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Steubenville council to take a walk in LaBelle

FINANCIAL REPORT — Historic Fort Steuben Executive Director Judy Bratten quietly appealed to City Council Tuesday night for an increase from the city’s hotel and motel bed tax. The Convention and Visitors Bureau receives 1.5 percent of the 6 percent tax. Bratten said a decrease in occupancy at the city hotels has seen a drop in revenue for the fort. - Dave Gossett

STEUBENVILLE — The City Council Planning Committee will walk several streets and alleys in the LaBelle neighborhood next month, “to bring light to the area,” according to 2nd Ward Councilman Mike Johnson.

Johnson scheduled the planning committee meeting for 1 p.m. on Oct. 17 at the vacant lot next to the Tower of Power Church on Maryland Avenue.

“The meeting is open to the public and we will have City Manager Jim Mavromatis, Urban Projects Director Chris Petrossi and Code Enforcement Officer Sgt. Brian Bissett with us,” said Johnson.

“I hope people who never visit the LaBelle neighborhood will join us that afternoon to see what the streets and alleys look like in some places. We will walk through the alley between Ridge and Pennsylvania avenues, Foster Place, Pennsylvania Avenue and the alley between Wellesley and Oregon avenues,” said Johnson.

He said the walking tour will last approximately two hours.

“I want to make citizens aware of problems on some of our streets and alleys and come up with solutions. I believe we need an additional person in the building department, and this will show others that need,” Johnson noted.

Johnson also scheduled a planning committee meeting for 6 p.m. on Oct. 18 prior to the council meeting.

Fifth Ward Councilman Willie Paul introduced several measures during Tuesday’s meeting, including an ordinance authorizing an auction for motor vehicles no longer needed by the city.

He also proposed a resolution declaring Oct. 9-15 Fire Prevention Week in the city and a resolution recognizing city resident Barb Wilinski for receiving the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network’s National Volunteer Award.

Councilwoman at large Kimberly Hahn introduced a resolution noting October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Oct. 21 as Mammography Day in the city.

Historic Fort Steuben Executive Director Judy Bratten provided council members with her quarterly report from the Convention and Visitors Bureau and said the downturn in people staying at local hotels and motels has been reflected in the CVB’s share of the local bed tax.

“Because of that decrease we have struggled. We receive 1.5 percent of the 6 percent tax. The CVBs in neighboring counties receive a larger share of the local bed tax. I am really hoping the Nutcracker Village this year will bring more visitors to town who will stay in the hotels and motels,” said Bratten.

Council also heard from Historic Fort Steuben President Jerry Barilla who said the CVB is maintaining the current 23 murals in the downtown.

“We don’t have the large buses that once came here for the murals but we still have people coming to Steubenville to view our murals. We are currently refurbishing the steelworkers mural on the Masonic Temple at a cost of $10,000. We also have the Grand Theater trying to get off the ground, and we would like to provide a $5,000 donation to that effort. That could be a major spark in the downtown,” stated Barilla.

Law Director S. Gary Repella reported he and Police Chief Bill McCafferty have sent letters to three city landlords who rented to drug dealers.

“The landlord who received a letter can appeal, and if it is the first time, we will consider waiving the violation. But if they rent to a drug dealer a second time, that is a pattern. I would urge landlords to be vigilant on who they rent to,” said Repella.

Johnson called the letters to the three landlords, “a good first step.”

“If a landlord doesn’t do a background check and determines how a tenant will pay their rent they could have their rental property boarded up for a year. We have to stop renting properties to drug dealers,” Johnson said.

Council heard a second reading for an ordinance establishing a credit card policy and a first reading for an ordinance authorizing expenditures without a purchase order for more than $3,000.

During the public forum, city resident Ann Sweeney said she wanted to publicly thank 4th Ward Councilman Scott Dressel for his recent kindness.

“I always keep an American flag on my porch and the morning of Sept. 11 I found someone had pulled the flag down and destroyed it. I blasted the unknown people who did that on Facebook, and Scott Dressel went out and bought me another American flag to hang on my porch. That flag means everything to me,” said Sweeney.

Franciscan University of Steubenville Executive Director of Community Relations Mike Florak reminded the audience and council members the Faith in the Future program holds a luncheon the last Wednesday of each month in the St. Joseph Center on the university campus.

And city resident Jeffrey Hawkins asked council to consider a play area in the LaBelle area for neighborhood children.

“The children are throwing a ball or playing in the street and that isn’t always safe. Perhaps the city could talk to the Tower of Power Church about using the vacant lot next to the church,” said Hawkins.

(Gossett can be contacted at dgossett@heraldstaronline.com.)

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