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STEUBENVILLE City Council ratified a new, three-year deal with AFSCME Local 2015, Tuesday. The contract, which takes effect upon signature of the mayor, maintains wages at the status quo for Year 1, though the union can execute a reopener clause in July to see if the typical 2.2 percent wage hike is doable. With the AFSCME contract settled, council can turn its attention to negotiations with police and firefighter unions. The ordinance, brought to the floor as emergency legislation, passed unanimously. Council also heard the first reading of an ordinance extending City Manager Jim Mavromatis’s contract for two years, through March 28, 2023. It, too, will hold the line on wages, at least for the first year. ....
Members of Steubenville City Council will face an easy decision when they meet Tuesday. They’ll be asked to consider emergency legislation that will allow Fire Chief Carlo Capaldi to hire three additional firefighters to help staff the city’s ambulance service. It’s a request they should say yes to. Added personnel will help the city put a second ambulance into operation while reducing some of the strain the department has been under since launching its EMT service in October. The need is certainly there. Capaldi told councilmembers at last Tuesday’s meeting the city has been averaging between nine and 10 ambulance calls a day. That has led to revenue of $46,000 a number that is likely to grow as those payments can lag as much as six months behind. Original projections had anticipated bringing $715,000 in EMS revenue into city coffers, money that would cover the cost six people to staff ambulances. ....
[email protected] STEUBENVILLE – Members of City Council will consider emergency legislation at its Jan. 19 meeting that would give Steubenville Fire Chief Carlo Capaldi the power to hire three more firefighters, enough to run a second ambulance. Capaldi told council he needs the additional personnel to relieve the strain on his department: They’ve been averaging nine to 10 calls a day with one ambulance, he said, pointing out that’s without adding any additional personnel. He said it could take up to six months for the revenue to really start to roll in, but they’ve already banked about $46,000. “The problem we’re having now is we can’t wait six months for more people,” Capaldi said. “We projected generating $715,000 in EMS revenue that (would) pay for six people to work on ambulances, but we didn’t hire those people right away because we didn’t have a track record to be sure the money would come in at that (precise) moment.” ....
LINDA HARRIS Staff writer STEUBENVILLE City Council voted Tuesday to ask voters to renew two existing levies that they say keep Steubenville running efficiently. The two levies a 0.7 of one percent levy earmarked for street improvements, capital improvements and equipment, parks and recreation and the general fund, and a 0.3 of one percent tax used for salaries and street improvements will be on the May 4 election ballot. If the referendums are approved, the two levies would bring in a total of about $7 million a year for the next five years. “The levies are not going up,” City Finance Director Dave Lewis said. “Council passed legislation to renew the existing levies for a five-year period. Revenue is projected to be about the same, but may vary slightly.” ....