ADP Refuses to Unblock Russell Police Domain Due to Lack of Unblock Form Request
ADP Board Meeting - September 25, 2025
Meeting Details: The Automatic Data Processing Board (ADP) held a Special Meeting at 10:00 am on September 25, 2025 in the Geauga County Auditor’s Office Appraisal Conference Room at 231 Main St., Chardon, OH 44024. Virtual access was available via MS Teams, and the agenda was provided in advance. Members of the public may attend ADP meetings virtually via MS Teams by emailing an invitation request to Auditor’s Office Chief Operations Officer Pam McMahan at PMcMahan@geauga.oh.gov. This Observer attended via MS Teams.
Public Comment: ADP does not have a written public comment policy. In practice, public comment is solicited at the end of the meeting.
Board Attendance:
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Auditor/Chief Administrator – Charles Walder
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Clerk of Courts – Bonnie Guarnera for Sheila Bevington (joined meeting at 10:20)
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County Commissioner – Carolyn Brakey
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Engineer – Andy Haupt
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Board of Elections – Michelle Lane and Nora McGinnis (both absent)
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County Prosecutor – Samantha Harris for Jim Flaiz
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Recorder – Celesta Mullins
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Sheriff – Scott Hildenbrand (absent)
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Treasurer – Caroline Mansfield for Chris Hitchcock
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Coroner – John Urbancic (absent)
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Common Pleas Court Judge - Observer Note - It was stated at the January 28, 2025 meeting that this seat will not be filled.
ADP Staff Attendance:
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Frank Antenucci – Chief Deputy Administrator
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Tracy Rahimi - Help Desk Clerk (virtual)
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Zach McLeod - Information Security Manager
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Jonathan Heiden, ADP
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Mike Dorka, ADP
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Jeremiah Snider, ADP (virtual)
Reviewer Note: ADP restructured into three groups earlier this year: Department of Advanced Technology and Applications (DATA), Department of Advanced Research & Cybersecurity (DARC) and Department of County Archives and Records Enterprise (CARE). More information on this restructuring is available in the March 4, 2025 ADP Observer Report.
Other Government Representatives:
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Janess Heiden - IT Administrator, Chardon Municipal Court
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Thomas Huff - Court of Common Pleas, IT Officer (virtual)
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Kate Jacobs - Chief Compliance Officer, Auditor’s Office (virtual)
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Pam McMahan - Chief Operations Officer, Auditor’s Office
Others Present:
The meeting was called to order at 10:00 am by Mr. Antenucci. When the meeting started, there were not enough Board members present for quorum. The Board proceeded with informational updates and discussion, but it was noted that no formal actions could be taken. At 10:20 am, quorum was gained when Ms. Guarnera arrived as an alternate for Ms. Bevington.
Minutes: None presented.
The Board took the following actions:
DISCUSSED - Ohio Persistent Cyber Improvement (O-PCI) Training Update - Mr. Antenucci explained that O-PCI launched a training initiative about 60 days ago within a 90-day window with the Ohio Cyber Range Institute, a partnership with the University of Cincinnati and state and federal cybercrime partners. Mr. Walder pointed out that Geauga County is the only county involved in this initiative which will provide free cybersecurity training. Mr. McLeod explained that participation will lower training costs and that training content includes cyber awareness, live exercises, and security incident simulations. Training hours vary depending on an individual’s experience. Current compliance rates with training requirements vary across the county departments. There were concerns expressed about how non-compliant township staff could affect insurance premiums since insurance companies have underwritten a portion of the ransomware payments by government entities across Ohio. Training for government employees will be mandatory under state requirements next year. Observer Note: In 2023, the Ohio Cyber Range Institute (OCRI) received a grant originating from the Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to scale its capacities to support Ohio's local governments. Read more about the O-PCI here.
DISCUSSED - O.R.C. (Ohio Revised Code) 9.64 Compliance Status - Mr. Antenucci noted that the cybersecurity policy approved by the ADP Board at its September 9, 2025 meeting was distributed to users and legislative authorities. He said there was some confusion from differing state-level directives and that some local authorities are unaware that a model policy already exists. Mr. Walder noted that he and Mr. Antenucci would make a presentation at the upcoming Geauga County Township Association on October 8, 2025 meeting to clarify requirements, discuss coordination and encourage adoption by townships.
DISCUSSED - Recorder’s RFP Software Update - Mr. Antenucci reminded the Board that the Geauga County Recorder’s office was seeking a hosted software solution. Four proposals were received in response to the Request for Proposal (RFP). ADP is currently assessing responses from the three out of the four proposals that provided security detail, reviewing for MFA (multi-factor authentication), strong passwords, US-based servers, etc., noting that most proposals meet security requirements. The move to a cloud-based solution will eliminate the need for the Recorders office’s current separate network infrastructure, enhance security and integration with ADP network, and improve accessibility and user-friendliness. Mr. Antenucci anticipated a final recommendation to the Board within weeks. System migration and implementation is targeted for November–December, with go-live in January. Mr. Walder commented on the positive collaboration between Recorder and ADP and noted that cost savings are anticipated from the new system implementation.
Regular Business:
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APPROVED - Wood County Domain Unblock - With ADP’s concurrence, the Board approved the unblocking of Wood County’s domain after remediation. ADP will continue monitoring for any residual risk. Observer Note: For more information on the Wood County ransomware incident read here.
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DENIED - Domain Unblock – Russell Township - The Board declined an emergency unblock request from the Russell Township Police Department since the required Unblock Form was not provided to ADP by the Russell Police Department. The Board will wait for completed documentation before taking further action. Observer Note: For more information on the Russell Township Police Department cybersecurity incident read here.
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DISCUSSED - Invoice/Payment Rules - Mr. Walder informed the Board that he will be issuing a letter to all county elected officials, county agencies and all county department heads to clarify the invoice payment process. The letter will make it clear that the burden is on county offices to get ADP approval, not the Auditor's office, before the Auditor’s office processes an invoice for payment. He also noted that he has communicated the requirement for the submission of documentation at least 3 days ahead of the next Board meeting before an item will be presented to the ADP Board for consideration.
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APPROVED - Common Pleas Court Tyler Technologies Jury System Annual SaaS (Software as a Service) Fees ($17,216) - Payment of year 3 annual fee of a 3-year contract was approved. Operational issues with the jury management system were noted by the representatives from the Chardon Municipal Court. Judge Stupica and Ms. Heiden both recounted communications issues with potential jurors meant to be supported by the system. Judge Stupica noted for the Board that while serving on a Committee with judges from other jurisdictions, she learned that Stark County and Franklin County filed a lawsuit claiming breach of contract with Tyler Technologies regarding their jury management system. Mr. Antenucci noted that he was unaware of this. Observer Note: This Observer could not find a reference to this lawsuit but noted a resolution approved by Franklin County Commissioners terminating a contract with Tyler Technologies court management system approved in September 2024. Board discussion centered around the need for coordinated evaluation of the current tool and potential alternatives by the various stakeholders, including Common Pleas court, Chardon Municipal court, the Prosecutor’s Office and ADP. The invoice was approved, with one ‘No’ vote from Ms. Harris.
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APPROVED - Common Pleas Court Tyler Technologies Jury System Annual SaaS Fees - Voice ($5,668) - The invoice was approved, with one ‘No’ vote from Ms. Harris.
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APPROVED - Common Court Pleas Dex Copier ($11,150) - Approved the invoice for hardware as a part of a total contract not to exceed $28,555 for 5 years. Mr. Antenucci explained that the imaging technology was vetted by ADP and is standard across the county.
Public Comment: Mr. Antenucci asked for any public comment/questions. There were none.
The meeting was adjourned at approximately 11:30 am.
Next Meeting: The next scheduled meeting of the ADP Board is a Regular Meeting on December 9, 2025. Observer Note: Before this report was published, a Special Meeting was called for October 9, 2025 at 11:00 am.
Minutes when posted are available here: Meeting Minutes | Geauga County Automatic Data Processing
Virtual Meeting Information: Contact Pamela McMahan at PMcMahan@geauga.oh.gov.
Observer: Carol Benton
Editor: Rooney Moy
Reviewer: Sarah McGlone
Submitted: October 12, 2025
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