Board of Elections Prepares for Possible Move to Geauga County Office Building; Requests Meeting with BOCC to Discuss Early Voting Concerns
Geauga County Board of Elections (BOE) - Regular Meeting 12/19/2024
Meeting Info: Regular Meeting on December 19, 2024 at 9:00 am in BOE Conference Room at 470 Center St, Bldg 6A, Chardon, OH, 44024. Attendance options were both in-person and virtual, via Microsoft Teams. An agenda was provided in advance and copies were distributed to all attendees.
Public Comment Policy: The Board of Elections typically responds to questions about agenda items throughout the course of their meetings. Those exchanges are documented below as they occur.
Attendance: Present were:
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Board Chair - Dennis Pavella
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Board Member - Joan Windnagel
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Board Member - Richard Piraino
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Director - Michelle Lane
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Deputy Director - Nora McGinnis
Board member Janet Carson was absent.
County Representatives:
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Charles E. Walder, Auditor & Chief Administrator, ADP (Automatic Data Processing) - virtual
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Frank Antenucci, Chief Deputy Administrator, ADP - in person
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Linda Burhenne, Assistant Administrator, BOCC (Board of County Commissioners) - in person
Others: In person, Ohio Secretary of State Regional Liaison Fiona Ruminski, 4 members of the public and LWV Geauga Observer Shelly Lewis. Virtually, 1 member of the public.
Call to Order: 9:05 am, but delayed for a few minutes while audio issues were resolved for the online attendees.
Minutes
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Minutes for the November 19, 2024 meeting were approved with an edit noting that Mr. Piraino had voted to reject 4 day ballots “under protest.” Observer Note: Mr. Piraino’s comments are documented in the November 19, 2024 LWV Geauga Observer Report.
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Minutes for the November 26, 2024 meeting were approved without comment or edit.
Payment of Bills: Bills totaling $12,631.55 were approved, and included:
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$6,141.83 for Election Day onsite support and supplies from Election Systems & Software (ES&S)
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$5,622.30 for statutory newspaper postings of local ballot issues
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$713.44 for routine office and kitchen supplies
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$153.98 for fuel used to transport voting equipment
Observer Note: Election Systems & Software (ES&S) is an Omaha based company that provides voting machines and technical support to the Geauga Board of Elections.
ADP Update:
Mr. Antenucci reported that Glenn [Vernick] from the Maintenance Department is moving forward with securing the specialized video lines required for installation of cameras in the GCOB elevator. He indicated that installation and configuration of the cameras will proceed quickly once the lines are installed. Mrs. Burhenne confirmed that Mr. Vernick has been trying for a week to get the elevator vendor onsite and has been given the go-ahead to do whatever it takes to get the cabling in place.
Mr. Pavella noted that timing is critical as BOE will need to be moved and operational by Feb 5 or 6 to carry out the 2025 Primary Election.
Mr. Walder discussed communication issues during a recent snow emergency and noted that no one from the Board of Elections was on ADP’s informal phone tree. He recommended adding some staff and board members to better coordinate weather related late openings and closures. Staff and board agreed and will provide contact information to Frank Antenucci.
Geauga County Office Building (GCOB)
Mrs. Windnagel stated that they cannot move until all items in the May 26, 2023 Consent Decree have been addressed. Board members listed the elevator cameras and automatic door openers as outstanding items. They noted that the bathroom is now handicapped accessible and agreed installation of the ballot drop box was nearly complete.
Mrs. Burhenne stated that BOCC needs a moving date in order to obtain quotes for the movers. She also asserted that the SOS office said the automatic door openers were not required in order for BOE to move in, as they could instead leave doors propped open.
Mr. Pavella expressed concern with relying on promises of future action, saying “Our relationship with the Commissioners has been one that they’ll tell us about things and then it doesn’t happen.” He reiterated the Board’s preference that all items be completed before moving. Mrs. Burhenne offered to review the agreement with them and what it “actually says.”
Mr. Pavella requested a meeting with one of the Commissioners to discuss concerns with BOE’s ability to conduct early voting at the GCOB. He noted that during the last week of voting in the November 5, 2024 General Election, BOE served about 800 voters daily. The Board feels space in the GCOB is too small and poorly configured to meet those demands.
In addition, Mrs. Windnagel opined that parking at the GCOB would not meet demands, noting that for the November election, “Every single parking spot here was taken that last weekend. There wasn’t one parking spot available.” She went on to say that hundreds of voters stood in long lines that stretched from the BOE out to Route 44.
Given that early voting is offered after hours and during the weekend, Mrs. Windnagel questioned how the large crowds would be managed at the GCOB to prevent individuals from accessing other parts of the building. She and Mr. Piraino stressed that BOE is not responsible for policing the building.
Mr. Pavella stressed the importance of meeting directly with a Commissioner to ensure their concerns are communicated fully. He relayed, “I've had Tim Lennon tell me in a public meeting that he was totally unaware that we had sent seven certified letters over to the Commissioners.”
Mrs. Burhenne will follow up with Commissioners Spidalieri and Dvorak to determine availability.
Change in Meeting Notifications: Mrs. Lane reported that the existing method of emailing meeting notifications to interested parties was time-consuming, especially during busy election seasons. She would like to instead use the website to provide notice.
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All Board members expressed support, although a formal vote was not taken.
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Mr. Pavella noted that the new process will need to be communicated to those currently receiving emails.
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In response to questions from the public, Mrs. Lane clarified that both the virtual meeting link and agenda would be posted on the website.
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Mr. Piraino inquired whether the meeting notices would be shared on Facebook. Mrs. Lane and Mr. Pavella explained that the Board of Elections no longer uses Facebook due to legal restrictions on their ability to remove misinformation.
Valueless Equipment: To facilitate disposal, the Board declared an old postage meter machine valueless. Mrs. Lane noted that as they prepare to possibly move, the Board will need to determine disposition of other items.
2025 Winter Conference
Mrs. McGinnis shared final details with Board members about next month’s Ohio Association of Elections Officials Conference, scheduled for January 7-10 in Columbus, Ohio.
Director Report - Mrs. Lane reported:
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In preparation for moving, they are identifying files and materials for disposal in accordance with document retention schedules.
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She is preparing financial disclosure notices for candidates and issue campaigns that are required to file a report.
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They are studying the DATA Act.
Observer Note: Per Secretary of State Directive 2024-11, the 2023 DATA Act requires Ohio BOEs to adopt standard data entry protocols to ensure accuracy of voter registration data. Issues flagged by the new SOS Registration Audit Dashboard must be resolved on a weekly basis.
Deputy Director Report - Mrs. McGinnis reported:
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They have 150-200 boxes of documents prepared for shredding.
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She has completed payroll and calendar updates for 2025.
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She prepared minutes for the two November meetings.
Storage Space - Mrs. Lane continued to discuss their efforts to prepare for a move and expressed concerns about storage space to Mrs. Burhenne, saying, “...we have so many things we have to keep. What if there's not enough space when we move in? What's going to happen?” Mrs. Burhenne noted that the consent decree addresses that issue. Mr. Pavella expressed uncertainty about how that might play out.
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Ms. Rupinski, SOS Regional Liaison, inquired about the difference in square footage between the current location and the GCOB. Mrs. Windnagel and Mr. Pavella indicated the GCOB space is 1,600 square feet smaller (8,650 vs 7,000).
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Mrs. Burhenne noted there is considerable vertical storage space available in the GCOB. Mrs. Windnagel explained that per the voting equipment vendor, BOCC’s plan to add a cleat to voting equipment to facilitate vertical storage would negate the warranty.
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Mr. Pavella noted, “There were a lot of things that were determined by others that could be done without having discussed it with us.”
Space for Voting - LWV Geauga Observer Shelly Lewis inquired whether the space to set up voting stations was comparable. Later in the discussion, a member of the public asked if there were more windows available for serving voters. The Board indicated the window and voting spaces at 470 Center Street and at the GCOB are roughly the same.
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Mr. Pavella said the bigger issue is going to be how to queue people from the main floor to the basement.
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Mrs. Windnagel shared that during construction, the Board understood that a “sliding wall” would be used for the conference room to enable the space to be used for voting stations during early voting. They were later surprised to see that a fixed wall was constructed. Other suggestions for increasing voting space were rejected by the Commissioners.
Stay at 470 Center Street? - Mrs. Burhenne, stating that she was speaking as an individual and not as a representative of BOCC, inquired, “What if you just stayed here?” Mrs. Windnagel indicated that’s what BOE wants. Mr. Pavella opined that it makes more sense to stay at 470 Center Street, given the logistical challenges at the GCOB.
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Mr. Piraino noted that other county offices could potentially use the GCOB space, saying, “...correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t ADP…where are they, in the hallway or the bathroom or something?”
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Mrs. Burhenne clarified the situation, saying, “No, they’re squatting in our conference room and have been for three years. We keep asking them to leave and they just don’t.” She said they certainly would be able to utilize the space.
Parking and Senior Citizen Access During Early Voting - Mrs. Lane expressed concern about senior citizens being forced to park far away from the GCOB entrance, given that the parking lot is shared with building occupants as well as members of the public who are visiting county agencies.
Mrs. Burhenne will work with Mrs. Lane to facilitate a discussion between staff and a representative of the two boards, preferably on either January 2nd or January 3rd.
Adjourned at 10:10 am.
Next Meeting: Regular Meeting on January 16, 2025 at 9:00 am.
Observer: Shelly Lewis
Editor: Sarah McGlone
Reviewer: Carol Benton
Date Submitted: 12/20/2024
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