Iarocci: City crews doing what they’re suppose to be doing

By SHELLEY TERRY - Staff Writer - sterry@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon

May 06, 2008 07:18 pm

— ASHTABULA — They are doing it all.
City crews are cleaning Walnut Beach, filling potholes and picking up leaf bags, garbage and tree debris from the March 4-5 ice storm, said Dom Iarocci, superintendent of public services.
“We are doing all the tasks we are suppose to do, just not at the speed everyone wants,” he said.
Iarocci’s comments come after Monday night’s city council meeting in which Ward 1 Councilman Joseph Rose started a good five minutes of bantering between council and the city manager by saying the leaf bags in his ward are not being picked up.
“We can’t do it all simultaneously,” City Manager Anthony Cantagallo said. “The guys are picking up limbs and tree debris.”
Cantagallo said that’s why he wanted the city to contract with a tree service company. Communities affected by the ice storm will be reimbursed 75 of the overtime paid workers or contracted workers who cleaned up the debris, as well as for equipment and materials used to battle the blast.
Ward 4 Councilwoman Julie Lattimer said having city crews do the storm clean-up work wasn’t suppose to interfere with their regular duties.
“We have a finite number of people,” Cantagallo said. “We can’t do everything.”
Vice President Betty Kist said city crews are cleaning up after the storm on overtime only.
“Limbs are picked up after the regular day shift and on Saturday and Sunday,” she said.
Cantagallo disagreed.
The two battled back and forth with President Robert Beacom and Ward 3 Councilwoman Ericka Severino weighing in with their thoughts, too.
On Tuesday, Iarocci was ready to clear up any misconceptions.
“Three guys are picking up during the daytime,” he said. “After 3 p.m., from 3 to 7 p.m., eight guys pick up tree debris, and eight guys pick up on Saturdays and Sundays.”
The city already picked up debris from Wards 3 and 4, with Wards 2 and 5 remaining. Workers will make one sweep through each ward. Debris must be on the tree lawn.
Come Saturday, the old Ohio Department of Transportation building on West Avenue will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. so city residents can take their tree debris there.