×

Future of school, employee raises before council

WELLSBURG — City Council on Tuesday was asked to help preserve Wellsburg Middle School and to consider raises for city employees.

Paul “Bud” Billiard, a resident and retired teacher, asked if city officials have expressed interest in the school, which is slated to be closed this fall, when the new Brooke Middle School opens.

Billiard said he’d like to see it remain a part of the community in some form, noting there are plans to rename Wellsburg Primary as Brooke County Primary North following a merger of the county’s primary schools, also set for this fall.

“I’m concerned about Wellsburg losing its identity as a community,” he said.

Mayor Sue Simonetti noted the Brooke County Board of Education has expressed interest in selling the Wellsburg and Follansbee middle schools and hired the Business Development Corp. of the Northern Panhandle to market them.

Following the meeting she said city officials have suggested obtaining the school and its property near the Ohio River through an intergovernment transfer and would consider that option if it were supported by school officials, but presently the school board wishes to sell the site.

City Manager Steve Maguschak noted at a 2016 meeting where the school board accepted ideas for the two schools, he suggested the school could house departments for the city and county.

Other suggestions for Wellsburg Middle have included turning it into an apartment complex, moving the school board and the school district’s alternative learning center into the school and demolishing it to create space for a proposed consolidated primary school for the county’s south end.

In other matters, Simonetti asked council to consider raises for the city’s employees in the amount of 50 cents per hour across the board and outlined funds needed from the city’s general, water and sewer funds to support that.

She noted the city’s water and sewer boards would need to approve the raises for their employees.

A few council members said the raises couldn’t go into effect until the next fiscal year, and the budget for it must be submitted to the state by April.

The matter was referred to the city’s finance committee.

Second Ward Councilman Paul T. Billiard, who is the retired teacher’s son, said such a proposal should come from the employees themselves. He said it’s not appropriate for Simonetti to present it because her son-in-law is employed by the city’s water department.

Simonetti said she believes all city employees deserve a raise and, “It’s not because of my son-in-law that I’m doing this.”

Following the meeting, Simonetti said she wasn’t mayor when her son-in-law was hired, so she didn’t vote on his hiring.

Maguschak noted in the last three years the city has lost six employees to businesses that offered better wages and benefits, and raises would help to retain its current staff.

In other business, council members:

¯ Asked about the former GenPak building, and City Solicitor Bill Cipriani said the owner has been given a 90-day extension to demolish the burned building because asbestos must be removed. Councilman Billiard expressed concern about loose bricks from the structure laying on the adjacent sidewalk. He said he’s found bricks pulled by youth from the rubble in nearby Central Park. Currently only yellow police tape separates pedestrians from the debris.

¯ Heard from Maguschak who suggested grants the city could seek to purchase year-round fitness equipment that could be placed along the city’s recreational trail and at the city’s 4th Ward and 1st Ward parks.

A few council members said they would like to see playground equipment at the parks upgraded also.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

COMMENTS

[vivafbcomment]

Starting at $4.73/week.

Subscribe Today