Mingo Junction council honors longtime councilman
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MINGO JUNCTION -- The Mingo Junction Village Council, during its regular meeting Tuesday, honored longtime councilman Michael "Satch" Herrick for his more than 25 years of service to the village as a councilman and through other roles.
Herrick served as head football coach at Mingo Junction High School, as well as being a teacher and the recreation director for the village. He began on council in 1970, overseeing major renovations at the Mingo Junction Wastewater Facility. Herrick, in turn, expressed gratitude for the other council members, some of whom he taught at the high school.
"I would like to thank the citizens for my 25 years that I got the opportunity to serve them," Herrick said. "These last years that I've served, I'm very proud ... because it's a tough job."
Also offering reflections on their time serving the village were Mayor Ed Fithen and Village Administrator Bob Smith, who will both relinquish their roles come the new year.
Fithen said he served eight years as mayor of the village, which he called a "small town with pride." He thanked past and present members of council, village employees and Smith for all their work.
Smith, who has served eight years as the village administrator, said it has been a pleasure working for the village. He gave well wishes to council's future constituents, adding, "I do love this town, and I'm just hoping that ... I leave it in good shape for you and you make it better."
Later, council motioned to accept a proposed insurance health plan by Aetna that would cost the village $31,191.78 per month for a year -- a better option than renewing its current $29,456 plan, which would have experienced a 40 percent price increase, councilwoman Jodilynn Fitzgerald said.
Fitzgerald noted that the village's insurance is self-funded, and provides stellar benefits, $10 copays for regular and specialist doctors being among them. However, she expressed concern that the village, soon to undergo three-year contract negotiations, would be financially drained if insurance prices increased.
A suggestion she received was to specify an increase cap in the village's ordinance for a certain amount. Ideally, the cap would be in place in time before negotiations begin so individuals can negotiate over it after the fact.
"I don't want to mess our employees up, but I want us to have some sort of safety," Fitzgerald said.
Council looked favorably on the idea, but decided to wait for Fitzgerald to consult with Aetna on where to put the cap, which would be enacted by a separate ordinance's motion.
In other business:
Fire Chief Brandon Montgomery informed council that the village's fire department's Insurance Services Office score improved from a five to a three, very close to a two, according to a recently received update from the office. Montgomery said that improvement is "really amazing" and puts the village nearly on par with larger city departments.
Fithen told attorney John Mascio, arbitrating on behalf of private individuals seeking the vacation of Elizabeth Street, that council decided "in the best interest of the village" to hold onto the property.
Council scheduled its swearing in meeting for Dec. 12 at 6:30 p.m., as well as its year-end transfer meeting for Dec. 29 at noon and its reorganization meeting for Jan. 9 at 6 p.m.
Council approved a motion to dispense the rule mandating an ordinance be read on three separate occasions as it applies to Ordinance 2023-17, which authorizes "the mayor to execute a quitclaim deed, transferring three parcels of vacated public right-of-ways of the Altamont subdivision" and afterward adopted the ordinance.
In his report, Smith said the short-handed service department, in addition to cleaning out catch basins and preparing its trucks for winter, is working on replacing sections of a guardrail in the Altamont subdivision that has been marred by fallen trees.
Council heard from Stephanie Rouse of the General Federation of Women's Clubs, who said that National Wreaths Across America Day will be celebrated on Dec. 16 at 11:30 a.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Legion Drive, beginning with coffee and doughnuts. The placement of wreaths on veterans' graves will follow at Oakland Cemetery, with previous years' efforts placing around 250 wreaths.
The GFWC asked for volunteers to place the wreaths and donations to make the event possible, with wreaths being $17 each. Any questions can be directed to Rouse at (740) 346-6535.
Fithen said the village's light up night will be at 6 p.m. Monday in the green space next to the municipal building. He thanked the Mingo Junction Fire Department for hanging lights on the building, deputy auditor Kimberly Crugnale for providing the building's Christmas tree and the Mingo Junction Service Department for the decorated trees in the next-door green space.
Diane Pernick, secretary of the Mingo Junction Senior Center, said the center's recent cancer awareness fundraiser raised $1,600 for patients at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh's cancer center.
Cathy Risdon of Lincoln Avenue said a water line break by her home has still not been fixed and has persisted in spit of two previous repair efforts.