Council to introduce ordinance designating funds to pay Wetmore Bridge contractor

Struthers City Council members said they will introduce an ordinance to authorize payment to Marucci and Gaffney Excavating Company as the lowest bidder on the Wetmore Bridge project and to designate the fund from which the company will be paid. Council described the step as necessary because an earlier ordinance and contract did not identify the payment source.

Council members said the contract is retroactive to August 2024. Bob, the city official who described the gap, said, “We have an ordinance passed and also enter into the contract, but we didn't in that ordinance, we didn't designate what fund they were gonna be paid out.” He said the new ordinance is intended to identify that fund so the city can pay the contractor.

Council members asked how the project proceeded without the payment designation. Bob said bidding and design were completed and that the original ordinance allowed entering into the contract but did not stipulate which fund would be used for payment. Council moved and seconded a motion to bring the ordinance out for consideration.

No formal vote adopting the ordinance was recorded in the caucus transcript. The ordinance as described includes an emergency clause and would authorize the mayor and safety-service director to enter into the contract retroactive to August 2024. The transcript does not specify the dollar amount of the contract, the ordinance number, or the fund to be used; those details are “not specified” in the record provided.

Council members said Marucci and Gaffney were the legitimate lowest bidders and should be paid once the funding designation is in place. The ordinance will be added to the next agenda for formal readings and possible passage.

The council’s discussion on this item occurred during the caucus meeting; no final council action on the payment fund was included in the caucus transcript.