REAPPOINTED — Ward 3 Councilman Fred Marsh listens during Monday’s meeting of the Weirton Finance Committee. After being removed from the committee last week, Marsh was reinstated to its membership Monday by Mayor Harold Miller. -- Craig Howell

WEIRTON — Four days after being removed from his position on it, Ward 3 Councilman Fred Marsh has been reappointed to the city’s Finance Committee.

The committee convened for its regular monthly meeting Monday, with Marsh joining Councilmembers Enzo Fracasso and Terry Weigel.

At the beginning of the meeting, Marsh explained he had met with Mayor Harold Miller Monday morning.

“We hashed out some things,” Marsh said.

A memorandum listing Monday’s date and signed by Miller, a copy of which was shared with The Weirton Daily Times, stated “Councilman Fred Marsh has been reinstated to the Finance Committee effective August 5, 2019.”

The memo was listed as being sent to City Manager Carlo Pilgrim, Finance Director Diana Smoljanovich and members of council, with a copy also to be sent to City Attorney Vince Gurrera.

While Marsh has been reinstated to the committee, he recommended Fracasso now serve as the committee’s chair, a motion for which was approved. The Finance Committee is the only committee on which Marsh serves.

Marsh had been notified of his removal from the committee Thursday, following a discussion with Miller. That decision came two days after a special council meeting at which several members of council, including Marsh, debated the procedures for establishing Pilgrim’s starting salary.

Miller, on Friday, defended his initial decision to remove Marsh by saying there had been “a couple things” recently with the Finance Committee, which he felt Marsh, as chairman at the time, should have addressed. Miller also said he planned to make other changes to the makeup of city committees and boards.

Council appointments to those boards, which are done at the mayor’s discretion, had been made during the July 8 city council meeting.

In other business, Finance Committee members recommended Pilgrim schedule a workshop for the full council in order to discuss arrangements for health care coverage for the new city manager.

“This is something I think needs clarified,” Fracasso said.

Pilgrim agreed the issue should be discussed among all seven members of council.

“I personally agee,” Pilgrim said. “I think it’s a good idea.”

During the July 30 special council meeting, Miller proposed Pilgrim start with an $80,000 a year pay, with the understanding he would not accept health insurance from the city, instead opting to use his existing coverage through his retirement from the U.S. Navy.

Council, instead, voted 6-1, with Weigel against, to start Pilgrim at $75,000 — the minimum pay for the city manager in Weirton — with no decision on health insurance. Council also instituted a 90-day probation period, at which time council would assess Pilgrim’s job performance.

(Howell can be contacted at chowell@weirtondailytimes.com, and followed via Twitter @CHowellWDT)