Hermitage commissioner seeks reelection

Feb. 26—HERMITAGE — Hermitage city Commissioner Louis Squatrito is seeking reelection this year for another term.

When he first sought the position four years ago, Squatrito said he ran to maintain a strong sense of community and to support homeowners, and that he has worked hard since then with his fellow commissioners to accomplish that goal.

One particular development during that time was the passage of a rental ordinance, which provides for the oversight of rental properties in the city not only to protect the city's more mature areas but also protecting the families living in those rental properties, Squatrito said.

To handle the rental property inspections, the Hermitage Fire Department hired Casey Clark to serve as deputy fire marshal. Though inspections had a troubled start due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Squatrito said the inspections have since picked up and the program has worked out "very well."

"People called and complained to the commissioners about inadequate housing or sewer problems, and with the rental inspection, we're able to find all these big items," he said.

Also affected by the COVID-19 pandemic was the city's business community, with many businesses closed or operating under certain restrictions implemented by the state.

Squatrito said he and his wife have tried supporting local businesses by ordering takeout, while the board of commissioners has tried promoting as many of the city's businesses as possible through events such as fireworks for Small Business Saturday or by developing a grant system for small businesses using state funds.

Being able to help people, whether businesses or residents, is what Squatrito said he found most rewarding about his time as commissioner, and that he tried to be available to people "24/7."

"Residents can come to me and tell me what their problems are, and I'll get back to them as best I can," he said.

Squatrito also credited City Manager Gary Hinkson and other city officials with handling the various departments throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and implementing safety measures at the city building.

But aside from the pandemic, Squatrito said he has learned over his years as commissioner how efficiently the city was being run, from the volunteers at Hermitage and Patagonia fire departments donating their time and energy to the city's different departments being able to "tighten their belts" during difficult times.

"Our departments do an excellent job for the city," Squatrito said. "This has been the third budget meeting I've been in on, and our offices and departments have stayed within their budgets all three years."

Squatrito is a 40-year resident of Hermitage with his wife Stacey, a small business operator. They have two children, Louie Squatrito, an officer with the Hermitage Police Department and a daughter Dawn, in Pulaski, as well as two grandchildren in Hermitage schools.

Last year, Squatrito retired from Dean Foods, where he worked as an HVAC technician for 43 years and was also a union steward involved in contract negotiations.

This experience as a negotiator prepared him for serving as a commissioner, as both required being able to listen to both sides of an argument and make a decision, even if people agree or disagree during the discussion, Squatrito said.

"You listen to the company side, the union side and you make decisions, but you're still friends at the end of the day," he said.

Aside from serving on the board of commissioners, Squatrito is an alternate on the Shenango Valley Animal Shelter board and a member of the building committee, where one of his main focuses is helping oversee the construction of a new animal shelter.

Squatrito is also the Hermitage representative on the Mercer County Regional Council of Governments, and is an alternate member of the city's park and recreation board. Squatrito said he has attended every board meeting and looks forward to recreation events and activities to be reinstated and grow in 2021 for all ages.

As an avid hunter and outdoorsman, Squatrito said he supported the city's development of green space and maintaining local streams to protect the residential community from flooding issues.

Recently, Squatrito was among a few people named to the city's ad hoc building design standards committee, which will develop some standards to guide building development in Hermitage. These standards will be incorporated into an updated zoning ordinance the commissioners are expected to approve later this month.

Along with his career in HVAC and having some building experience, Squatrito said that there was a good mix of backgrounds and experience among the other committee members, and that he believed the committee should make it easier for businesses to enter Hermitage.

"I've spoken with a lot of my constituents and they're not too worried about how they look, they just want stores," Squatrito said. "I just want to make sure it's good for the city, but I think we should have minimum standards."

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