WASHINGTONVILLE - The village is operating with all six seats filled after council appointed Jim Smith and Ramona J. Custer to two vacancies on Monday.
Smith, who has prior service on council, and Custer will fill out terms that conclude on Dec. 31, 2015.
Custer was nominated by Councilwoman Colleen Ritterspach while Councilwoman Laura Trummer nominated Smith. Both were elected with 4-0 votes and were immediately given the oath of office by Mayor Will Jones.
Smith is the only man on council.
In other business, Assistant Police Chief Mark Husk summarized the 2011 annual report, calling it a "busy" year.
There were 597 citations issues and 5,000 security checks made, Husk said.
"It was a busy year but also a relatively safe year for the people traveling through Washingtonville."
He also advised that someone (not just in the village) was calling residents claiming to be with the
FBI and asking for Social Security numbers so they could be "taken off a list."
"Be aware of that," he said, adding it was also occurring in parts of Mahoning and Columbiana counties.
In other business, Street Foreman Eddie Garrett said he contacted Quality Truck for a price for strobe lights for the new truck.
Jones advised council the truck, purchased at the Oct. 17, 2011 meeting from Donnell Ford in Salem had arrived but was not equipped with strobe lights.
Council purchased the truck for $28,266 after commercial account Manager Neil Taylor gave a detailed presentation for an F-250 Super Duty regular cab with a 6.2 V8 and an automatic transmission. It was to be delivered snow-plow ready and strobe lights were discussed.
"It had no lights, I donated out of my pocket to put a small strobe on it," Jones said and Smith said, "I thought the truck was ordered with it ... with strobes for all four corners."
Jones said he went through the contract and there were no strobe lights in it. Garrett said said it would cost $1,200 to install the strobes through the light system and they could place a mini-strobe on top for another $200.
"We wanted strobes," Trummer said and Ritterspach agreed saying, "We wanted them just like the car."
Jones said he wanted to get three estimates, noting the truck can still be used with the one small strobe light on it now.
Husk said he had a company they could obtain a quote from, adding they really needed strobes at each corner and on top.
"You want to be visible," he said, "especially in the alleys."
In other business, Utilities Supervisor Brian Gudat said two pumps needed repair, explaining one motor runs but he thought there were faulty windings on the other.
Smith asked about the 7.5 horsepower motor, noting, "It might be advisable to have a backup." Also, the Leetonia and Green Township fire chiefs appeared with equipment requests.
Jones said he invited the chiefs to attend while pointing out the village gave them money last year.
He said the departments have helped out the village a lot.
Dave Leffel, the Leetonia assistant fire chief, listed an auto cribbing tool that secures rolled-over vehicles; special extrication gloves ($50 per firefighter) that protect firefighters in dealing with sharp metal in accidents; and a tool that pries doorways open enough to get a hydraulic jack in and push the doors open without damaging the door jams, and air tanks.
"We're trying to get some new," Leffel said, "the majority of what we have now is pretty much obsolete" He said the tanks cost between $700 and $800 each.
Green Township Fire Chief Todd Baird requested money to pay for a Thermal Imaging Camera ($10,500) noting the current camera viewer is black and white and can't register temperatures behind walls.
Baird said the department could use five air tanks too and it was applying for all the grants they could find, but he said federal grant money was "shrinking."
The village helped out in purchasing the township a firetruck before, Baird said, noting it was a "great help."
Larry Shields can be reached at lshields@salemnews.net
