EAST LIVERPOOL — During Tuesday’s meeting of the East Liverpool City Council’s Finance Committee, committee members voted to send multiple pieces of legislation to council for consideration.

Council will need to consider legislation to amend the budget ordinance; to pay certain vendors; authorizing the Board of Public Utilities to enter into a task order with Strand Associates; a SAFER grant for the fire department and a resolution to accept the amounts and rates as determined by the by the Budget Commission and authorizing tax levies.

The resolution to accept the amounts and rates as determined by the Budget Commission and authorize the necessary tax levies and certify them to the County Auditor is due to the county on Oct. 1 and must be passed by council, which doesn’t met until Oct. 6.

City Auditor Marilyn Bosco told the Finance Committee that she doesn’t know what happened, because this is something she said she has always gotten done and presented to council early so this is something that wouldn’t happen. She said she received an email from the county auditor’s officer saying they couldn’t find the resolution, and she and the mayor’s secretary looked but couldn’t find where it had been done.

Bosco said she let the county know that the finance committee was meeting that day and council would vote on the resolution on Monday, and the clerk would deliver it on Tuesday.

“Because, if this isn’t done, we would lose our levy money, but they understand what is going on,” Bosco said. “The only thing I can think of is with everything that happened in my personal life with my mother. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know if we mailed this and it got lost in the mail or if I forgot about it during that time period. I don’t know. We are going to fix it. The county said we are okay, and they are aware of everything.”

Council Member and Finance Committee Chair Fred Rayl noted that is some significant money.

Councilman Brian Kerr questioned that even though the county is aware of the issues, are they okay with the resolution being sent late. Bosco said yes and the city is okay. She then apologized.

The legislation to amend the budget ordinance is a standard ordinance to appropriate funds to pay for payments. Payments to be made include $489,195.01 for engineering for the state Route 39 project from Route 39 fund, $195,564 for engineering from the street levy, $50,000 for union wages and $75,000 for gas and oil from Refuse and Recycling, $2,500 for Waypoint signs from Tourism and $4,000 for program expense from Animal Welfare.

The Waypoint signs paid for from the Tourism Fund which is funded by the bed tax are for signs to serve as directional signs for downtown businesses. The only cost for the signs, according to Safety Service Director Bill Jones, is for the metal to build the framework, which will be crafted New Castle School of Trade. ELCPR will sell signs to place on them to indicate where businesses are located.

Bosco noted that funds from the Tourism Fund can only be used for certain things, and the fund does not contain any city money.

The legislation to pay certain vendors is for the payment to Dallis Dawson and Associates in the amount of $4,919.10 for engineering services for the COL-Dresden Avenue Phase 2 project.

Bosco noted that she originally thought the payment would be coming through the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) from the Dresden Fund, but the city needs to pay it.

Legislation for a task order with Strand Associates is an agreement for technical services dated April 17 for design and bidding services for the replacement of approximately 7,400 feet of lead service lines to coincide with the city’s reconstruction of Pennsylvania Avenue, Elizabeth Street and Harvey Avenue.

The SAFER Grant for the fire department will allow the fire department, if approved by council, to hire four additional firefighters.

Utility Manger Tim Clark again requested that the Finance Committee give the Board of Public Utilities the right to set the pay scale for water and wastewater employees. Rayl said they would meet to further discuss that matter.

The East Liverpool City Council meets the first Monday of each month at 6 p.m. in council chambers at East Liverpool City Hall. The next regular meeting is scheduled for Oct. 6