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LWV Geauga Observer Corps



Commissioner Brakey Signals Commitment to Resolving BOE/BOCC Conflict; 

BOE Unlikely to Move Before May 6, 2025 Primary Election


Geauga County Board of Elections (BOE) - Regular Meeting 01/16/2025


Meeting Info: Regular Meeting on January 16, 2025 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.  Observer Note: Virtual access was inconsistent due to internet issues.


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:

  • Board Chair - Dennis Pavella

  • Board Member - Joan Windnagel

  • Board Member - Janet Carson (late arrival)

  • Board Member - Richard Piraino

  • Director - Michelle Lane

  • Deputy Director - Nora McGinnis

County Representatives:

  • Charles E. Walder, Auditor & Chief Administrator, ADP (Automatic Data Processing) - in person

  • Frank Antenucci, Chief Deputy Administrator, ADP - in person

Others: In person, Ohio Secretary of State Regional Liaison Fiona Ruminski and 3 members of the public and LWV Geauga Observer Shelly Lewis.  Virtually, 2 members of the public, beginning at 10:18 am.


Call to Order: not observed, but prior to this Observer’s 9:12 am arrival.


Minutes

  • Minutes for the December 19, 2024 meeting.  Not observed due to late arrival.

Payment of Bills: Bills totaling $22,518.04 were presented, and included:

  • $11,875.00 for annual poll pad licenses

  • $8,583.50 for 10 board/staff members’ conference reimbursements

  • $1,343.00 for 26 week subscription to the News-Herald

  • $450.00 Quarterly postage contract

  • $266.54 Monthly emergency cell phone & copier contracts

Board members expressed concern about the $1,343.00 cost for a 26 week subscription to the News-Herald.  A member of the public commented that she just renewed her 26 week subscription with the News-Herald at a cost of $80.00.  Mrs. Lane to investigate further.  All other bills approved.


Background: Geauga County Office Building (GCOB) Conflict

For over four years, the Board of Elections (BOE) and Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) have been in conflict over BOE’s planned office space in the Geauga County Office Building, which was completed in June 2022.  Beginning in 2020, BOE repeatedly communicated their concerns about reduced space, risk to voting equipment, security issues and insufficient access for voters. Failing to reach agreement through arbitration, BOE sued BOCC in Geauga County Common Pleas Court and the parties entered into a Consent Decree on May 26, 2023. 

Since reaching agreement, BOE has carried out four additional elections and has raised new concerns that the trends toward early in-person voting and voting by mail further highlight the inadequacy of the GCOB space. BOCC has been slow to remedy items in the Consent Decree and BOE has refused to discuss a moving date until all outstanding items are addressed. During their Nov 19, 2024 BOE meeting, Mrs. Windnagel reported that Commissioners Lennon and Spidalieri were dismissive of BOE’s concerns about inadequate parking. Newly elected Commissioner Carolyn Brakey replaced Mr. Lennon and, during the January 7, 2025 BOCC Organizational Meeting, she joined Commissioner Dvorak in voting not to reappoint County Administrator Gerry Morgan.


Over the last several years, Geauga County ADP (Automatic Data Processing) has worked closely with BOE to implement the Ohio Secretary of State’s expanded security requirements to ensure election integrity. The ADP Board is led by Auditor & Chief Administrator Charles E. Walder and is managed by Chief Deputy Administrator Frank Antenucci. ADP provides regular updates to BOE.


ADP Update: 

Mr. Walder reported that he, Mr. Pavella and new Commissioner Carolyn Brakey recently met to review the Board of Elections’ outstanding concerns regarding their pending move to the Geauga County Office Building (GCOB).  Both Mr. Walder and Mr. Pavella described the meeting as productive, and noted that Mrs. Brakey appeared to have a good understanding of the BOE’s unique needs.  


Mr. Walder commented, “Commissioner Brakey is logical, she's reasonable, she's intelligent, she's a quick study… she's not afraid to be a risk taker… at the end of the day, I think taxpayers expect us to do what we think is right.”

  • Elevator Cameras - Per Mr. Walder, it was agreed that ADP will take over management of this project from the Building Department.  ADP has the needed materials on hand but must hire an elevator vendor to run the proper lines.  

    • Mr. Antenucci indicated that work should be completed in a matter of weeks.

    • Mr. Walder stated, “...all the credit for this goes to Commissioner Brakey.  She has been willing to step up and take care of the problem.”

  • GCOB Parking - Mr. Walder indicated that he relayed possible solutions shared with him by Mr. Antenucci, whose experience prior to working at ADP included 10 years with the Geauga County Engineer’s Office.  Those details were presented later in the meeting.

  • Exterior Security Cameras - Mr. Antenucci reported that in addition to the elevator work, the Commissioners also agreed to have ADP install security cameras to the “dark side” of the building to ensure complete coverage of the exterior. 

  • ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Entry Doors - Mr. Piraino inquired about the status of the ADA entry doors to their lobby space. Mrs. Lane indicated that work began this week and Mr. Walder added that the area was currently blocked off. Mr. Pavella said that during the meeting with Walder and Brakey, they were told the work should be completed by early February.  Mrs. Windnagel expressed disbelief that during the design phase, neither the construction company nor the county project manager recognized the need for ADA compliant entry doors.

  • Board Frustration: Mrs. Windnagel expressed frustration that they were repeatedly criticized by the commissioners for ensuring their space was ADA compliant. Mrs. Carson agreed, further noting their duty to address concerns about inadequate parking and safe access for early voters. She lamented the unnecessary stress to BOE staff and Board and said the conflict had wasted taxpayer dollars. Mr. Pavella pointed out that as Chair, he had personally spent hundreds of hours negotiating the Settlement Agreement and working toward a resolution “for no reimbursement whatsoever.” Observer Note: Per the May 26, 2023 Consent Decree, the County Commissioners were required to pay $59,612.23 for BOE’s legal fees.

  • Secretary of State Liaison Concerns: SOS Regional Liaison Fiona Ruminski was invited to comment.  Ms. Ruminski, who had recently toured the new space with Mrs. Lane, shared these concerns:

    • BOE is losing 1,600 square feet of space and that raises concerns about the Geauga BOE’s ability to do its job. 

    • Storing voting equipment beneath overhead pipes is a significant concern.  She noted, “it only takes one pipe...so that has to be really put on the radar of worst case scenarios.” 

    • Poor communication between the BOE and the County Commissioners has been an ongoing issue.

Board members expressed hope that changes in leadership at the Commissioners’ Office will lead to timely resolution of their concerns. They thanked Mr. Walder for ADP’s support and he commented, “We understand the value of your work.”


Geauga County Office Building (GCOB)


Mr. Walder departed and the Board continued their discussions about the pending move with Mr. Antenucci.

  • Parking - Mr. Antenucci said that in the short-term, relocating county vehicles from the GCOB parking lot to other county sites could immediately free 65 parking spaces. Additionally, having county employees park in designated areas farther from the building could free 150-200 parking spaces for voter use.  Antenucci opined that parking capacity needs to be expanded in time for the 2028 Presidential Election.  Mrs. Carson and Mrs. Windnagel concurred but suggested additional capacity would be needed in time for the 2026 Gubernatorial Election, as a Senate seat will be on the ballot and they expect voter turnout to be high.

  • Elevator Reliability - It was noted that elevator service in the GCOB has not been 100% reliable.  Mrs. Carson commented that the elevator only holds 12 people. She inquired how voters with mobility issues would access their basement location from the main building entry if the elevator was not operating.  She asked where voters would park if they needed to access BOE via the basement entry.  These questions were unresolved.

  • Updating Forms - Mrs. Lane noted that the current inventory of absentee envelopes, postcards and registration materials would need to be shredded and then new materials procured to reflect the Board of Elections new address at the GCOB.  That cost was estimated to be $20,000 to $30,000.  Notifications of the move would need to be printed and mailed to all registered Geauga voters. Ms. Ruminski will inquire whether the SOS office assists with the cost of moving.

  • Timing of Move - Mr. Pavella said he expressed concern to Commissioner Brakey about moving their BOE office and voting equipment during the winter months.  He said Mrs. Brakey appeared amenable to delaying their move until after the May 6 Primary Election, possibly in June. Mr. Piraino repeatedly expressed concerns, based on his previous experience dealing with the BOCC, about committing to a moving date until all items in the May 8, 2023 Settlement Agreement are resolved.

Before departing, Mr. Antenucci commented that the Board should feel optimistic, stating “You have the County Auditor, the County Prosecutor and two County Commissioners that are fully invested in making this work for you….that second Commissioner has made all the difference in the world to understanding the needs of election integrity.”

The Board passed a unanimous resolution by roll-call vote requiring all items to be resolved to their satisfaction before setting a moving date.


Campaign Finance Reports: The Board unanimously approved the reports, as audited by staff.


2025 Winter Conference: Overall positive response from Board, who appreciated opportunities to connect with election officials from across the state. It was generally agreed that the conference included younger attendees. Staff noted that presenters were not prepared to answer questions about 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. 


Mr. Piraino was surprised to learn that BOE staffing and funding varies widely from county to county depending on population. He noted that in Wyandotte County, the staff is all part time and that Board members must step in to ensure elections are carried out.  Geauga BOE members were surprised to learn that some BOEs do not meet to officially open the polls on Election Day and do not supervise the post election audit. Ms. Ruminski, SOS Liaison, will include this information in her weekly report.


Security System Update: Mrs. Lane reported that the last few sensors for the GCOB were installed by their security vendor, including a sensor that detects water on the floor of the storage area.

  • Ms. Ruminski suggested a humidity sensor would be beneficial

  • It was confirmed there is no floor drain in the storage area

Back Minutes: The Board signed several sets of previously approved minutes.


Director Report - Mrs. Lane reported:

Precinct Districts - due to residential growth, additional precincts will need to be added in Bainbridge Township and Chardon. A work session will be scheduled in April.


Deputy Director Report - Mrs. McGinnis reported:

  • She attended the ADP meeting

  • She prepared bills and minutes for board review

  • She has been working on the conference reimbursements

Adjourned at 11:38 am.

 

Next Meeting: 

Regular Meeting on February 20, 2025 at 9:00 am.  

Special Meeting anticipated prior to February 18, 2025 to certify issues for May 6 Primary Election

Reorganization meeting must be scheduled between March 2 and 6, 2025, as mandated by Secretary of State Directive 2024-27 Appointments to the Board of Elections in Each County for Full Terms

Commencing March 1, 2025; 2025 Board Reorganization.


Observer: Shelly Lewis

Editor: Sarah McGlone

Reviewer: Gail Roussey


Date Submitted: Jan 18, 2025


The League of Women Voters of Geauga is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. They do not support or oppose individual candidates or parties. Learn more about the LWVG at www.lwvgeauga.org.



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