Cadiz Road concerns aired at Wintersville Council
Trending
WINTERSVILLE -- Village Council Thursday heard from a union representative who has concerns about the contractor selected to handle the Cadiz Road water line and resurfacing project, while the council president expressed growing frustration about delays in the delivery of water bills.
Brian Palmer, the business manager and secretary-treasurer for Laborers’ Local 809, said the union was asking council members to work with it and Imperial-based Cronin Enterprises Civil and Rail to pursue a project labor agreement before work begins.
"When millions of dollars are being invested in a local project, we shouldn’t have to wonder how many local residents are working on it or whether our young people are even being given an opportunity," Palmer said while reading from a statement during the public comment portion of the meeting.
"Local 809 has trained, qualified workers ready to go. There is no reason why local workers and apprentices shouldn’t have a meaningful opportunity to work on a project happening in their own community," he continued.
Cronin was selected as the contractor for the project during the Sept. 3 meeting after submitting the low bid of $2,298,416. The decision came on a 3-1 vote, with Councilmembers Jason Mattern, Randy Spence and Gael Damron voting to accept the bid and Councilman Carmen DeStefano casting the dissenting vote. Councilmembers Bob Merriman and Dr. Pennie Scarpone were not present at that meeting.
In addition to Cronin, Border Patrol LLC of Hopedale submitted a bid of $2,318,949.27, James White Construction Co. of Weirton submitted a bid of $2,470,999, S.E.T. Inc. of Lowellville submitted a bid of $2,662,917 and Alex E. Paris Contracting Co. of Atlasburg, Pennsylvania, submitted a bid of $2,831,056.
The engineer’s estimate was $2,386,000.
Before approving the Cronin bid, a motion to award the contract to James White failed on a 2-2 vote, with DeStefano and Spence voting in favor.
Palmer, who was accompanied to the meeting by Nick Vendetta, the union’s field representative and organizer, and Molly Powell, its recording secretary, said residents need to know the project "is being done safely, prevailing wages are being properly enforced and local workers are being given a fair opportunity."
"Laborers Local 89 has made a commitment to this community," he continued. "We recruit directly from Jefferson County schools, including Indian Creek and the Jefferson County JVS. We put local young men and women into our apprenticeship program, train them and give them an opportunity to build a career and raise their families here."
Reporting check: The story identifies the union as Laborers’ Local 809 throughout, but this quote says "Laborers Local 89." If that is not an exact quote or a deliberate reference to a different local, verify the number before publication.
The union serves Jefferson, Harrison, Columbiana, Brooke and Hancock counties.
Questions asked by Palmer included who would be responsible for prevailing-wage compliance, who would review certified payrolls and who would be accountable if workers are improperly classified or underpaid.
Palmer said the union was willing to reach an agreement, but if that was not possible, its members would not just sit by.
"Our first choice is to resolve these issues by sitting down and working together," he explained. "But, if necessary, Local 809 is prepared to conduct lawful informational demonstrations throughout the duration of this project, alongside other local building trades from throughout the Ohio Valley and across the state. Our purpose will be to inform the public about the project, the use of public dollars, local workforce opportunities and the importance of protecting area wage and labor standards."
Mayor Mike Petrella said he would speak with Cronin on the union’s behalf when he has the opportunity.
An attempt to contact Cronin was not successful.
Spence offered an update on continuing issues some village residents have been having with receiving their water bills late or not at all. He said the missing bills for this month were generally in the areas of Patton and Crawford avenues, as well as Stardust Drive. The Steubenville postmaster had been contacted about the situation a couple of months ago but had not yet provided a solution to the issue.
Before saying he would take the matter to the next level, Spence said the village had received an envelope from the postmaster in the central Illinois town of Raymond that included numerous utility bills meant for village residents that had mistakenly been sent there.
One of the bills belonged to Damron.
While Spence suggested that anyone who does not receive their village utility bill on time should contact the Steubenville postmaster, Petrella reminded residents they can register for electronic billing and payment by contacting the utility office.
In other business:
-- Petrella said trick-or-treat in the village will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 31.
-- The mayor added that the village’s fall leaf collection will occur on the first three Mondays of November. Those whose regular trash collection is on Tuesday will have their leaves collected Nov. 2; those whose regular trash collection is on Wednesday will have their leaves collected Nov. 9; and those whose trash is picked up on Thursday or Friday will have their leaves collected Nov. 16.
-- Damron announced that the Wintersville Beautification Committee had scheduled its annual Barktoberfest for 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 4 at the village’s dog park. It will include the annual costume contest, basket drawings, a meet-and-greet with the Fort Steuben Kennel Association and a story walk with the Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County. She said the committee is working to secure food vendors.
Council’s next meeting will be at 7 p.m. Oct. 1 at the Village Building.