STRUTHERS — An Ohio Edison representative addressed Struthers city council Wednesday regarding repair procedures following storm damage.

Troy Rhoades, the company’s regional external affairs officer, said 911 emergencies take precedence, followed by large-circuit areas. However, estimated time of repair would be factored in as those larger circuits may take longer to be fixed, ensuring that all workers are being utilized.

Depending on the time of year, some areas like schools or polling places would be bumped up on the list of prioritizations. He also said that “the global ETR (estimated time of restoration) for outages is the time it’ll take for the last person’s power to be restored,” which has previously led to some confusion for residents about when they’re likely to see their power being restored.

Rhoades also answered council’s questions regarding utility pole and streetlight repair, stating that damaged ones outside of residential areas often go unreported.

If any residents spot a broken pole or streetlamp, it should be reported on the street services section of the city’s website.

Council also was addressed by Kevin Walsh to answer questions they have about the progress of the remodeling for his properties on State Street.

The Struthers tax office also is now accepting filings in person, by mail and online for the 2024 tax year.

Details for filing online can be found on the city’s website.

Two Struthers firefighters, Scott Kehres and Eric Inskeep, completed their paramedic certification, with funding procured by the city through the Mahoning County commissioners and Mahoning County Fire Chiefs Association.

In other business, council:

l Authorized the mayor and safety service director to enter into a contract with K.O. Consulting LLC for grant services during 2025.

l Established employee benefits for 2025 and authorized the city auditor to transfer employee and employer premium payments to the health care administration internal service fund.

l Established the position, salary and employment provisions of assistant superintendent of the wastewater plant, who will be appointed by the mayor since it’s a department head position.

l Authorized the city of Struthers to enter into a contract with Dynegy Energy Services East LLC as its electric supplier.

l Authorized for the city auditor to request and receive advanced distribution of real property tax collections from the Mahoning County auditor for the tax year 2024.