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The Jamestown City Council will be voting later this month to form a salary review commission.
On Monday, Todd Thomas, city clerk and administrative services director, mentioned to the council that commission member nominations had been made.
According to the city charter, the council president and mayor each nominate three members for the commission. The people nominated by Marie Carrubba, council president, included Tyler Case, Margaret Cornell and Catherine Way. The three members nominated by Sam Teresi, city mayor, included Howard Brook, Dr. Lillian Ney and the Rev. Chloe Smith.
Council members receive a salary of $5,000 a year, with the president receiving $6,000. The last time the council members received an increase in pay was in 1984. The salary for the mayor is $72,000. The last time the mayor's salary increased was 2008.
The last time a salary review commission was formed was four years ago. In December 2014, the salary review commission recommended a salary increase for the mayor from $72,000 to $80,000 starting in 2016, with the salary increasing an additional $5,000 in 2017 and by $2,500 in 2018 and 2019, to a total of $90,000.
In 2014, the commission recommended council members' salaries increasing from $5,000 a year to $6,000 in 2016, with the president's salary increasing from $6,000 to $7,000. Also, for the first time, committee chairs would get an additional $500 bonus.
The council during several meetings in 2014 and 2015 discussed the recommendations by the salary review commission, but didn't act on any of the proposals.
In March, Anthony Dolce, Ward 2 councilman, said because of budget restraints at the time, of which the council still deals with, they decided not to make any adjustments to salaries for elected officials. He said even though they are still dealing with financial issues, there probably should be some type of adjustment made seeing that the council's salary hasn't increased in the last 34 years and the mayor's hasn't changed in the last 10 years.
The salary of an elected officials cannot be adjusted during a current term, which is why if any adjustment is approved by the council it will go into effect in 2020.
In other business, the council held a special voting session meeting to pass a resolution to support the application by officials at St. Luke's Episcopal church for state grant funding to preserve the historic structure.
The Rev. Luke Fodor spoke about the need for funding to ensure the preservation of the church, which was completed in 1894. He said they need funding to secure the west side of the building, which is leaning toward North Main Street. He added that the bell tower is also a structure that attracts a lot of moisture because it's made out of sandstone.
Fodor said the church is in the process of raising $1 million for the renovation work.
"We're hoping to get the funding so the building will last another 120 years," he said.
The Housing Committee heard from Natalia Whiteman, Chautauqua County Health Department, who discussed the childhood lead prevention program. Vickye James, Ward 3 councilwoman, said the grant the county received 10 years ago for the childhood lead prevention program is about to expired. She said Whiteman asked the city for support in applying for another grant. She added that 40 percent of the children under the age of 6 in the city have elevated lead levels above what is recommended. Lead poisoning can cause brain damage and several other health problems.
James said through the program, homeowners and landlords can receive funding to help prevent lead paint poisoning in houses. She said county officials have problems with landlords participating in the lead paint removal program.
Vanessa Weinert, At-Large councilwoman, said landlords can receive up to a 20 percent match for lead paint remediation in their rental units. She said this issue needs to be taken seriously by the community because the city has the eighth highest elevated lead level incidents in the state.
Brent Sheldon, Ward 1 councilman who works for the Chautauqua County Department of Health & Human Services, said it is a serious problem in the county and it doesn't need to be because lead paint poisoning is preventable.