The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Council to consider rules for storage boxes
Wages could go up for seasonal staff
The city of Lorain hopes to take aim at temporary storage units that have overstayed their welcome in the neighborhoods.
Meanwhile, Lorain City Council also is looking at wage raises for temporary and seasonal workers.
The issues came up Jan. 14 in committee discussion.
Council’s Building and Lands Committee considered new rules limiting the amount of time residents may have portable storage units on their property.
Ward 8 Councilman Joshua Thornsberry said about six months ago, he began getting calls about storage units planted in locations for an excessive amount of time.
The city has nothing on the books governing the boxes, Thornsberry said.
The draft legislation is based on rules from Lakewood, Avon, Avon Lake and Fairview Park, he said.
Thornsberry credited the research of Clerk of Council Nancy Greer and said Lorain’s rules would be comparable to those communities.
A permit for the storage pod would cost $30 for the first 30 days.
It will be renewable for two 30-day periods with a $25 renewal cost each time, so the portable units may remain onsite up to 90 days.
Council members agreed the rules are needed.
Councilwoman-at-Large Mary Springowski referred to examples that Thornsberry cited.
“From my point of view, I know the houses that you were talking about, one I was waiting for them to start landscaping around it, it had been there so long,” Springowski said.
“I’d say the majority of complaints I ever receive from my constituents really
relates to the appearance of the city,” said Councilman-atLarge Mitch Fallis. “So, any ordinance that we look at that would improve the appearance of the city, I would be in favor of. So thank you for your work thus far on that project.”
Residents Patrick Horn, John Gargasz and Denver
Casto all had questions about the new rules.
The city rules will not apply to truck-sized refuse containers that construction crews use, said Law Director Pat Riley.
Violating the policy will become a minor misdemeanor punishable by a $150 fine, but no jail time, Riley said.
If a person gets a temporary storage box without a permit, the initial permit cost will rise to $50.
City inspectors of the Building, Housing and Planning Department will enforce the rules, Springowski said.
Ward 3 Councilwoman Pamela Carter and Ward 4 Councilman Greg Argenti said they favored regulations.
Carter said if people need more time than the city allows, they should use a storage site.
Argenti suggested the city allow people who want to use the storage units to buy a 90day permit at one time if they know they will need it, instead of requiring applicants to return to City Hall to renew the permits.
The legislation will be amended to add that for further consideration.
Wage rates
In other business, Council’s Finance and Claims Committee voted to amend the city rules governing pay for temporary and seasonal workers.
The city’s minimum wage is the same as Ohio’s minimum wage, so Lorain’s pay rate needed to be increased to $8.55 an hour from $8.15 an hour.
The city legislation did not include an exact financial cost of raising the pay, but Mayor Chase Ritenauer said he expected the city’s 2019 budget would cover the added cost.
Fallis asked if the city complied with state and federal minimum wage rates, and the administration said Lorain will comply with the pay scales.
Councilman-at-Large Joe Koziura said neither the state minimum wage, nor the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour is a good one.
Safety-Service Director Dan Given agreed and said neither is a living wage.