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Joseph Paolo appointed to Weirton Area Water Board by city council

WEIRTON — Weirton Council approved one appointment to the Weirton Area Water Board during a special meeting Wednesday, but will be holding off on another under advice from the city attorney.

Council voted 5-1 in favor of appointing Joseph Paolo to the seat which has been held by Don Gianni Jr. on the water board.

One amendment was recommended to Paolo’s appointment by City Attorney Vince Gurrera, who claimed the term should be set to expire with the current mayoral term – meaning it would be complete at the end of 2028.

“The charter is clear,” he said.

Such a stand may mean additional changes to terms for other board appointments, including the remaining members of the board.

Under Ordinance 1317, enacted in June 2001 and creating the Weirton Area Water Board, board members were set with staggered five-year terms. Gianni’s most recent term was established to last from June 1, 2020, to May 31 of this year.

As part of both council’s May and June regular meetings, a resolution was presented to re-appoint Gianni to the seat he has held for more than 20 years. The appointment was tabled in May after council heard from a group of residents expressing concerns with the operations of the board.

In June, a motion to take the appointment off of the table was voted down by council.

Wednesday’s appointment for Paolo included votes in favor from Councilmembers Tim Connell, Ralph Cunningham, Jesse Keeder, Anthony Rocchio, and Chris Jonczak, while Councilmember Brittany Holloway voted against. Councilmember Rick Stead was not in attendance.

Paolo is a Weirton Steel retiree and former educator, who has been active with the Weirton Area Chamber of Commerce as well as serving on the board of directors for Weirton Medical Center.

A second appointment which had been scheduled for Wednesday’s meeting — for Lawrence Wright to serve as an ex-officio member of the Water Board – was pulled under Gurrera’s guidance.

According to Gurrera, an ex-officio member — one appointed to a board or commission but without any voting authority — typically is a representative of the municipal government.

“Normally, the nomination would be a councilmember or the city manager,” Gurrera said

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