Amherst News-Times, 1998-07-29

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Amherst News-Times
July  29,   1998
Amhorst    Ohio
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to borrow $4.1 million to pay for repairs
MILLER
News-Times reporter
The city has decided to borrow
about $4.1 million to finance a variety of capital improvement projects,
including the repair of city hall and
construction of a new water tower.
An ordinance authorizing the loan
was approved by city council's finance committee June 20 and was
expected to be okayed by the entire
council June 27, its final meeting
prior to a month-long break.
Another ordinance hired Butler
Wick and Co., Inc., a Medina bond
underwriting firm that will oversee
the financing of the projects.
Part of the firm's responsibilities
will be to hire a legal firm to act as
bond counsel. In doing so, the city
avoids any legal difficulties associated with a lawsuit filed against
council, the mayor and other administrators by law director Alan
Anderson.
The suit, which has been appe
aled to a state appellate court, challenges council's right to overstep
Anderson's authority in the selection of a bond counsel. Council cannot sell the repair bonds until the
court issue's its ruling.
Mayor John Higgins said the ordinance in question only prohibits
council from hiring a bond council
to sell about $400,000 in bonds to
repair the city hall roof and bell
tower. It wanted to hire the Cleveland law firm of Squires, Sanders
and  Dempsey.  Anderson  chose
another firm.
In this case, Butler Hicks will do
the hiring, not council, he explained.
Several months ago, council
chose to finance the repairs by using
$450,000 it transferred out of a firefighters' disability fund. The mayor
said those funds will remain unused
and draw interest, but can be used as
a "backup." If council wishes, the
money can also be used to help pay
off some of the loan, he added.
In addition to the city hall work,
the projects are:
• $300,000 for improvements to
the city's water treatment plant. The
most urgent work includes several
improvements to the plant's electrical system, including the purchase
of a new generator.
• $1.4 million for improvements
to the city's electrical system, including the upgrade of an old substation located near the Nordson
Corporation. The improvements involve the installation of new generators and other equipment, much of
which is old and could fail, accord
ing  to  utilities director  Donald
Woodings.
• $1 million for the construction
of a 500,000 gallon water tower to
be located off Middle Ridge Road
near S. Lake Street.
The tower should alleviate water
pressure problems oh the west side
of the city caused by differences in
elevation. The city had planned to
build a 1 million gallon tower until
CONTINUED on page   3
Cruisin' couple face nightmare aboard ship
Vacation ruined when their
paradise catches on fire
by GLEN MILLER
News-Times reporter
What started out as a
cruise to the sunny Caribbean
turned into a cruise of terror,
frustration and anger for Donald and Kelly Sibla of
Amherst, and their eight-year-
old son Eric.
The Siblas were among the
dozens of passengers aboard
the Carnival Cruise Line ship
that caught fire shortly after
leaving Miami July 20.
They escaped with their
lives but not their belongings.
Those were destroyed by the
fire that swept through their
state room located a short
distance from the ship's aft,
the origin of the nearly
deadly blaze.
The Siblas, of 815 West
Martin St, decided to take
the cruise last March because
it may be their last long vacation in several years.
They may not be able to
afford another while paying
for two college educations.
Their oldest daughter, Kendra,
22, who is in college, is about to be joined by their
other daughter, Geni, 18.
The two women didn't join
their parents and Eric. It was
to be his first cruise and his
parent's third. They took their
first cruise as honeymooners
11 years and their second
with their daughters a few
years ago.
"So we were really looking
forward to this. We hadn't
been anywhere for four years
and now this mess," Kelly Sibla said.
They had a better "middle-
priced" stateroom on previous
cruises. This time, they had
booked a cabin on the lowest
most inexpensive rrTI**
deck to save moneytbT—
souvenirs and other things. It
was nice but had no
portholes.
About 40 minutes after
boarding, she said the family
CONTINUED on page 2
Donald and Kelly Sibla enjoy dinner during a previous cruise.
Their recent experience on a cruise ship wasni so pleasant; the
two were forced to evacuate when the ship caught on fire.
City agrees to lease
purchase agreement
on San Springs site
by GLEN MILLER
News-Times reporter
j The city has agreed to buy the
San Springs Building on Park Avenue for $272,000 under a lease/
purchase agreement that will provide it with much-needed office
space.
The agreement was approved by
city council's finance committee
Jury 20 and was expected to be approved by the entire council June
It was no surprise. Mayor John
Higgins said he had been negotiating for the lease or sale of the sandstone building at Park Avenue and
Forest Street for several months.
! Under a deal worked out with the
owners, a group of doctors, the city
has agreed to lease the structure for
four months before officially purchasing iL
The total price, lease plus purchase, is $272,000, an amount the
mayor and council members agreed
is a bargain.
"We need more apace, space
that's newer than this (city hall) and
doesn't need a lot of repairs,'' added
councilman Sieve P'Simer. The
price is right I can't see passing it
»p."
It is likely to become a temporary
city administrative structure once
work begins on the exterior of the
historic city hall at N. Main and Milan Avenue. No date has been set
lor the repairs, although they involve replacement of the roof and
work on the bell tower. It will cost
an estimated $400,000.
\ After that, the building will house
e of the offices now crowded
the lint floor of city ealL in
cluding the mayor and safety service
director's, treasurer's and auditor's
offices in addition to the building
department. Other city offices also
may be located there.
City hall offices now lack space
and confidentiality for meetings.
Currently, the city council chambers, which also houses the council
clerk's office, is the only space
where conferences can be held.
Otherwise, "there is nowhere
where you can sit down and layout a
set of drawings," councilman John
Dietrich said. "We're behind the
times just a little bit,"
Additional space also is need for
filing cabinets, some of which are
now being stored in city hall's only
hallway. No other space is available.
The city hall basement, formerly the
police department, is unusable as is
the second floor, once a community
auditorium.
The physicians originally sought
$300,000 for the building, an offer
Higgins rejected. They then proposed the leaseypurchase agreement.
Higgins said he hopes to begin
moving some offices into the building by Sept IS.
The funds will come out of money set aside for the utilities department. The city will sublease the
building from the utilities department for an amount to be determined by council.
The city also owns, the
pott office building on Park Avenue. It currently if leased by a
church but could\be converted to ad-
diifinaal office snaeff should council
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Voters to
decide on
full-time
mayor job
by GLEN MILLER
News-Times reporter
Amherst voters probably will be
asked to decide in November
whether they want mayor John Higgins — and his successors — to
work for them full-time rather than
part-time.
City council was expected to give
its stamp of approval Monday to an
executive committee recommendation for a full-time city mayor. The
move will allow the city to place the
proposal on the ballot by Aug. 22,
the filing deadline for the Nov. 3
general election.
The recommendation was unanimously approved by the committee
following the presentation of a report by David Williams, chairman
of a four-member citizens'
committee.
The group, which also includes
councilman David Kukucka and re-
sidenu William Harlan and Barbara
Lnetncn, was appoottca in Marcn oy
council president Wayne While to
determine the need far a full-time
mayor.
William, likened the mayor's job
to that of the CEO of a rnajor company which, like A.fftrVPTtL hat
grown over rhe last 10 to 15 yean.
"We wan top4evet iiaajrairai
ana costencatve aunnjonMat, ae
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and coanfeeary wisheat any ea>
tuses. Yon Jatt cent do *nt aaav
time."
The panel's leaaarea involved to-