ASHTABULA — City Council plans to meet again soon to further investigate charges of document falsification in the housing department and its director, city officials said Friday.

“We are definitely moving forward with this,” Ward 3 Ericka Severino said. “A housing inspector is a code enforcer that takes an oath.”

In separate letters to city and union officials, inspectors James Del Priore and Vincent J. Iarocci said their names were put on inspections they did not perform. The inspections reportedly were performed by temporary employees or other members of the department, according to copies of memos Del Priore and Iarocci sent to officials a week ago. The men said these actions have occurred throughout the past three months, according to the memos.

“It is my belief, that any inspection performed should be the responsibility of the person performing the inspection,” Iarocci said in his letter. “All subsequent violation notices and/or any documents generated as a result of these inspections shall be the responsibility of the original inspector.”

Iarocci said he would not issue any more citations wherein he did not perform the actual physical inspection.

“I feel that this falsification of documents may be against the law, and could possibly jeopardize my job if any problems were to arise as a result of these inspections,” Iarocci said in his letter.

In Del Priore’s letter to city officials, he said inspections were performed by temporary employees and this is a problem because:

n He and Iarocci should have the opportunity to work overtime if there’s that many inspections to be done;

n He and Iarocci are trained and knowledgeable inspectors, and

n The temporary employees are doing inspections and using his name as the inspector.

When contacted by the Star Beacon, the city’s housing director, Jason Strong, said he can’t comment right now and all questions will be answered by his attorney.

Severino, who made the original motion to council to investigate Strong and his department, said it’s imperative council look into this matter.

Ward 4 Councilwoman Julie Lattimer and Ward 5 Councilman James Trisket voted ‘no’ to the investigation. They could not be reached for comment Friday.

City Solicitor Michael Franklin said he could not comment.

Cantagallo could not be reached for comment.