Municipal court raises and the city's purchase of Broad Street building pass Elyria Council

ELYRIA — Raises for Municipal Court employees and the city's purchase of a Broad Street building were just two of several issues that passed through City Council's final meeting before the new year. Council unanimously approved Monday both the raise and purchase, absent one council member, Judy Keys. Municipal Court employees, barring the judges, will receive a 4 percent wage increase following an impassioned plea from Judge Gary Bennett at the Dec. 9 Finance Committee meeting. It was a long a practice in the city to give raises to nonunion employees when AFSCME employees received raises through negotiations. That ended several years ago. But Bennett had said ending that practice has left the court "playing catch up ever since." The raise would cover the 2.5 percent raise recent given to union employees in July, 0.5 percent for retro pay and 1 percent to keep with cost of living. And Mayor Holly Brinda was given the OK by Council to use city funds to purchase the former Powerhouse Gym, at 419 Broad St., to use for future development. On Dec. 9, Brinda had said the plans for the building couldn't yet be revealed, but that it was part of a greater downtown redevelopment plan. Brinda had said she might present the draft drawings of the plan for the former gym at Monday's Council meeting, but she was unable to do so. The Broad Street building will cost $150,000, which Brinda said is below market value because of some badly needed rehabilitation on the second and third floors. It would cost about $180,000 to rehab the upper floors. Incoming Councilman Kenny Oswald voiced his hesitancy on Council approving the purchase because of the lack of details for it. "The city should not be in the real estate business," he said. "... We do not have a lot of details, which makes me uneasy." Oswald said there are other costs that the city would be responsible for after buying the building, like electricity and water. In other Council business It was the last meeting for several members of the administration and Council. Brinda, Safety Service Director Mary Siwierka, Clerk of Council Forrest Bullocks and Council President Mike Lotko are leaving their posts. Council members and Finance Director Ted Pileski thanked the four for their service, saying the city of Elyria is "better off" for having had them serve. Bullocks, who is retiring at the end of year, was honored with a proclamation from the office of Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague. Several council members thanked Bullocks for his mentorship to them over the years. Although Lotko is outgoing as a council member and Council president, it is likely that he will return to City Hall as the next clerk of council. The position must be voted through by council members. "Mr. Lotko, I enjoyed working with you very much, and you're not going anywhere," Councilwoman Donna Mitchell said. "... Mr. Bullocks, I can't thank you enough. When I joined Council, Mr. Bullocks told me to sit here and be quiet because I didn't know anything. And he was absolutely right. I didn't know a thing. But with his help and his mentorship, I hope I've learned." At the next Council meeting in January, Frank Whitfield will be mayor and Oswald will fill the 4th Ward seat. The next Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 6. Contact Laina Yost at (440) 329-7121 or lyost@chroniclet.com. Follow her on Twitter @MissLainaMae.