Ashtabula Council Rejects Commission, Okays Phones and Faces Salt Price Spike
Ashtabula City Council voted down the Commission for Thriving Communities 4 to 3 and approved city cell phones for council members 5 to 2. The city manager warned that salt quotes have climbed as high as $185 a ton after the Fairport mine collapse. Council also covered recycling rollout questions, bill charges, opioid settlement spending and a proposed two hour parking limit on Main Avenue. This video shows only a portion of the meeting. Read the full article for every vote and detail. 17mins
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Original Meeting
Monday, November 2nd, 2026
8821.03
November 2, 2026 Pre-Council and Regular Council Meeting (November 02, 2026) -
In This Video
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City Manager Timonere outlined routine ordinances to renew the emergency management services agreement with county commissioners, update the garbage ordinance for curbside recycling, and revise the Main Ave traffic control map to align striping with current address-based references.
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City Manager Timonere reported on recent Main Ave., Collins Blvd., and Center St. rail crossing openings and bridge work, and outlined concerns about winter road salt supplies following a mine collapse, including higher-cost bids from alternate overseas suppliers.
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Finance Director Kan explained the capital improvement, administrative, and capital debt charges on sanitation bills, detailing how each fee supported system upgrades, operations, and long-term wastewater plant improvements.
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Jennifer German questioned the limited funding for indigent alcohol treatment, heard clarification from City Manager Timonere that it was separate from opioid settlement money, and urged openness to including non‑local experts on the Thriving Community Committee and similar bodies.
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President of Council Roskovics recounted a resident’s worries about snowplowing and traveling for medical treatment to argue against legislation providing city-issued cell phones to council members, insisting that counselors should instead publish and use their own phone numbers to remain accessible even when offices were closed.
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Council Member Mills defended the importance of answering constituent phone calls across all wards and explained that the proposed council cell phones were intended as a fringe benefit to simplify public records compliance, while allowing members to keep using personal phones if they preferred.
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Council waived the charter’s two-reading requirement and then adopted ordinance OF2026179 on separate 5–2 roll-call votes.
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President of Council Roskovics criticized a proposed ordinance as a power play that would admit unequal service delivery and cede council authority over hiring and spending, and City Solicitor Cooper clarified that the council president must still sign any objectionable legislation because only the City Manager holds veto power.
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Council rejected the item on a close four to three roll-call vote.
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City Manager Timonere explained that D5H liquor permits applied to nonprofit theater or museum operators and outlined how council could request a state hearing if they had concerns, noting that no action was needed when there was no objection.
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Finance Director Kan sought clarification on whether the nonprofit liquor permit would also cover weddings and other private events, and City Manager Timonere confirmed it would apply to any events held on the property, including weddings.
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During the 'tell us something we don't know' portion of the meeting, a speaker announced details of the upcoming Veterans Day ceremony, including its date, time, location at Ashtabula Veterans Memorial Park, participating honor guard and keynote speaker, and an invitation for all veterans and the public to attend.
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Council Member Mills encouraged residents to sign up for county emergency alerts, prepare vehicles and homes for winter conditions, and support neighbors by checking on those who might need help when sidewalks and snow become challenging.
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A speaker argued that taxpayers in wards three, four, and five had subsidized trash and recycling services without equal access to bins or distribution, criticizing grant-funded containers left in storage and a piecemeal nine-year rollout as inequitable.
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City Manager Timonere refuted claims that taxpayers had subsidized trash and recycling bins, explaining that early phases were funded through the enterprise fund and county support, acknowledged delays in expanding routes as a funding issue, and noted mixed constituent reactions and rollout challenges.
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