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MINGO JUNCTION -- The Mingo Junction Village Council was faced with personnel problems, including for its police and water departments, along with other developments at its regular session Tuesday evening.
George Stoddart, chief operator of the Mingo Junction Water Department, told council it was his fourth and "last" time asking for permission to temporarily fill a staff vacancy for a distribution foreman, which he said the department has lacked since May 23.
Without that position, Stoddart said, the village will be without an individual to address water line breaks or handle other appropriate day-to-day duties. Stoddart's request to council came more than three weeks after he requested to remove his license as operator of records for the department.
"At this point, you've lost your distribution system," Stoddart said.
He added that having a laborer do the distribution duties is "wrong," claiming that a recently hired individual's title is laborer, with Mayor Ed Fithen casting doubt. Fithen encouraged Stoddart to have a meeting with him and village administrator Bob Smith to sort out the issues.
Councilman Mark Baker expressed concern about coverage in the event of a water break, a concern Fithen said he shares.
In addition, Stoddart said that representatives from the county would like to meet with the water and sewage departments to discuss rate increases. Stoddart said rates increased last year, and it was understood they would increase again this year. The discussions would include negotiating the amount of the increases, as well as for the sewage rates on Georges Run, which Stoddart said are based on estimates.
Stoddart said the village has a one-year contract with Jefferson County, with a second year being left open. Fithen told Stoddart to proceed with facilitating the meeting, along with members of council's water and sewer committee. Stoddart said the meeting will likely be within the next two weeks.
Separately, council members received a copy of its budget. Councilman Jack Brettell expressed concern that the village police department has used more than 51 percent of its budget with three months left in the year. Fithen raised the issue of how police providing full coverage of the village necessitates overtime work and overtime pay.
At a suggestion by Brettell to hire more officers, Fithen stated how hiring officers for the department is difficult, in part due to perceived better hourly wages at other departments -- council approved a motion in June to set part-time police officers' hourly wages at $19. The department's relatively lesser wages, Fithen said, are offset by Mingo's better benefits, he added.