WEIRTON CITY COUNCIL

COUNCIL MEETING - SPECIAL

July 14, 2003

A Special Order of Business Meeting of the Common Council of the City of Weirton, Hancock and Brooke Counties, was held on Monday, July 14, 2003 at 5:30 P. M. in Council Chambers of the Municipal Building.

Mayor Miller called the meeting to order.

Councilmembers in attendance:

Henry DeMasis

Harold Miller

Dale Moore

Steve Dorich

David Dalrymple

Frank Veltri

George Kondik.

City Officials in Attendance:

Brae Bryant

Chief Cole

Chief Cooper

Thomas J. Maher, Jr.

A. D. Mastrantoni

Valarie Means

Rod Rosnick

John Yeager

Millicent Zack

Mayor Miller led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Mayor Miller stated that we have citizens that would like to make comments. He would, therefore, like to entertain a motion to suspend Robert's Rules of Order.

Motion made by Councilmember Kondik and second by Councilmember Miller. No objection to the motion, so passed.

CITIZEN COMMENTS

1. Chris Fair

(Chris Fair) Hello Mayor and Councilmembers. My name is Chris Fair. I am a member of the Hancock County Board of Education.

(Mayor Miller) I know where you are going. Please don't mention any names, no personal names. OK? So, pardon me for interrupting, but go ahead.

(Chris Fair) I'm here because I would like you to accept the budget that was passed last year for the police department, so that we don't have any changes in the system that face the school, and we can keep a police officer at Weir High. My issue is really consistency. This is our second officer at the high school. We have had two very good officers, but consistency is at issue when you are dealing with the high school children, and trust, which we have developed and established. There are a lot of issues with kids at that age range, and constant change isn't helping it. Things are going well. I think they would, I hope they would, continue to go well, and I don't want to rock the boat right now, especially when is there really a need to do that. So I hope that you will think about that. We have a good program. It's a grant program with some subsidy put in. I'd like to keep it and keep collecting data on it to show that we are doing the best for our kids, and we are keeping them as safe as we can. So please, I know that you have budget issues.

(Councilmember Kondik) I have one question Mayor. When you say consistency, can you expel on that a little bit for us?

(Chris Fair) Well, I think when a police officer develops a rapport with the students and gets their trust they are going to go to him with issues. He is also going to have the time there to develop programs that will help ward off problems. These kids have to trust you, and if this is a revolving door we are not going to do that. Also, it takes consistency to gather data and information to show that the program is beneficial, and we are in the process of doing that. I know someone else can gather data, but then we are starting with another personality, another issue for the children to get used to, more trust issues. That loses time for us. This is a grant position that is here right now. If the grant position would go away, we have to be able to make some decisions on funding that position or if we want to fund that position. So we need that consistency to do that.

(Mayor Miller) We thank you. Another question?

(Councilmember Moore) This is, I understand, a grant position, and the city only carries 10% of this Sergeant's salary. So, I am not sure what budget issues are really at stake here. If the Sergeant position at that level stays constant, the city actually saves money. Where, if he were replaced with a patrolman, it means that a Sergeant's salary comes in house, and the Patrolman's salary goes into the grant. So it wouldn't actually be economically feasible to switch a Sergeant out of that position and replace him with a patrolman.

(Chris Fair) We can look at dollars and cents, or we can look at trust and safety, and the program we are trying to build.

(Councilmember Moore) I think this is a win/win. The money is already there. It's already being paid for. We don't need to change the position for economics.

(Chris Fair) If the police department needs to make some staffing changes with Sergeants, whether they need some Sergeants in the office or wherever. The officer we have in the school right now is a Sergeant. If they need a sergeant somewhere else, they are looking at status, not the person and the job that they are connected to, and I am asking you to look at the job and the ability of the person to do the job, and make some other arrangements for the status of the officers.

(Mayor Miller) Are there any more questions?

(Councilmember DeMasis) I have a question. Would this not be the Chief's call? Don't you think the chief should have the authority to make this call?

(Chris Fair) I think the Chief could make the call. The Chief also has to make the call about staffing with different levels of personnel. And if he needs to have different levels of personnel to do this, then I think it comes back to you in letting him fill his positions. And that's why I am asking you to help him.

(Mayor Miller) Are there any more questions?

Thank you Ms. Fair. We appreciate your comments.

2. Phyllis DeMasis

(Mayor Miller) Did you want to pick on Henry for some reason? (Laughter)

(Phyllis DeMasis) No, I am here as one of his constituents. I have just a couple of questions that I would like to ask. I am speaking on behalf of the Homeowners Association of Ward 4. I don't know if you gentleman know if we exist or not, but we are here to keep everyone on their toes.

This has to do with the Kusic Property down at the South end of town that you voted on at the last meeting for some kind of a park.

Well, homeowners, we have been asking for years for something to be done with the Kusic property, and we are glad to hear that it is going to be demolished.

We understand that the bricks are going to fill in the Cove Valley Lumber Company for the paving of the parking lot and so forth.

We want to know who is paying for the demolition? Is Mr. Kusic paying for the demolition?

(Mayor Miller) Bob Riccelli is here. Has he has been filled in with that or not?

(Bob Riccelli) At this point, the discussion has been for the property owner to pay for that, but we have not finalized anything, and the park idea (the concept) was to do a rendering as a gateway to the city. It wasn't to do something for the private property owner.

(Phyllis DeMasis) I understand that. I just want to know who is going to pay for the demolition. Surely, the city is not going to pay for it.

(Bob Riccelli) At this point we have discussed both alternatives where the city would pay for part of it, but that has never been finalized, and we have asked the existing property owner to get the bids. I spoke to him today, actually. He is still working on bids.

(Phyllis DeMasis) Then am I to understand that this can't go anyplace until you know who's paying for what?

(Bob Riccelli) Sure.

(Phyllis DeMasis) It's like at a standstill?

(Bob Riccelli) It's not at a standstill. We need for him to come back to us, and we need for some negotiation to go on between the existing council as to the types of things that we discussed up until this time, which would be a little bit unclear. We tried to get him to donate property, and if he donated property to the city, then we would have the responsibility to take it down. So, we went back and forth with; if he gives us property, it's our property. Can we utilize CBDG funds to take it down. Is there anything inappropriate about that, or does he keep the property and pay for it. We were trying to entice him by, not entice him but show him, that since he has a particular interest in the environment, that some of that property can be used as a gateway where there would be kiosks and trees, a pull-out for cars coming into the south end of the community where they can see the mapping of the city, where the city building is, where the stadium is, and other landmarks, something other than the people that live here, for people passing through.

(Phyllis DeMasis) This is what you're calling a park, yes?

(Bob Riccelli) Yes.

(Phyllis DeMasis) You're going to call this a park?

(Bob Riccelli) That was the name that was used in the resolution. It's a concept, maam.

(Mayor Miller) Phyllis, we'll all get together with Bob. I sat in on one meeting with Mr. Kusic and the past city Manager, and we'll get together again and bring you on board as to what the mechanics of the situation will be.

(Phyllis DeMasis) OK, I'll say one more thing and then I will be quiet.

Over the last few years the city has spent over 200,000 dollars for consultant fees. So far, we haven't seen any of the things take place. Now, I know that the majority of you sitting on council didn't have anything to do with that. But, I think you are asking for $3000 more for some kind of a plan for whatever this park is supposed to be. I don't know, the people in Ward 4, the Homeowners Association, really doesn't understand what this park is, and they said to me that the city already has 2 parks, and they wouldn't be able to maintain them if it wasn't for the civic twig and the grants, and with Cove Commons. I'm just throwing this out. I guess we would like to have some answers.

(Mayor Miller) I think what we will try to do for the citizens of Ward 4 is to get a hold of your councilperson, and we'll go back in depth and try to get some answers for the people of Ward 4.

(Phyllis DeMasis) Thank you.

(Mayor Miller) Thank you Phyllis

(Mayor Miller) At this point in time, I would like to convene into Executive Session consistent with West Virginia State Code 6-9-A-4 (4) to discuss personnel/litigation matters. Motion made by Councilmember Kondik, second by Councilmember Miller, so passed.

(Mayor Miller) I'd like to re-open the meeting and make a motion that we table the appointment of the Interim City Manager. Motion made by Councilmember Dorich, second by Councilmember Dalrymple, so passed.

Mayor Miller called for the prayer.

Councilmember Kondik asked about authorizing the payment scale for the City Manager.

Mayor Miller explained that it was not on the agenda.

PRAYER

ADJOURNMENT

With no further business before this July 14, 2003 special session of the Weirton City Council, the meeting was adjourned after the closing prayer.