Despite the seemingly high increase in pay rates for Ironton’s non-union employees that are in an ordinance, the employees aren’t likely to get that big of a pay raise.

At Thursday’s meeting, the ordinance got a second reading but Vice Mayor Craig Harvey suggested no one second the motion to accept it when it gets a third reading at the next meeting.

“I suggested it die for a lack of a second, because the numbers I used were based on the insurance savings of the whole group instead of those 16 individuals,” he said. “So, in order to make sure none of those employees took a loss, I had to make sure their salary was increased.”

He said that since the numbers he used were incorrect, they are going to adjust them and that the numbers given in the ordinance weren’t “even close” to what they will be.

“We just want to make sure none of the employees were in the red when it came to increasing their insurance premium,” he said. “We want to make sure that they got a raise and paid more of their insurance.”

Under the ordinance, the employees have to pay a 10 percent contribution towards their retirement, except for fire and police non-union employees who have to pay 12.5 percent, and 10 percent towards their insurance. They also have to pay $68.75 to participate in a vision, dental, life insurance and prescription drug plan.

In other items, Dickie Anderson, the owner of Jewel City Sea Food in Huntington, West Virginia, introduced himself to the city council. The business is considering expanding by moving into the old Staley Pharmacy building on Third Street in downtown Ironton, depending on whether the business can get a bank loan.

Many of the council members already know the restaurant and said they would be happy to see it in Ironton.

In items on the agenda, the council passed an ordinance for disposal of municipal waste generated by the waste water treatment plant. Republic Waste got the one-year contract to haul off the waste at a rate of $18.50 per ton.

The council also passed a contract for chemicals used at the waste water plant.

The chemical bids are liquid chlorine from Brenntag for $0.324 per pound, hydrofluosilcic acid from C.I. Thornburg for $0.245 per pound, liquid alumn sulfate from Usalco for $0.2146 per pound, sodium hydroxide from Bonded Chemical for $0.174 per pound, powdered activated carbon from Bonded Chemical for $0.669 per pound, potassium permanganate from Bonded Chemical for $3.18 per pound, polymer (water treatment) from Applied Specialties for $0.7124 per pound, hydrated lime from C.I. Thornburg for $0.155 per pound, sodium bisulfite from Brenntag for $0.17 per pound, polymer (HyPerloc CP926) from Polydyne for $1.98 per pound, and Zinc Orthophosphate from C.I. Thornburg at $0.595 per pound.

The council also passed a resolution for a contract between the city and the Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization. The CAO would act as the agency to apply for and administer grants through the Ohio Development Service Agency. The cost is $35,000, the same as previous years.

Councilman Chris Haney asked about a council member and the mayor having a seat on the CAO board “so we have some type of say so and we can report back to the council.”

CAO assistant director Ralph Kline said that the CAO board is set up under the direction of the Ohio Revised Code and is made up of elected officials, business people and members of the low-income community.

“I think the next board opening, we would definitely accept nominations,” he said. “We do have Ironton residents on that board.”

He said they meet monthly at noon on the third Thursday of the month and the meetings are open to the public.

“So, anyone can attend,” he said.

Haney said he is not dissatisfied with the services the CAO provides.

Harvey said that the CAO has brought $13.5 million in grants to the city and said that when the nominations are open, he is going to nominate Haney for the position on the board.

The Ironton City Council meets at 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursday of the month in council chambers on the third floor of the city building. The meetings are open to the public.