemetery rates and that the legislation needs to go back for review.
Thorn also addressed the passage of Issue 2 legalizing marijuana in Ohio and noted that the passage does not mean it can be used anywhere or can be used while operating a vehicle, and that there would be additional legislation regarding the use of it.
Under old business, there was discussion of clean up at Hammond Park. Boley said he would like to see the volleyball court made into a pickleball court.
Boley also requested council consider drawing up an ordinance to increase the salary of the zoning manager from $250 a month to $350 a month and increase the gas allowance from $25 a month to $50 a month.
Dash thanked Boley and his wife Deb, Wellsville Volunteer Fire Department Chief Jarrod Grimm, Sheryl Gibson, Kristi Coutler, Asheley LeClaire, John Morrow and Cope and his crew for their help in decorating the village and organizing Christmas events.
The Wellsville Village Council meets the first and third Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. in council chambers at Wellsville Village Hall, 1200 Main St. The next regular meeting is scheduled for Jan. 2. Immediately prior to the meeting the mayor and new council members will be sworn in.