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Geauga County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board (GC-MHRS) - February 21, 2024 

Meeting Details: GC-MHRS Board held its regular monthly meeting on February 21, 2024 at 6:00 pm at the Board offices located at 13244 Ravenna Rd., Chardon, OH 44024. This meeting was in person only with no recording available. No agenda was available in advance on the website or on social media, but the agenda is available through a request to Office Manager Teresa Slater by email at tslater@geauga.org.  

Public Comment Policy: No formal policy, but in practice public comment is permitted at the end of the meeting.

Board Members Attending: Chair Steve Oluic, Vice Chair Alberta Chokshi, Secretary Jimmy Lee Holden, Treasurer Michael Petruziello, and Board Members Ann Bagley, Reba Dykes, Kathy Johnson, Douglas Lundblad, and Patricia Varanese. 

Board Members Absent: Martin Fay, Carolee Lesyk, and Mary Ruth Shumway

Staff Members Attending: Executive Director Christine Lakomiak, Finance Director Jim Mausser, and Secretary Teresa Slater. 

Service Providers: Angi Daugherty, Family Pride; Michelle Bertman, Catholic Charities; Melanie Blasko, Lake Geauga Recovery Center; Mary Wynne-Peaspanen, Signature Health; Kristine Frankenberry, NAMI Geauga; Vicky Clark, Ravenwood Health; Andrea Gutke, WomenSafe, and possibly other providers who didn’t sign on the sign-in sheet provided.

Guests: Katherine Franz (this LWVG Observer) and possibly others who did not sign in. 

Call to Order, Roll Call, and Pledge of Allegiance occurred as listed on the agenda. The meeting was called to order at 6:01pm.

Minutes from the January 17, 2024 meeting were approved. Minutes are posted on the Board’s webpage here. 

Chairman’s Report: 

Mr. Oluic said there was a lot to cover at the meeting, so he deferred his comments and turned the floor over to Director Lakomiak. 

Executive Director’s Report:

• There was an Auditor of State Behavioral Health Training January 30-31 in Columbus. Chair Oluic, Mr. Petruziello and Director Lakomiak attended this training. The Auditor of State Behavioral Health training focused on updated Roles and Responsibilities of Mental Health Boards as well as a refresher on Sunshine Laws. There is newly updated guidance which hadn’t been revised since 2016; participants received a handbook on this new guidance. Implementation of the updated guidance will require updating some policies. The attendees indicated that the training was helpful. Ms. Lakomiak has a digital copy of the book which she can forward to anyone interested.
  

• Transitional Living Center (TLC) - The new facility will add 7 beds for a new total of 14 beds. Proposals from architectural firms were due January 12. They have secured $1.1 million from the State of Ohio with a $126,000 match from  GC-MHRS funds. The Board received three Request for Qualifications (RFQ) responses from architectural firms. Members of the Board, staff and a Ravenwood staff member met with the three architectural firms and chose one. There was a need to act fast, because, though initially funds were to be spent by 2025, the Governor and the new Ohio Mental Health Director moved up the date. Ms. Lakomiak said that everyone pulled together to get everything in. She commented that the process required seven different documents, and all were submitted on time. She said it is definitely moving forward and they are very excited, but she also noted that it is such a quick timeline. The Capital and Planning Committee has met three times this month. Ms. Lakomiak reported that Ravenwood Health has done a tremendous job.  The Transitional Living Center (TLC) kickoff will be February 28 at 2:45 with the architect. This is when design, schedule, communications and next steps will be discussed. From then on, Board Member Ms. Dykes and Ms. Lakomiak will meet weekly with the architect. Others may join if they want to participate.

• The GC-MHRS Board was granted $1 million by Ohio MHAS to build a 10-unit apartment building. This was discovered last week. The monies are for FY2027-2029, and plans to build the apartments will be developed.

• GC-MHRS received $506,000 for housing from the State. These funds may be able to be added to the existing TLC project. The GC-MHRS Board was not previously aware that they had that funding. They are hoping to be able to use these monies for the original building, not the expansion. The existing building is due for upgraded flooring, furniture, and other items.
  

• Requests for Proposals (RFP) for provider agencies were sent out February 1, 2024. The RFP outlines clear outcomes expected so that the services the GC-MHRS Board wishes to purchase are clear.  Service specifications were part of this. This will help the board know what they will be receiving and lets the agencies know the expectations. The Board is sticking with specific standards, such as time lines. For example: 988 crisis calls will be answered within 16 seconds. There will be a  meeting on February 29 that is a Q & A session for providers who wish to respond to the RFP. It will be at 2:00 pm for agencies who wish to participate in the bidding process. RFPs are due March 29, 2024, at noon.

• Dr. Oluic said he found out at the meeting in Columbus that many boards across the state are dealing with delayed payments from auditors.

Committee Reports

• Agency Relations Committee: Board member Kathy Johnson stated that there was no report.  The next meeting  of this Committee is scheduled for March 19, 2024. 

• Finance Committee: Mr. Petruziello had no report. 

• Planning and Policies Committee: Ms. Alberta Chokshi reported that the committee held a meeting on February 14, 2024. They revised the Charge of Committee and Plan of Succession.   Both were updated and clarified, but not changed in substance. See below on the agenda. The next meeting is on March 12, 2024, at 3:00 pm.  The annual evaluation for the Director is on the agenda for March.

• Capital Planning/Housing Committee: 

  • This Committee has met three times in the past month, due to all the activity with the TLC.  Board Member Ms. Dykes commented that the county housing situation has come so far since 1996 when she first became aware of the situation. She stated that the expansion is exciting. 

  • Ms. Johnson and Ms. Dykes attended a February 20 meeting at Munson Town Hall about a proposed women’s shelter to be built and operated by Faith Rescue Mission. The meeting was standing room only with over 200 people in attendance. There was a lot of pushback expressed to the plan by meeting attendees. They expressed concerns including background checks, whether or not housing is open to Geauga County residents only, and the shelter’s proximity to schools. The proposed facility would house 8-10 homeless single women. The next step in the process would involve zoning requirements. Ms. Dykes said she feels positive about the proposed program. Faith Rescue Mission has six beds for homeless men in Chardon. The Chardon facility met with the same kind of resistance. The proposed shelter would be open to all of Geauga County.  The Faith Rescue Mission housing in Chardon and this proposed facility in Munson are funded exclusively by donations and utilize no government funds. Observer Note: This is of interest as it affects the overall housing needs for vulnerable populations in Geauga County, but is not a function of GC-MHRS Board. Reviewer Note: In a February 23 press release, Geauga Faith Rescue Mission announced that it would be seeking a new location for the homeless women’s shelter as a result of the community feedback received at the February 20 meeting.

• Opiate HUB Committee: Ms. Lakomiak stated that Geauga County was charged with developing a county HUB program to deal with addiction. This HUB has been in existence for years. The Opiate HUB met last month, and the meeting was well attended with about 25 participants from many different agencies. Ms. Johnson and Ms. Bagley attended representing the GC-MHRS Board. Each partner entity is required to have two representatives. At this meeting, it was decided that some sub-committees will be continuing, including Prevention and Education, Treatment and Recovery, and Community Training and Outreach. It was noted that the Community Training and Outreach sub-committee will continue to recognize first responders. The next meeting is April 4, 2024, at 10:00 at the GC-MHRS Board office.
  

Board Review and Action Items

• Planning and Policy Charge of Committee:  

  • Charge of Committee. Ms. Chokshi reviewed the updated  language and revisions which were also in the board packet. No substantive changes were made. 

  • Succession Policy. This policy hadn’t been updated since 2015. The Planning and Policy committee worked on it over a period of several months. The proposed updated policy was in the Board packet. The full board has had several chances to look over this document in the preceding months. Changes centered on updated language.  For example, the plan called for the Associate Director to succeed the Executive Director if needed, but there is no longer an Associate Director. The succession plan now names the Finance Manager as successor since the person in that position has the most comprehensive overview of the GC-MHRS Board.  No questions were asked. 

  • Ms. Chokshi stated that Board approval was not required for either the Charge of Committee or the Succession policy changes. 

  • Insurance Overview. Ms. Lakomiak explained that every year the board reviews insurance needs and purchases insurance and noted that all the information was in the board packet. One question was asked: Are “we” bonded or specifically is the Finance Manager bonded?  Ms. Lakomiak said that the Finance Manager Mr. Mausser is not bonded because the County Auditor is the fiscal agent. She noted that the Finance Manager does not handle any funds in house because all money goes through the County Auditor. 

Financial Reports

• Mr. Mausser stated that through January the GC-MHRS Board has expended 53.6% of funding for State Fiscal Year 2024, which began July 1, 2023.

• Mr. Mauser stated that under the County calendar year 2024 Budget, the Board has expended just under $1.0 million through January. 

• The Auditor’s Fund Balance is just over $2.45 million. 

• Voucher recap #697 for January was $999,586.16.

• Ms. Lakomiak and Mr. Mausser have been invited to meet with the Budget Commission about the Calendar Year 2025 budget. This meeting will be March 18, 2024. This is earlier than usual.
  

Old Business - None

New Business - None  

Public Comments

Lake-Geauga Recovery Center President and CEO Melanie Blasko invited all to the organization’s alcohol-free St. Patrick's Day event. It is open to all, not just alumni, and isn’t a fundraiser but simply a social event. It will be on March 15 at Painesville Township Park.  Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. More information is available here. 

Adjournment: 

The meeting adjourned at 6:40. 

Board Minutes: Available at https://www.geauga.org/board-minutes/

Next meeting:  The next meeting will be on March 20, 2024, at 6:00 pm. 

More Information: https://www.geauga.org/

Observer: Kathy Franz

Editor: Sarah McGlone 

Reviewer: Gail Roussey

Date Submitted: 3/6/24

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