Geauga County Records Commission - July 12, 2023
Meeting Details: The Geauga County Records Commission (GCRC)) met in regular session immediately following the meeting of the Geauga County Microfilming Board, which convened at 11:00 am on July 12, 2023 in Room A121 of the Archives and Records Center at 12611 Ravenwood Drive, Chardon, OH 44024.. Virtual access was available via MS Teams and the agenda was provided in advance. This observer attended virtually.
Background: The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) currently manages both microfilming and document management functions through the Archives and Records Center. It claims authority for document management under ORC 149.38 which also permits them to employ either an archivist or records manager. They claim operating and hiring authority for microfilming operations under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) dated November 18, 2008 between the Geauga County Recorder and the BOCC.
The current elected officials who serve on the Microfilming Board contend that the MOU cannot override statutes and therefore was never valid. They assert authority for providing microfilming services under ORC 307.802. They further assert that ORC 307.804 authorizes the County Recorder, as Chief Administrator of the Microfilming Board, to employ a deputy and other staff as necessary to provide microfilming services.
In recent months, BOCC made numerous staffing decisions at the Archives and Records Center, including appointing an Interim Director, hiring an Archives Administrator, hiring a Clerk and upgrading a position to Archives Supervisor. Neither the Microfilming Board nor its Chief Administrator had any role in these decisions.
Public Comment: unknown policy, but was permitted during this meeting
Board Attendance:
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County Commissioner & Chair – Jim Dvorak
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Prosecutor - Jim Flaiz
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Recorder - Celesta Mullins
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Auditor - Charles E. Walder
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Clerk of Courts - Sheila Bevington
Archives & Records Center Staff Attendance:
Other Government Representatives:
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Assistant County Administrator, BOCC - Linda Burhenne
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Chief Deputy Administrator, ADP - Frank Antenucci
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Fiscal Office Manager, Auditor’s Office - Pam McMahan
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Chief Compliance Officer, Auditor’s Office - Kate Jacob (virtual)
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ADP Staff - Josh Widdiefield - (virtual)
The meeting was called to order at noon by Mr. Dvorak.
Minutes: three sets of minutes were considered, as follows:
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October 19, 2022 - as noted during the earlier Microfilming Board meeting, a quorum was not attained, rendering the meeting and all actions taken during the meeting moot.
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January 9, 2023 - as discussed in the earlier Microfilming Board meeting, these minutes were approved then rescinded pending separation of the combined minutes into individual minutes of the Microfilming Board and Records Commission. Those minutes will be considered at future meetings.
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February 7, 2023 - these minutes were approved without comment or correction.
Staff Update: Ms. Murphy reported that over 700 boxes have been shredded.
Actions Taken:
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Motions were passed to approve disposal requests by the Sheriff’s office and by Job & Family Services. These items had been approved during the October 19, 2023 meeting where there was not a quorum.
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A motion was passed to appoint Ms. Murphy as Secretary of the Records Commission. Reviewer Note: In ORC 149.38 the Secretary may or may not be a member of the Board.
Discussions:
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Sharing Minutes on Website: There was a brief discussion between Mrs. Burhenne, Mr. Walder and Mr. Antenucci about where to share meeting minutes. The phase out of the current Archives website appears to be held up by a technical issue with the court website. The discussion was admittedly beyond this Observer’s understanding.
Public Comment:
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This Observer sought clarification of job titles for Linda Burhenne, Clair Wilson and Karen Murphy. Observer Comment: we noted numerous job titles being used for Mrs. Burhenne during meetings and by the press. We sought guidance from the Human Resources Dept. at BOCC and were told her correct title is Assistant County Administrator.
Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 12:38 PM.
Observer: Shelly Lewis
Editor: Anne Ondrey
Reviewer: Gail Roussey
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