T-L Photo/JENNIFER COMPSTON-STROUGH Martins Ferry Police Chief Jerry Murphy provides a report to city council during its regular meeting Wednesday

MARTINS FERRY — Martins Ferry City Council in a split vote Wednesday approved elevating four employees to new leadership positions.

During a regular meeting, Auditor Jack Regis Sr. asked council to allow the appointment of three new crew leaders and one new clerk position that will take on additional responsibilities and reduce the workloads of Mayor John Davies and Service/Safety Director Andy Sutak. Davies explained that four individual employees had been identified who are willing to take on extra duties, such as coordinating specific jobs and ensuring that tasks the administration wants completed are finished as directed.

According to Davies and Regis, representatives of the city’s chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union approve of the changes.

The employees will come from the ranks of the sewer, water and street/cemetery/sanitation departments and were selected because of their leadership skills.

“The way this worked out is we found three people we thought would be good at the job. We talked to them. We told them to go back to the union body and talk to them, because I didn’t want to have any internal friction. And, I mean it was pretty much 100% agreement that this would be a good move for everybody,” said Davies, who stressed that the appointments could be changed at any time and that this move would not obligate the next administration to maintain these leadership positions.

When a motion was made later in the meeting to approve the staffing changes, council members Robert Hunker, Spencer Echemann, Suzanne Armstrong, Rick Rodgers and the Rev. James Agnew all voted in favor. Councilman James Schramm was absent, and Councilman Ben Neiman voted “no.”

Following the meeting, Neiman said his own background of union involvement prompted him to vote against the change.

“They are a union shop,” Neiman said of the city workers. “Every job gets bid, and the most senior, most qualified person gets it. Letting them hand pick people is going to cause friction.”

As a result, he said, he could not vote in favor of elevating the selected employees with a clear conscience.

Meanwhile, Davies also took a few moments to thank council members, city administrators, municipal employees and the public for their patience and support over the past few weeks.

“First and foremost, my family wants to express our gratitude for everybody’s compassion on the death of my wife,” he said. “… We really appreciate all the support.”

Davies’ wife, Janie, died Sept. 10 after a five-year battle against cancer.

The only other business Davies brought to council was that he had been approached earlier Wednesday by a group wishing to establish pickleball courts at the site of the current basketball courts at the City Park. The courts are currently kept locked due to foul language and littering by players and are in poor condition. Davies said the group had offered to resurface the courts, perform necessary repairs to fencing and to provide any additional needed equipment, such as new nets that it also would take down and store for winter.

Following some questions from council members, it was revealed that any revenue generated by rental of the new pickleball courts would go to the city’s park district. Davies also suggested that new basketball courts could be installed at a different location, with a few sites discusses as possibilities.

Council later voted unanimously to allow that project to proceed.

When talk turned to needed repairs to the municipal building, Service/Safety Director Andy Sutak and Auditor Jack Regis said some bids had been received for work on the building’s roof and exterior masonry. A finance committee meeting was scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday at the building to review and discuss those bids. General estimates place the total cost of the work between $300,000 and $500,000.

Council also heard from resident and former mayor Phil Wallace. He said he had delivered a petition asking the city to address needed street repairs and water runoff issues in the area of Spring Haven Drive and Grandview Street. Davies responded that city officials had looked at the area and would install a catch basin there, paid for through the sewer fund. He also said they would get an estimate for paving at that location.

Resident Richard Hord also addressed council, thanking officials for addressing concerns he previously raised about Virginia Street. He said the problem had been fixed.

In another matter, council suspended the rules requiring three public readings of legislation prior to a vote and approved an ordinance authorizing Sutak to advertise for bids for the sale of a city-owned property in the Crawford Heights neighborhood.

Council also unanimously approved a purchase order payable to W. E. Quicksall and Associates for a road repair project at Beretta Drive and Dutch Hill in the amount of $142,150. Sutak said the city is responsible for 15.44% of the total cost with Pease Township covering 15.16% and the remainder funded by the Ohio Public Works Commission.

And council approved transferring $15,000 from the general fund to the cemetery fund at regis’ request. He said that money would be the second half of $30,000 previously appropriated for the cemetery fund for the year.

Finally, Davies reminded council and the public that a community cleanup will be held Sept. 30-Oct. 4. The sanitation department will provide curbside pickup of unwanted items. Residents should place them where they ordinarily place their trash for collection. Davies noted that mattresses and box springs will be collected as long as they are properly wrapped, but a $20 charge will apply. All other items will be picked up for free.

“This is just a free service we provide for our citizens,” Davies said.