Far left, Andrew Liuzzo, At-Large councilman, during a February work session meeting of the Jamestown City Council. Liuzzo has invited state, county and city officials to attend a meeting with the public at Love Elementary School from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 28. The event titled “Ask Us” will provide residents an opportunity to discuss issues facing the city. P-J photo by Dennis Phillips

A Jamestown City Council member is trying to bridge the gap between elected officials and the public.

On Monday, Andrew Liuzzo, At-Large councilman, announced he is inviting state, county and city officials, along with the public, to attend the “Ask Us” event at Love Elementary School from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 28.

Liuzzo said there is not a public format with the council where the public can interact with city officials and create a dialogue about issues facing the city. Typically at a meeting of the council, a resident of the city is allowed to make a statement to elected officials, but the council members don’t necessarily respond to the inquiry at that time.

Liuzzo said he has invited state representatives like Sen. Cathy Young, R-Olean, and Assemblyman Andy Goodell, R-Jamestown; Chautauqua County legislators who represent city residents; and he invited the council, Sam Teresi, Jamestown mayor, and all city administrators to the meeting.

“The point is to open ourselves up and make ourselves available to the public,” he said.

Liuzzo said if the weather is nice, the meeting will be held outside. He also said there will be a school supply donation drive happening for students at Love Elementary School, located at 50 E. Eighth St.

In other business, the council passed a resolution to apply for $525,000 in state Department of Transportation grant funding for an extension of the Greater Jamestown Riverwalk into the city’s medical corridor. Teresi said the plan is to extend the Riverwalk from behind the Jamestown Area Medical Associates Riverwalk Center toward UPMC Chautauqua. He said the path will go from Harrison Street to Hancett Place to Victoria Avenue, and will also include Institute Street. He added, if city officials receive the grant, a third pedestrian bridge will be installed behind Big Lots that will lead to the new location of The Chautauqua Center, which is being constructed at the former Artone furniture manufacturing facility.

Teresi said the new riverwalk section will assist people with finding several medical facilities and also could be used for people who want to walk to work if they are employed by a health care provider.

The council also approved the three people nominated by Marie Carrubba, council president, for the Salary Review Commission. During the meeting, Teresi also recommended his three appointments to the commission, who were approved by the council.

According to the city charter, the council president and mayor each nominate three members to the commission. The people nominated by Carrubba included Tyler Case, Margaret Cornell and Catherine Way. The three members nominated by Teresi 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, which is according to the process in the city charter. 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.

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. Dolce said the council has several options once the commission makes its recommendation. He said they can accept, deny or make changes to the recommendation.