WHAT YOU NEED NOW - CONTENT UPDATED THROUGH THE DAY
June 10, 2005
FELINTON INTERVIEW II: Mayor Discusses Authority to Make Appointments,
Sanitary Board Issues, bond Issues, Olympic Pool
 |
| The Honorable David Felinton, Mayor of Huntington |
by Art Harvath
Huntington News Network Writer
Editor's Note: This is the second part of a two-part June 2, 2005
conversation with Huntington Mayor David Felinton.
Huntington (HNN) — There has been some
disagreement between you and city council concerning the appointment powers
of the mayor. Is Jacquie Lewis sitting on the Huntington Housing Authority
Board?
Felinton: No.
HNN: What's going on with her appointment to that board?
Felinton: I think we need to determine who has the full authority to make
the appointment. In my opinion, a council member in particular wanted
someone on that board just to put them on a board. They saw this was the
first position that was open and I think misled a few of the council
members, particularly the newer council members into thinking that..by
listening to the questions at the meeting, for example, "Does she have
experience at appraising property?" And the person they wanted apparently
does have that experience. And it's no offense to her. I think she's a
great person, but if it's an appointment made by the mayor then Ms. Lewis is
the appointment I'd like to make.
HNN: Is your administration moving forward to solve the appointment
problem?
Felinton: We're going to visit it at some point, but it's not a matter of
urgency right now.
HNN: We have talked at length about the Huntington Sanitary Board in past
interviews. At recent council meetings, Councilman Paul Farrell talked
about the HSB owing the city money. The Sanitary Board says the city owes
it money. Where does this conflict stand?
Felinton: Part of it stems from the situation we're in over the storm
sewers. If you'll recall, a few years back there were several pieces of
legislation that would have created a storm water utility.
The first piece of legislation pretty much gave the authority to the
Sanitary Board to handle the storm sewers. The second piece of legislation
would have established that the Sanitary Board is the utility to handle that
and would establish certain rates. Basically what happened was the authority
was given to the Sanitary Board, including some equipment to take care of
the storm drains, storm sewers, etc. However, the funding was not given to
them. There's question of whether or not the Sanitary Board can legally use
sanitary sewer revenues for the storm sewers. And that's kind of the issue
we are at right now. It needs to be resolved. I don't feel the city owes
the Sanitary Board. The other issue is the leachate runoff.
HNN: A spokesperson for the HSB told us recently that the Sanitary Board
is charging the city about $40,000 per month for leachate runoff at the
Deitz Hollow land fill. They're billing the city but the city isn't paying
it. Councilman Cal Kent has said that, in his opinion, the $40,000 is to be
paid from the rate increases recently approved by the PSC. How will this
project be funded? Will the city pay the HSB this money?
Felinton: I think in two weeks the Sanitary Board and the (city council)
Finance Committee will work out a solution.
HNN: What are the plans for the landfill? Will the city open its own
landfill or continue using an out-of-state landfill?
As to the old landfill, we are working step-by-step closing it off and doing
what is required by the DEP to address their concerns. We kind of got into a
situation where we get reimbursed out of a landfill closure account. The DEP
has to approve that but we have to make the purchase first before they can
allow us to be reimbursed.
We're now trying to get some kind of letter to explain that this is how
we're going to do it so we don't just into it using the general fund and
then not get reimbursed. I think we have a letter that we think will be
satisfactory to the administration and I believe to the Council as well to
allow us to take some of these steps. Without it I don't really feel
comfortable.
HNN: Where does our storm water plan stand now?
Felinton: There are steps that we will be taking that do not require at
this point the need for utility or rates. There are certain steps that we
will take, like zoning and permitting for example, and educational programs
that hopefully over the next few years will be satisfactory. In the long run
it probably will take the creation of a utility to handle it.
HNN: The HSB (Huntington Sanitary Board) recently retained a St. Louis
attorney to deal with the Sanitary Board's problems with the Internal
Revenue Service. Council has okayed $100,000 to pay her. Where does this
investigation stand? Has the IRS contacted the City?
Felinton: This attorney will be is dealing with the IRS to negotiate what
it feels is owed by the Sanitary Board for arbitrage.
HNN: So the Sanitary Board is conceding the fact of arbitrage concerning
the Inwood/Shockey bonds?
Felinton: They're not necessarily conceding it. I think they're still
trying to work out a settlement.
HNN: The IRS is claiming that the City owes them $500,000. Do you
anticipate the HSB paying that?
Felinton: No.
HNN: Do you anticipate the attorney fees to go above the $100,000 that
were allotted?
Felinton: I wouldn't think so. We're definitely getting our money's worth.
I don't think we necessarily authorized $100,000. I'd have to look back. I
think we authorized to go into a contract. I think it was an hourly rate. I
think there may have been made mention that at a point it may get to
$100,000 but I think you get your money's worth on things like that.
HNN: I noticed some talk about the Sixteenth Street sewer project and
other things that Council members have brought up. They want to sell bonds
to fund these projects. What is the City's bond rating? Are we behind the
eight ball when it comes to selling bonds?
Felinton: I don't think we're necessarily behind the eight ball. I think
as long as we have the ability and can get the bonds underwritten then we'll
be able to finance, if it's something feasible and worthy of it.
HNN: Does the City have a bond rating?
Felinton: I think generally the way it works is that underwriters
generally have bond ratings. I'm learning a little bit more and more because
it's extremely complex. They're the ones who get you the bond rating. It's
their ability to market it and obviously we recognize that it's a little bit
tougher market.
HNN: I just saw a legal advertisement by the city for an underwriter for
bonds.
Felinton: We're advertising for that and we're also advertising for a
financial advisor. The financial advisor will actually help us select the
underwriter and put this all together for the bond issuance for the pension
funds.
HNN: What are your plans on replacing Richard Dixon (former Director of
Planning). I know he's going to be a tough act to follow. Do you have anyone
in mind?
Felinton: I don't have anyone in mind. Charles Holley is doing an
outstanding job in the interim and he has applied. We have several
applications. I haven't looked at them yet.
HNN: Will the Olympic Pool open this Summer?
Felinton: No, at least not by the City. I suspect that the Park Board
would not want to run it themselves. The City will not.
HNN: How's the Old Main Corridor Project going?
Felinton: It's looking pretty good. I had a meeting at Marshall with the
interim President, who was very enthusiastic about it. I think that Marshall
has shown a little bit more support and excitement over the project. I think
that will help us somewhat.
In a few weeks we will have our first TIF (Tax Increment Financing) project
which will address Ninth Street, will cover about a block of Fourth Avenue
and a portion of Third Avenue as well. That will hopefully get us started in
one direction. That will actually start in 2006.
We also have some money put aside from CDBG (Community Development Block
Grant) which we hope to be able to use to leverage a Grant from the State,
that will help us with another block. So hopefully we'll be using TIF and
really trying to get help from our congressional delegation.
HNN: So at this point, is it just streetscapes?
Felinton: This phase will be. The park is something that may or may not be
done. The intention of the park was to have something to bring students to
something more appealing across the street. I know in the past few months
the park has been purchased. I haven't made contact with the new owner but
I'm sure their intentions for that corner lot are very good. I was also
excited to see the new Husson's Pizza open up on that corner.
HNN: Who purchased the lot?
Felinton: We don't know but I'm sure we'll find out soon.
HNN: How do you feel your relationship is with this new Council? Do you
think it's an improvement over your first term?
Felinton: I will say that I've found them much easier to work with, more
cooperative. We have our differences and I expect that but I think that with
the last council you had people who were opposed to certain issues, certain
resolutions or ordinances, just to be opposed to it. For the most part, I
think that's gone.
Getting back to the police department, I wouldn't necessarily say the drug
unit is going to be any less able, even when you have less people. I think
it's sometimes dynamic the way it works. Again, I have full confidence in
the Police Chief. I think that he really stepped into probably the toughest
Police Chief position that one could have and I think he's done a really
outstanding job with it, especially given the circumstances.
I think he's a good person, a good role model and he's got a lot of
experience. I think he's a great leader and he cares a lot for the
community. He's not the kind of person who jumps in front of the TV camera.
He likes to work a little bit more behind the scenes and that's his style. I
think also he likes to also empower some of his officers by having them deal
with these news conferences and press conferences. I was kind of surprised
that he got a lot of criticism for that.
HNN: Will the city's computer system be able to administer the anticipated
city income tax?
Felinton: Yes, and collections in general. In a few weeks, we'll have a
contracted employee working downstairs who would work for M Tax will audit
businesses and.we are currently working with them anyway. This person will
not be employed by the city but they will have some office space downstairs.
In the next few weeks we will have a law firm that will work on collecting
delinquent municipal fees.
Hopefully, by July 1, we will have a new employee who will be going
door-to-door checking for business licenses, checking rental properties and
making sure they are licensed as businesses We recently started taking
credit cards for all our payments.
The Legal and Finance Departments have been working hard on delinquent
collections. Legal has filed a lot of law suits. I think that May was the
first month that anyone knows that Legal has brought in more delinquent fees
than what finance has brought in.
