Trending
STEUBENVILLE -- Second Ward Councilman Mike Johnson on Tuesday asked City Manager Jim Mavromatis to report to City Council on Sept. 19 on a plan to clean up the city's Pleasant Heights and LaBelle neighborhoods.
But Mavromatis warned against going down a slippery slope "by supporting laziness."
"There is no excuse for some of the places we saw on our walking tour on Pleasant Heights Monday. In some cases, it is a matter of taking care of properties. A plan to clean up the neighborhoods will cost us. We may be looking at six-day work weeks. There were residents I talked to Monday who made sure I knew who was responsible for some of the dumped trash. That is important if we want to pursue criminal prosecution," said Mavromatis.
"This didn't happen overnight and it won't be cured overnight. But once the success starts, it will spread," advised Mavromatis.
Johnson cited Summit Avenue as a street that has several well-kept homes surrounded by what he called mini-jungles.
"We saw abandoned vehicles, high weeds, furniture and dilapidated houses. The time for walking and talking is done. It is time for action. If we give up on Summit Avenue the problem will move to the next street and then the street after that until it reaches Lawson Avenue. Not one of us would want to live on Summit Avenue," announced Johnson.
"Jim may need help from council, and we may have to make the tough decisions. The time for blame is over. It is time for action. It will take a collaboration of city officials, citizens and land owners to move forward. But this must end in 2017," continued Johnson.
Mayor Domenick Mucci asked that the action plan contain an educational component.
"The government can't take care of everyone. We can't legislate morals. Some people just won't take care of their property. I am sure we have leaders on the hilltops who can organize volunteers to take care of the alleys. We need people to take some pride in their neighborhoods," remarked 1st Ward Councilman Gerald DiLoreto.
Fourth Ward Councilman Scott Dressel said he has forwarded a list of 22 dilapidated buildings in the city's North End neighborhood that need to be demolished.
"The people who live next to these buildings deserve to have the structures gone," he added.
Teresa DiCarlantonio, Hilltop Community Development Corp. representative, urged council members to bring landlords into the conversation.
"Ask them for their ideas and what they think should be done to clean up the hilltops. Ask them for their opinions because sometimes they take a bad rap," DiCarlantonio said.
In other business on Tuesday, Mavromatis again asked council members to decide if they want to renew a ban on medical marijuana dispensaries in the city or have a discussion about allowing a dispensary to operate in the community.
"We are in the Southeast District No. 9, which is Jefferson, Harrison, Belmont and Monroe counties. The state has allotted two medical marijuana dispensaries for that district and the businesses are looking at Steubenville as a potential site. This is coming to us whether we like it or not, so we need to be prepared," commented Mavromatis.
Councilwoman at large Kimberly Hahn reported on this month's Steubenville Revitalization Committee meeting at which members heard from an oil and gas leader who said now is the time for the city to be prepared to present itself in a positive way.
"There will be a need for oil and gas field offices with a staff. We will need to roll out the red carpet and bring back some of the jobs we have lost in recent years," Hahn said.
Fifth Ward Councilman Willie Paul introduced emergency legislation that would ratify an agreement to have the Jefferson County General Health District assume the services once offered by the city health department.
In other action, council heard the first reading for an ordinance to authorize four demolitions at 438 S. Fourth St., 442 S. Fourth St., 450-452 S. Fourth St. and 547 S. Fourth St. using re-programmed Community Development Block Grant funds.
An ordinance to vacate an unnamed alley on the south side of the Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County on South Fourth Street received a first reading Tuesday night.
The library is preparing to start a $3.5 million renovation project that will see the existing garage demolished and an addition placed at the rear of the main library, with the main entrance moving to the Slack Street side of the addition while maintaining the 115-year-old original Carnegie library building.
(Gossett can be contacted at dgossett@heraldstaronline.com.)