Pay raises, tap-in fee waiver moved to second reading

Jul. 12—CONNEAUT — Conneaut City Council moved three items to second reading during its Monday night meeting.

One of the ordinances, the waver of water tap-in fees, was moved to second reading at the recommendation of council member Terry Moisio.

City Manager Jim Hockaday said the Conneaut Foundation purchased the building, and is renovating it.

"They are asking for some consideration on the tap-in fee," he said. "We did discuss this at some length at the utilities committee meeting, as well as the work session this past week. It does have some economic development implications as well as the Conneaut Foundation is a 501©3 non-profit. Our code does say that the council may consider both non-profits and economic development projects for consideration on tap-in fees."

Council member Oakey Emery asked whether or not the building had an existing tap.

Hockaday said the building does have a tap, but they need a larger tap due to the renovations.

A resolution to increase pay for council members, starting in 2024, was also moved to second reading, after a vote to suspend the three-reading rule failed.

At a work session last week, council members discussed the issue. Currently, council members are paid $500 per month, and the council president receives $600 per month. Emery suggested increasing council's pay to $1,000 for council members and $1,200 for the council president.

City Finance Director John Williams said previously council pay had not been increased in almost 20 years, and the proposed increase is similar to the mid-2000s council salary on an inflation-adjusted basis.

Moisio and Council President Jon Arcaro voted against waiving the three-reading rule for the ordinance, and it was moved to second reading.

In other business:

—Conneaut Creek will be intermittently closed to traffic weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Norfolk Southern railroad bridge, which is being replaced, Hockaday said.

"They're asking that nobody be passing underneath them on the waterway during those times, with just the pure risk of something falling, a rock rolling off, something like that, and hitting somebody that's boating underneath the site," he said. "They will allow people to come through the channel ... but not while they're actively moving stuff overhead."

Hockaday said the city is working on a posting that will be placed to let anyone traveling down the creek know that there could be limited access.

"There is a small spot that you can pull out, right there at Old Main bridge," Hockaday said.

Anyone launching from the Woodworth Road boat ramp and headed toward Lake Erie will not encounter any issue, he said.

—Council members raised concerns about members of the public being charged for parking at Lakeview Park for the recent Red White and Boom over Lake Erie festival.

Moisio said members of the public had reached out to him, asking what organization will receive the $5 charged for parking.

Arcaro asked Law Director John Lewis to research the legality of an entity charging for parking in this situation without council's authorization.