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Leetonia solicitor gets pay raise

LEETONIA- Village Council on Wednesday approved a raise for Village Solicitor Walter Newton.

Council approved a one-year contract for 2014 retroactive to Jan. 1 and increased his salary to $15,000 effective Oct. 1. He had previously been paid $10,815.

In other business council approved Brandon Bridgewater as a part-time police officer and the purchase of an LED light bar for a fire engine estimated at $1,000 to $1,500.

Council also agreed to have the bleachers on the hill at Legion Field removed due to safety issues.

Additionally council member Sue Buchanan suggested a public forum at the library in order to host candidates in the November election and question them regarding funding for the coke ovens, which have been indefinitely closed due to safety and maintenance issues. She said the public forum could help raise awareness since fund raising alone does not seem to be sufficient.

Buchanan also reported that a local Girl Scout troop will assist in saving plants, particularly hostas, being removed from the library for relocation to Wick Park.

Also at the meeting, the property owner on the northwest corner of Hazel Street and state Route 344 voiced complaints regarding zoning in the village, noting that he received two letters regarding high weeds on his property despite similar issues on village property.

He also said he had concerns about how Zoning Inspector John Rydarowicz is handling construction of a neighboring new business, stating that he said he was only OK with the construction if it waited until he could have his property surveyed, but construction moved forward without anyone checking with him regarding the survey.

He also said that no dust control was used during the razing of the old structure and that he and other adjacent property owners were notified of the construction only after it was approved by the zoning board. He emphasized that he is in favor of the business moving in, but has concerns about how it has been carried out.

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