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City hires economic, community development director

August “Skip” Memmi has accepted the job as the new city director of the Department of Economic and Community Development, filling a vacancy left by a retired veteran administrator.

Memmi and his wife have agreed to move into the city, as per ordinance requirement, as soon as they find a location.

Memmi was approved in a formality by City Council. He was selected by Mayor Derek Slaughter. He said it was Slaughter who convinced him that Williamsport was a good place to make home.

Memmi will be paid $61,000 for six months and then receive $4,000 more per year, for a total salary of $65,000, said Joellen Chappelle, human resources director.

Memmi was asked to put together goals for council and the administration within two to three weeks.

He told Councilwoman Liz Miele that he could visualize a position for the next five years if council and the mayor wanted it.

He said he wanted to uplift the economic environment and help to make the city a wonderful place to live, work and play.

The owner of two bakeries, two pizza shops, a night club and a card shop, Memmi is a former Dauphin County elected official and administrative staff member for Dauphin County.

Councilwoman Bonnie Katz said she was looking forward to his ability to share small business experience in projects such as the Park Avenue Neighborhood Revitalization.

Councilman Vincent Pulizzi noted how Memmi’s accomplishments in the Department of Community and Economic Development there would likely help the city move in the right direction.

Council President Randall J. Allison said that 2020 has been a challenge and that he was glad to have Memmi on the administrative team and hoped that he would hit the ground running in 2021.

During the discussion, Slaughter was asked about the director of public works position. Slaughter and Chappelle said the job will be reposted after no one accepted the position.

Council approved the excavation of water main replacement projects that have been started and will be completed by the Williamsport Water Authority.

The projects are on Grampian Boulevard, Susquehanna Street, Franklin Street, Upland Road, Selkirk Road and Lundy Drive, said Michael Miller, authority executive director.

Katz said the coordination between the city public works committee and authority officials such as Miller, Eric Smithgall, authority director of engineering and Wendy Walter, authority safety and compliance officer, has led to less chances of projects started and ripped up road surfaces after they have been paved.

The $1.2 million investment included a map of the paving list for council and restoration costs and price-per-paving.

Some of the water main lines will be replaced before winter sets in and then high performance cold path applied.

The committee also will be seeing similar proposals from UGI, gas company, soon, council and the administration were told.

Overseeing these projects is Joseph Gerardi, city codes administrator, and David Columbine, codes and city public works inspector.

Council also approved the memorandum of understanding with Williamsport Area School District to continue to provide a school resource officer, Sgt. Jody Miller, for in-school days. When Miller is not working at school he is able to patrol the city streets, Chief Damon R. Hagan said.

Council reached consensus to hold its meetings at 6:30 p.m. Thursday on remote Zoom until the COVID-19 pandemic is over. Then, it will have the meetings at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Trade and Transit Centre II building.

The August session will be one meeting in anticipation of the Little League World Series restarting if the virus is controlled by then.

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