Amherst News-Times, 1998-09-30

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of electing next
mayor full-time
by QLEN MLLER
News-Times reporter
There was little question about
the need Tor a full-time mayor during a Sept 21 public hearing but
more of a question about his need
for full-time help.
Less than a dozen Amherst residents turned out for the special
meeting held to get public input on
upgrading the mayor's job to full-
time. Another meeting was scheduled for Sept 28.
Those who attended were supportive, including Dan Brown of
Woodhill Drive.
He noted that mayor John Higgins has shown Ius dedication by
working at city hall as well as pitching in on a variety of community
projects.
He has seen Higgins "often covered with mud" or -working with
hand tools along with other residents and city council members.
Mayfleld Drive resident Michael
Keller said running the city is now a
full-time job.
"I think it's time we'd better
grow up and pay full-time and decent wages for a full-time mayor,"
he added.
j There was no council opposition
to the proposal to make the mayor's
job full-time. Most council members
■greed die mayor often works more
than 60 hours weekly for $16,450 a
year.
Council is in the process of determining the pay for full-time mayors
in area cities about the size of Amherst. Some privately have suggested a range of about $40,000.
Regardless of the pay,' several
council members said upgrading the
mayor's post only may be the first
step in improving the city
administration.
"You can't run a multi-million
dollar business like the city with
part-time help," councilman John
Dietrich said. "We need to install at
least one new full-time position in
the administration, so that when the
mayor is gone, decisions can still be
made.''
Suggestions included hiring a
full-time safety-service director or
an administrative aide who has experience in government
"The salary is a very crucial
thing, but I also think there has too
be another body in there because he
— any mayor — can only do so
much," added treasurer Kathleen
Litkovitz.
Higgins frequently has said daily
job demands leave him little time to
read and research important materials and documents unless he takes
them home in the evening.
Executive committee chairman
John Mishak noted the mayor's job
has significantly increased as the
city has grown.
"Fifteen years ago we had about
6,000 people and now we have between 12,000 and 14,000," he
added. "And, the budget used to be
$2.6 million, too. Now it's $23
million."
The recommendation for a full-
time mayor came from a citizen
committee headed by Amherst resident David Williams. Originally, the
group had thought the issue had.**
be decided by voters.
The public meetings are being
held because law director Alan Anderson discovered the change is the
responsibility of city councils in statutory cities like Amherst.
Williams said he supports the
need for administrative help but
added council's first objective
should be to upgrade the mayor's
job before making any other administrative changes.
Master mason and brick layer Walter Mackin (at center wearing
hat) instructs his employees on some of the tricks of the trade while
dismantling Obertin's war memorial. From left are Robert Sobon,
Gabriel Tolento (with jack hammer), Mackin and his son John
Mackin (sitting on wall) Pat Sobon and John Sobon.
Father, son team fix monument
by QLEN MILLER
News-Times reporter
Amherst masonry contractors
Walter Mackin and his son John
have taken on the job of carefully
preserving the honor of men who
served and died for America.
City calls on local masons
to help them repair history
of re
prises, Inc., is la tha
building a 56-year-
ial honoring Oberlin veterans killed
in conflicts since the Civil War.
Working in the college town isn't
new to the Mackins. They helped
build the NASCORP headquarters
on E. Lorain Street and constructed
a brick sign displaying the name of
the Oberlin Inn.
Locally, they've done work on
dozens of buildings, including Heritage Plaza on Kresge Drive and the
city's utilities complex off N. Lake
Street
Mackin, who has been in business
for 30 years, has been carefully tak-
brick structures for two decades.
The Oberlin structure is his first
war memorial, so he's taking special
care. Doe to a shoulder injury in his
younger years, Mackin never served
in the aimed forces, although many
relatives and friends have.
He wants his work to last 100
years.
"So, I want to take special care
because I fully realize the meaning
of the names listed here. It's more
than just a brick wall," he explained.
Restoration is the Mackins' specially. Mackin has worked around
or studied historical structures. He's
learned "what you have to do to
keep them they way they are supposed to be."
His son, 32. admits to learning
from his father, 55, who he considers to be an artist and teacher.
He currently employs three Polish
immigrants, Robert, Pat and John
Sobon. They and a fourth worker,
Gabriel Tolento, say they are learning the trade from a master.
Several years ago, the senior
Mackin relayed stones to an ancient
Incan temple in Peru. He's also
spent time working on and studying
ancient Indian ruins in Mexico.
"I look at them from the point of
learning things and how to restore
them," he explained. "Restoration is
an important part of preserving our
history so people can enjoy it and
learn from it"
Oberlin is paying Mackin
$38,000 to restore the war monument, the center of which is bowed
out toward the Plum Creek due to
the effects of years of continued
freezing and thawing.
Mother Nature has pushed out a
section of a hill on which the monument is built causing it to bow outward. The structure is in no immediate danger of collapsing, although
Mackin said it will fall eventually if
left uncorrected.
The memorial is located in
Wright Park, a small city park that
CONTINUED on page 5
City extends fire contract
while negotiations continue
by QLEN MILLER
Mary and Bill White stand at the entrance to
their dream home on Willow Creek Drive. It Is
the only Amherst home chosen for a county-
wide home tour thai will raise money for college scolarshipe.
Couple build their dream
home and invite 500 guests
by QLEN MILLER
News-Trmee reporter
Little did BUI and Mary
White realize whoa they bulk
their dream home about six
yrars ago that they aright
have as many as 500 people
come walking into their bouse
in one day.
But they are delighted ab
out the prospect of so much
company.
On Oct 3, their home at
720 Willow CMek Drive will
be the only Amherst home
toured by huadreds of people
wan, have purchased tickets
for me 199t Tour of lloaan,
Hold minMy by as Lorain
branch of the wanrirt Asso-
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tha lour raises •ckotarehiB
money far high trhroh
I've always wasae! to do
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me way we wage* fc/alary
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News-Times raporter
City council has approved a
60-day extension of a fire protection
contract with Amherst Township in
the hope township trustees will soon
approve a draft contract recommended by city officials.
The extension was approved by
city council police and fire committee Sept 21 aad was expected to be
okayed on emergency by the entire
council Sept 30. A contract with the
township expiree Oct 1.
The terms of the proposal call for
the total cost of township fire pro-
tection to be increased from the current $46,000 to $110,000 annually
lor five yean.
Although the increase is sizable,
mayor Joan Higgins said the city
hat been subsidizing the coat of
township fire service based on the
number of calls answered in the
township.
Last year, 29 percent of the Amherst Fire Department's calls were
in the township. The township paid
$46344 which represented 105 percent of the department's operating
costs.
Not all of $110,000 fee will be
for service, though. About $20,000
will be set aside each year to pay for
a new pumper-tanker. It must cany
3,000 gallons of water to rural areas
without fire hydrants.
The city's existing fire truck is 24
years old, about four years older
than most equipment is retained by
most fire departments.
"We don't really need this truck
for our use la the city, only in the
township. So, we think it's fair they
pay for most of it over the term of
then* contract" the mayor explained.
The base fee would be $40,000.
Another $50,000 is sought for firefighter services and the upkeep and
rental of fire hydrants placed in
newer parts of the township.
The mayor catted the fees "fair
and equitable" based on the number
of homes and businesses in the
township and fire responses.
He noted the foe is less expensive
than the estimated $185,000 that
would be generated yearly by a
2-mill fire protection tax levy
sought by the township trustees.
Although township officials want
to start their own fire department
various fire chiefs and experts consulted by the News-runes said start
up costs may range between
$250,000 to $375,000 depending on
the equipment purchased. The esti-
fightcr training or cc«strucaon of a
fire station, they added.
Great balls of fire!
These girls light up halftime
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