By VICKI MORTIMER

At its work session on Tuesday, Bellevue Council voted to override two of three vetoes handed down by Mayor George Doscher at the end of 2010. The user-based sewer surcharge will not go into effect just yet, this year’s pay increase will be limited to one employee, and the borough already has hired an assistant director of administrative services (DAS).

Council did not have the six votes necessary to override the mayor’s veto of the sewer surcharge. The ordinance originally adopted by council established a usage-based fee of $3 per 1,000 gallons of water used by a property. The change would have resulted in most property owners paying more than the current flat fee of $19 per quarter.

The mayor wanted to see the fee phased in over the next two years.

Only five council members voted to override the surcharge veto: council president Kathy Coder and members Lisa Blaney-Stewart, David Gillingham Jr., Mark Helbling and Mark Panichella. Opposed were Jane Braunlich, Linda Woshner and Susan Viscusi. Jim Viscusi was absent.

Council already has scheduled a public hearing for Feb. 22 on a new surcharge ordinance, which continues to incorporate the $3 usage-based fee. That number could be changed before the ordinance is adopted after three readings.

Council was successful in overriding the mayor's veto of the 2011 salary ordinance, which limits this year’s pay raises to one previously underpaid position and public works supervisor Tony Barbarino. The mayor had vetoed the original ordinance because he wanted all non-contract employees to receive a 2 percent increase.

The vote to override the Mayor's veto, however, was unanimous.

Council was also successful in overriding the mayor's veto an amendment to the personnel code that created the positions of assistant DAS, police department office manager, and a part-time meter maintenance attendant/assistant police department office manager. Doscher had vetoed the ordinance because he wanted the meter maintenance position to be full-time rather than part-time, and he questioned the need for an assistant DAS.

Council voted 6-2 to override the veto of this ordinance, with dissenting votes cast by Woshner and Gillingham. Gillingham later made a motion to amend the newly enacted ordinance to make the meter maintenance position either a part-time and/or full-time position. He also made a motion to hold a public hearing on the amendment, but that motion failed for lack of a second.

Council then approved resolutions hiring people for two of the newly created positions.. Katie Hale was hired as the assistant DAS, continuing her employment with the borough. The new police department office manager has not yet been named.