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STEUBENVILLE -- The city is finally ready to proceed with long-awaited improvements to the old city building.
During Tuesday's City Council meeting, City Manager Jim Mavromatis reported the contract had been awarded to the low bidder, Fort Steuben Maintenance. FSM had bid $1,939,000 for the entire project.
Council, however, plans to do the work in stages.
"Just to clarify, that's for the entire building, upstairs and downstairs," Second Ward Councilman Tracy McManamon said.
The building needs costly upgrades to the mens' and womens' restrooms, a locker room for female police officers and an upgraded evidence room, all of them on the first floor. They also intend to update the community service office.
A building and grounds committee meeting was set for Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. to provide more details.
Council voted unanimously to adopt emergency legislation authorizing creation of a "credit memo clearing fund" to hold utility overpayments so those credits can be applied to the customers' bill; amending the existing Table of Organization as it applies to police and authorizing the pay raises awarded in their newly ratified contract; authorizing Mavromatis to enter into an agreement with Arcadis Engineering for design of the Phase II water plant upgrade and also apply for a loan to cover design fees; and authorizing Mavromatis or Wastewater Superintendent Chuck Murphy to apply for loans and other financial assistance for the city's secondary aeration project.
Second readings were heard for legislation repealing the existing Table of Organization for all employees and enacting a new one; and authorizing the city to apply for a grant from the National Park Service under the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Subgrant Program and for Mavromatis and Urban Projects Director Chris Petrossi to sign the appropriate contracts.
Prior to council's public session, council held a Zoom meeting with Aspire Grant and Developments Cassandra Kokoski.
Kokoski's presentation included a list of grants that have been awarded -- including a $500,000 HUD Choice Neighborhoods planning grant; a $300,000 H2Ohio grant; $250,000 from the Appalachian Regional Commission/Governor's Office of Appalachia; $30,000 from the PNC Charitable Trust-J.C. Williams Trust; $25,000 from the Ohio CDC Association Microbusiness Development program; $25,000 from the Pugliese Charitable Foundation; and $13,364 from ODNR Nature Works.
A handful of others grant applications are currently in progress, she said.
After the public meeting council met behind closed doors to discuss contracts for the city manager and clerk of council, and to review the proposed contract with Steubenville firefighters.