Acting Conneaut manager to be named

By MARK TODD - Staff Writer - mtodd@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon

May 05, 2008 11:43 pm

— CONNEAUT — City Council should announce tonight who will oversee Conneaut's day-to-day operations until a full-time replacement for City Manager Douglas Lewis is located.
Council will convene a 6 p.m. special meeting to formally approve a contract with an interim manager, whom sources have said will be Edward Somppi, a city resident.
The interim manager will oversee City Hall for the foreseeable future. Council President James Jones has said a full-time manager may not be on the job until the end of the year, depending on the selection process council opts to use.
Council met in executive session Sunday afternoon to discuss the interim manager situation. “We got a lot of things ironed out,” Jones said after the meeting.
Members convened another closed-door meeting after Monday's work session to discuss personnel and the sale/purchase of real estate. Jones declined to identify the successful candidate, but said after the work session he expected no surprises come time to vote on a contract.
Based on that schedule, Monday's work session marked Lewis' last appearance at a council work session. Councilman-at-Large Jacob Chicatelli was the only council member to comment on Lewis' departure, thanking him for "four years of dedicated service."
“You were a fine city manager,” Chicatelli said. “I hate to lose you. Thank you for your service.”