Ashtabula Council Moves Forward on Wastewater Loan and Tougher Tobacco Penalties

Ashtabula City Council took up a busy agenda Monday night, advancing a 23 million dollar wastewater loan application, tightening penalties for selling tobacco and vaping products to minors, and approving the disposal of about 20 obsolete city vehicles.

The pre council session and regular meeting also included a lengthy debate over how committee assignments are decided, a resolution honoring a longtime finance employee, and public comments about vacant and overgrown properties around the city.

Committee Shuffle Follows Foglio Departure

President John Roskovics opened the pre council meeting by addressing changes to committee assignments following the departure of former Ward I Councilperson Kym Foglio. Council Member Russell Simeone agreed to join the Economic Development Committee, and Council Member Jodi Mills moved to the Finance and Personnel Committee, which meets in the morning. Roskovics said he has taken over as chair of Finance and Personnel. Council approved the changes by voice vote.

A vacancy remains on the Safety Forces Committee. Roskovics also updated council on the process to fill the Ward I seat, saying the Ashtabula County Democratic Party moved its application deadline from mid July to July 31 after requesting more time to publicize the opening. He said the party hopes to conduct interviews the first week of August, and the ward will likely remain without a representative until September.

Council Member Presses for Formal Assignment Process

Council Member RoLesia Holman questioned the process for assigning council members to committees, asking whether it was based on interest, availability or another standard. Roskovics said standing committee assignments have traditionally been made at the discretion of the council president based largely on scheduling.

Council Member Jodi Mills noted that council rules require standing committees to be appointed with input from each council member and a simple majority vote. Holman asked that the record reflect her request for council to adopt a more consistent process for future assignments based on criteria such as experience, background, availability and education.

Council to Honor Retiring Finance Employee

Council Member Mills requested a resolution honoring Carolyn Sheldon, the city’s former assistant finance director, who retired after 37 years with the city. Council approved the request, and Clerk of Council Stacy Millberg will prepare the resolution.

City Manager Details 23 Million Dollar Wastewater Loan Request

City Manager Jim Timonere asked council to authorize an application for a Water Pollution Control Loan Fund agreement to help pay for repairs and upgrades at the city’s wastewater treatment plant. Timonere said the city needs to apply by an August deadline or wait until December.

The estimated cost is 23 million dollars, with a completion date in 2029 and the first loan payment not due until 2030. Planned work includes a redundant centrifuge, removal of an old belt press, new digester lids and cleaning, and repairs to the administration building and other tanks. Aeration tank work, grit removal improvements, a new alert system for plant problems, chemical feed upgrades and fleet vehicle purchases are not included in this phase.

Timonere said the loan amount will be adjusted once the project goes out to bid. Holman asked about the repayment period, and Timonere said council will receive details on the term, likely 15 or 30 years, and the interest rate once the loan is finalized. He said the upgrades are not required to meet permit standards but will help the plant, which has operated since 1924, continue meeting its wastewater discharge permit requirements.

Obsolete City Vehicles Headed for Sealed Bid Sale

Timonere also asked council to authorize the disposal of about 20 obsolete or unneeded city vehicles through a sealed bid process. Descriptions of the vehicles will be published and posted on the city website, and the highest bidder for each vehicle wins. Any vehicles that do not sell will go to a scrap yard. Mills asked how proceeds are divided among city funds, and Timonere said the money returns to the fund associated with each vehicle’s original department.

Future Tax Abatement Request and Bridge Project Update

Timonere told council that a future meeting will include a request for a community reinvestment area tax abatement from River and Rail Development for a long term rental property at a residential site on East 15th Street. The developer is requesting a full abatement for seven years.

Roskovics added that a developer at a recent Architectural Review Board meeting described plans for several new homes in the historic district valued at more than a million dollars, crediting the city’s tax abatement program for making the project possible.

Mills asked for an update on the railroad bridge replacement project near the Trestle Bridge. Timonere said the new bridge is being built beneath the current structure and is not expected to be finished until later in 2028. He said the city has asked Norfolk Southern about preserving the old bridge as a future river crossing for trail development in the area.

Sidewalks, Alleys and Blighted Properties Raised in Discussion

Council members asked Timonere about sealing new concrete sidewalks downtown and about a policy barring merchants from using salt on the new surfaces. A council member also raised concerns about a blind resident whose seeing eye dog has been threatened by loose dogs due to broken sidewalks nearby. Timonere said the city does not actively enforce sidewalk repairs but offers a cost sharing program for residents who choose to replace them.

Mills asked about the timeline for a previously approved ordinance requiring house numbers on structures visible from alleys, and Timonere said he believed the deadline was in September but would confirm. A council member also raised concerns about litter and unauthorized camping near Cornelius Park, saying the conditions have upset area veterans given the park’s dedication.

Recycling Route Planning Underway

Timonere said the city recently finished matching more than 6,000 trash accounts to their correct wards to ensure an accurate count of recycling containers, called toters, is ordered. He said toters typically take about four weeks to arrive after ordering, after which the county will contract for curbside delivery.

Finance Committee Reports Record June Collections

Roskovics, reporting for the Finance and Personnel Committee, said Finance Director Vladimir Kan presented a positive income tax report showing June collections were the highest on record for that month. The finance department has also begun pursuing roughly 8,500 delinquent tax accounts going back several years and has sent about 600 collection letters so far.

Roskovics said the committee also discussed how new large water users, including potential data centers, could affect the city’s joint economic development districts. Water Pollution Control Superintendent Mark Verzella noted the city has some control over how much water it allows new users to send to its system.

Committee members also discussed developing a formal policy for when the city should borrow from its general fund, following recent borrowing for a used garbage truck and new trash and recycling containers. Roskovics said the city carried very little reserve balance roughly a decade ago and has since improved its financial footing, though it remains below levels seen in some comparable communities. Holman asked that any comparison research account for differences in average income between Ashtabula and other cities.

Safety Forces Committee Reviews Police and Fire Statistics

Council Member Terence Guerriero, reporting for the Safety Forces Committee, said Police Chief Robert Stell reported more than 1,800 calls for service in June, which the department attributed to the summer season. Officers made 51 adult traffic arrests during the month. The department is considering forming a six officer Targeted Traffic Unit to focus on problem areas but remains short staffed, with three officers on injury leave in addition to recent retirements and departures.

Guerriero said fireworks enforcement over the Fourth of July resulted in 18 people facing criminal charges, along with the seizure of a significant quantity of fireworks. About 20 golf cart permits have been issued this year with no citations reported. The civil service entrance exam for police officer candidates was scheduled for late July, and two applicants had signed up as of the meeting.

On the fire side, Guerriero said call volume is at an all time high and expected to keep climbing through the year, while ambulance responses and related revenue are also trending upward. Fire incidents are down slightly. Chief Geoff Cannon has interviewed nine candidates who passed a physical agility test, with four described as strong prospects. Two internal promotions are also planned, moving a lieutenant to captain and an engineer to lieutenant.

Council also discussed a new radar speed sign on eastbound Bridge Street that Timonere said is working well, along with a second, movable sign on West Avenue. A resident asked about placing a similar sign on Route 20, but Timonere said the road’s lane configuration could limit its effectiveness. Guerriero also reported a code required change at East 24th Street and Harbor Avenue, where southbound traffic turning onto East 24th will now need to make a full stop instead of a yield.

Planning and Historic Preservation Committees Report Approvals

Roskovics said the Planning Commission approved another electronic sign for a church on Route 20. The Historic Preservation Committee approved a new entrance door for a harbor area building, new paint colors for a building on Bridge Street, and preliminary plans for new townhomes in the historic harbor district, part of what Roskovics described as more than a million dollars in investment in that neighborhood. He noted a recently completed building at Franklin and 4th already had two tenants signed before construction finished.

Council Member Apologizes for Overheard Comments

During the good of the order portion of the meeting, Guerriero apologized for comments he made during a break at a previous meeting that were picked up by an open microphone. He said the remarks had nothing to do with city business and that he was wrong to make them, adding an apology to a friend of his who does significant volunteer work for the community.

Regular Meeting Opens With Reduced Council

Council’s regular 7 p.m. meeting opened with all six current members present, since the Ward I seat remains vacant. Roskovics reminded council that any 3 to 3 vote will fail, and any 4 to 2 vote will pass but require a 30 day waiting period before taking effect under the city’s Sunshine Law provisions.

Clerk Millberg read five ordinances into the record, covering a tree removal contract with Brooks Tree and Stump Service, the wastewater loan application, disposal of obsolete vehicles, and the repeal and replacement of the city’s tobacco sales ordinance. Council approved the meeting agenda by a vote of six to zero.

Residents Raise Questions on Homelessness, City Finances and Blighted Homes

During citizen comments, a Geneva resident asked about the city’s homeless population, and Roskovics said police reported a decrease in encounters as of an update given in April, though officers remain busy on the issue. The resident also asked whether the city taking out loans meant it lacked money. Timonere said loans are a normal tool for managing cash flow on large capital projects and that the city carried about 6 million dollars in reserves at the end of last year.

Asked what the city does to improve residents’ quality of life, Roskovics pointed to the police, fire and public works departments, along with cooperation from residents themselves. Mills added that local human service organizations, including Catholic Charities, Community Action, community counseling services and area food pantries, provide significant support to residents.

An East 23rd Street resident described a neighboring vacant house that has sat empty for roughly 25 to 30 years and was previously placed on a demolition list. Timonere said inspectors were sent after a report from another council member and that the city will follow up with the owner. Timonere separately updated council on a long troubled property whose owner is incarcerated, saying the city has received bids of roughly 6,700 to 7,000 dollars to clean out the backyard and plans to notify the resident of a cleanup date, with unpaid costs eventually added to the property tax bill.

A West 15th Street resident described an overgrown, junk filled yard near a home on a side street, and Timonere said the address had been reported and the city would follow up.

Council Waives Readings, Passes Five Ordinances

Council voted six to zero to handle the tree removal, wastewater loan and vehicle disposal ordinances as a consent agenda, then waived the full reading and the charter’s two reading requirement by roll call votes, also six to zero. All three ordinances passed by a final roll call vote of six to zero.

Council then took up the tobacco ordinance. Timonere said the change mainly affects retailers rather than individual buyers, since stores face escalating fines and possible license suspension for repeated violations, including a suspension of up to a year after a fourth offense. Mills confirmed the update also applies to vaping products. Timonere said the new rules are expected to take effect after a second reading at council’s August 3 meeting, though the exact effective date was still being confirmed.

Announcements Highlight Back to School Event and Recycling Guide

During announcements, Mills highlighted the GO Community Development Corporation’s back to school event set for Saturday, August 1, offering shoes, backpacks, school supplies and food. Registration closes July 26. Mills also walked through the city’s updated curbside recycling guidelines, available on the city website under the sanitation department page, noting that most plastics labeled one through seven are now accepted while plastic bags, foam and motor oil containers are not.

Guerriero reminded residents of the Wine and Walleye Festival this weekend in Ward 2, with fireworks planned for Saturday night. Mills said she toured the Welcome Home program’s new construction site over the weekend and expects a ribbon cutting around the end of summer. Holman noted Ohio’s law raising the legal age to purchase tobacco to 21 took effect in 2019.

Council’s next meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 3.

Watch Highlights From the Meeting