Board of County Commissioners - May 14, 2024
Meeting Details: The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) met at 9:30 am on Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at the County Administration Building, 12611 Ravenwood Drive, Room B303, Chardon, OH. The meetings are in-person only, and there are no recordings for the public. An agenda is available in advance via request to the Commissioners’ Clerk and at the meeting.
Public Comment Policy: Observer Comment: Commissioner Ralph Spidalieri announced at the end of the April 4, 2023 meeting that public comment would be permitted and that a more formal policy would be forthcoming. There was no formal policy introduced today, but public comment was permitted.
Attendance: Present were Commissioners Spidalieri, James Dvorak and Timothy Lennon. Also present were County Administrator Gerald Morgan, Assistant County Administrator Linda Burhenne, Finance Manager Adrian Gorton, and Commissioners' Clerk Christine Blair.
County Representatives: Glen Vernick, Director, Maintenance; Kathleen Miller, Fiscal Specialist, Water Resources; Kathy Schimer, Director, Destination Geauga; Melanie Blasko, President, Lake Geauga Recovery Center; and Charles Tong, CFO, Lake Geauga Recovery Center.
Others in Attendance: Sandra O’Brien, State Senator, District 32; Department of Economic and Community Development Director Gina Hofstetter; Adam Litke, Administrator, Geauga Public Health; Carolyn Brakey, County Commissioner Candidate and Geauga Public Health Board member; reporter from the Geauga County Maple Leaf and the Chagrin Valley Times, other members of the public, and this observer.
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited, and a prayer was offered by Mr. Dvorak. The Commissioners also recognized State Senator Sandra O’Brien and noted that she had attended the Planning Commission meeting earlier in the morning.
Minutes: Minutes from the meeting of April 9, 2024 were approved. Observer Comment: Weekly LWVG Observer Reports for BOCC are available online through May 21, 2024, for informational purposes but are not substitutes for approved minutes. Approved BOCC Minutes are posted online here through April 9, 2024.
Administrator’s Report
Mr. Morgan reported on actions he had taken in the prior week that had been authorized by ORC and the Commissioners:
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From Department on Aging - Approved an extension of unpaid medical leave for a full time Education and Recreation assistant and approved a promotion of a full time Social Services coordinator.
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Approved hiring of a maintenance employee for the Department of Water Resources.
Financial Report
Mr. Gorton received approval for the following:
Lake-Geauga Recovery Centers provided an update on their programs and services:
Ms. Blasko presented the Commissioners with reports that show statistics and outcomes of their program. Both program success rates and number of participants were reported to be trending upward. They benchmark themselves against Lake County and national averages. Ms. Blasko stated that she feels very positive about the outcomes. They respectfully asked for continued funding for the jail treatment program as it is doing very well.
Discussion followed with Ms. Blasko and Mr. Tong. They have been looking for additional space for their outpatient program. There is going to be an open space near where the current center is located in Chardon. They think that it would work as it is close by to the current center and they would not need an additional front desk person. The additional space will allow them to hire three additional counselors.
The rent will be an additional $22,856.00 a year for two years. After that time, they will be self-sustaining from billing for services.
Mr. Spidalieri asked if they would be open to moving the center to a new location that would be more centrally located and fulfill the whole office. Ms. Blasko said that they have time left on the lease in their current space.
Mr. Lennon questioned the amount of opioid settlement money that was available. Mr. Morgan answered that “...pretty much all of what we received is available.” Discussion followed with Ms. Blair regarding the acceptable use of the settlement money and if it could be used for rent at a new location. Mr. Lennon suggested they get clarification from the Prosecutor's office.
The Commissioners approved the funds for the new space as well as $46,358.00 for the jail treatment program.
The Maintenance Department received approval for the following:
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To execute the Service Contract Agreement with S. A. Comunale Company, Inc., to perform annual, biannual and three-year inspections and maintenance on the fire suppression systems at the Geauga County Safety Center for a three-year period, effective May 14, 2024 in an amount not to exceed $15,000.00.
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To execute the Service Contract Agreement with Ohio CAT to provide annual and semi-annual maintenance on the generator at the Geauga County Administrative Building for a three-year period, effective May 14, 2024 in an amount not to exceed $30,000.00.
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To execute the Service Contract Agreement with Hershberger Roofing and Siding, LLC, to perform roof installation, repair and maintenance services at various county locations per the Maintenance Director for a one-year period, effective May 14, 2024 in an amount not to exceed $50,000.00.
The Department of Water Resources received approval to execute the Agreement between the Geauga County Board of Commissioners and HDR Engineering, Inc., for Engineering Services to Geauga County, as needed for a variety of projects, to be effective May 14, 2024 in an amount not to exceed $50,000.00.
Destination Geauga provided an update on the impact that tourism has on Geauga County. Ms. Schimer talked about the “Spring Drive it Yourself” tour scheduled for May 18th. She also expressed concern about another Geauga County tourism entity that is not associated with Destination Geauga. Ms. Shimer expressed concern that it is causing confusion with their other partnerships and branding. She stated that it was started by a disgruntled employee who was using a social media account that had previously been used by Destination Geauga and has re-named it “Explore Geauga County.” Mr. Lennon asked if the other entity had received any funding from the county. Ms. Schimer did not know. She has asked the Commissioners to officially recognize Destination Geauga as the exclusive tourism entity of the county. Mr. Lennon would like to look into the matter before making a decision.
The Commissioners’ Office received approval to execute Resolution #24-118 Honoring Junior Girl Scout Troop #71326 for achieving the Bronze Award, the highest honor for a Junior Girl Scout. This troop is from Burton.
Executive Session
The Board moved into executive session at 10:21 for the purpose of discussing the employment and compensation of public employees. They returned at 11:12 with no action.
Public Comment: Solicited, but none offered
Meeting adjourned.
More Information and Posted Minutes: Available here.
Next Regular Meeting of the BOCC: The next meeting following this meeting will be May 21, 2024 at 9:30 am at the Geauga County Administration Building, 12611 Ravenwood Drive, Room B303, Chardon, OH.
Observer: Mary Heintzelman
Editor: Anne Ondrey
Reviewer: Gail Roussey
Date Submitted: 5/21/2024
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