Conneaut Council approves grant request
Jun. 28—CONNEAUT — City council approved moving forward with an application to the Ohio Emergency Management Agency for grant funds for first responder recruitment, retention and resiliency.
City Manager Jim Hockaday said the grant would provide funds for an additional code enforcement officer for two years, and provides bonus dollars for police officers who served during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said a person has already been identified for the role, and is aware of the limited timespan.
In other business:
—A virtual hearing took place last week for the city's permit to discharge water from the dredge facility under construction in the harbor.
Material will be dredged from Conneaut's harbor, then placed into the facility, where it will be separated into its component parts.
"Once it's dewatered and it doesn't have any suspended solids left in it, it gets discharged back into Conneaut Creek, from whence it came," Hockaday said.
He said he hopes the facility will receive its final permit later this week. The city was previously issued a tentative permit.
—Hockaday spoke to council about a fire damaged structure at 518 Madison Street.
"A portion of the one wall is starting to collapse, and it's really getting to be a hazard," he said. He said he had been hoping to receive some grant funds to pay for the cost of the demolition, but the process has been slow.
Because the structure is fire-damaged, asbestos testing can't be done safely, Hockaday said.
—Lake Road will be restricted to westbound traffic only from Chestnut Street to Wrights Avenue from Thursday, Aug. 17 to Saturday, Aug. 19 for D-Day Conneaut. Council also approved closing roads fro the Sept. 29 Conneaut High School Homecoming Parade.
—Council members stated that the city opted out of a state law allowing fireworks, and fireworks are still banned inside the city.
