Staff writer
STEUBENVILLE Now that city coffers are rebounding from the pandemic, council signaled Tuesday it’s ready to tweak the Table of Organization to make room for an animal control officer.
Finance Director Dave Lewis told council the city’s financial health is much improved from a year ago, so adjusting the TO to add an animal control officer to the police department roster is doable.
“The money is there, if that’s what you want to do,” he said. “Right now, we’re showing a $942,000 general fund surplus.”
Third Ward Councilman Eric Timmons had been lobbying for the change, telling council the time to act is before someone is seriously hurt.
Staff writer
STEUBENVILLE City Council introduced legislation Tuesday aimed at beefing up the fines for parking commercial trucks in residential areas.
The proposed legislation grew out of a 90-minute safety committee meeting, which preceded council’s weekly meeting. Also discussed in the committee setting were the need for a dedicated animal control officer, revisiting archaic taxi cab regulations and how best to mark handicapped parking places.
The amendment, as proposed, would bump the fine for a first offense up to a mandatory $150. For a second offense, the mandatory fine would be $250, and for a third offense, $500.
Council also asked law director Costa Mastros to include language holding offenders accountable for towing and boot costs.
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STEUBENVILLE Urban Projects Director Chris Petrossi told City Council Tuesday the nationally known retailer eyeing the old Grant School site before the pandemic is back in the picture.
Petrossi said the company, which has never been identified, “put (its) search on hold for the pandemic but they’re back, actively looking at the community again.”
In October 2019 before the pandemic council agreed to rezone the property to central business district (B-1), paving the way for that unidentified retail developer to come forward with plans for the 0.94-acre site.
Petrossi said a 1-acre site is the developer’s sweet spot.
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STEUBENVILLE City Council appears to be moving toward a compromise with its public forum guidelines.
Two weeks ago, citing a lack of support, council indefinitely tabled the final reading of a proposal by 1st Ward Councilwoman Asantewa Anyabwile to repeal the existing public forum rules, which require anyone wishing to address council during the public comment period to sign up by 4 p.m. the Friday prior to a meeting. Anyabwile’s proposal had called for creating new rules, but none had been drafted prior to the measure being brought to council floor.
Anyabwile convened a meeting of council as a whole Tuesday to discuss the rules and whether it’s time to change them prior to their regular council meeting.