Lordstown Village Council Regular Meeting
PROCEEDINGS
Lordstown Village Council Regular Meeting
(WHEREAS, the regular meeting before the Lordstown Village Council commenced on Monday, October 17, 2011, at 6:35 p.m. and proceedings were as follows:)
(Lord's Prayer and Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag)
MR. SULLIVAN: Clerk, will you do the roll call, please.
MR. BLANK: Mayor Chaffee? (NO RESPONSE—ABSENT.) Mr. Bond?
MR. BOND: Here.
MR. BLANK: Mr. Hill?
MR. HILL: Present.
MR. BLANK: Mr. McCarthy?
MR. MCCARTHY: Present.
MR. BLANK: Mr. Sullivan?
MR. SULLIVAN: Here.
MR. BLANK: Mrs. Wilson?
MRS. WILSON: Here.
MR. BLANK: Mr. Zoldan?
MR. ZOLDAN: Here.
MR. BLANK: Deputy Clerk Blank, present. Treasurer, Sharon Ebling?
MRS. EBLING: Here.
MR. BLANK: Attorney Jess Enyeart?
MR. ENYEART: Here.
MR. BLANK: Police Chief Milhoan?
CHIEF MILHOAN: Here.
MR. BLANK: Fire Chief Travis Eastham?
CHIEF EASTHAM: Here.
MR. BLANK: Planning, Zoning, Dave Harrison?
MR. HARRISON: Here.
MR. BLANK: Streets and Parks Superintendent, Dale Grimm?
MR. GRIMM: Here.
MR. BLANK: Board of Public Affairs?
MR. DIETZ: Here.
MR. BLANK: Municipal Engineer, Lesley Gordon?
MS. GORDON: Here.
MR. BLANK: And Rec. Director, Marty Gibson? (NO RESPONSE — ABSENT.)
MR. SULLIVAN: Do we have a motion to excuse Mayor Chaffee and Marty Gibson?
MRS. WILSON: So moved.
MR. MCCARTHY: Second.
MR. SULLIVAN: Motion and a second. All those in favor?
COUNCIL: Aye.
MR. SULLIVAN: Those opposed? (NO RESPONSE FROM COUNCIL.)(VOTE: 6, AYE; 0, NAY; 0, ABSTAINED.)
Disposal of the minutes?
MR. ZOLDAN: So moved.
MR. BOND: I'll second it.
MR. SULLIVAN: Motion and second. Any questions on the motion? (NO RESPONSE FROM COUNCIL.) Seeing none, all those in favor?
COUNCIL: Aye.
MR. SULLIVAN: Those opposed? (NO RESPONSE FROM COUNCIL.) (VOTE: 6, AYE; 0, NAY; 0, ABSTAINED.) Ayes have it.
Payment of the bills. Is there a motion?
MRS. WILSON: So moved.
MR. MCCARTHY: Second.
MR. SULLIVAN: Motion and second. Any questions? (NO RESPONSE FROM COUNCIL.) Seeing none, all those in favor?
COUNCIL: Aye.
MR. SULLIVAN: Those opposed? (NO RESPONSE FROM COUNCIL.) (VOTE: 6, AYE; 0, NAY; 0, ABSTAINED.) Ayes have it.
Under the Mayor's report, the only thing he has is tomorrow by noon he needs any articles in for the flyer that's going to be going out, I believe, November 1st.
Clerk's report?
MR. BLANK: No report.
MR. SULLIVAN: Solicitor's report?
MR. ENYEART: No report.
MR. SULLIVAN: Treasurer's report?
MRS. EBLING: No report.
MR. SULLIVAN: Board of Public Affairs report?
MR. DIETZ: We're having a meeting the 20th at 4:00 if anybody is interested.
MR. SULLIVAN: That's it?
MR. DIETZ: Waiting for the Utilities Committee.
MR. SULLIVAN: Village Engineer's report?
MS. GORDON: I just have two items this evening. I passed out a report to everybody. One is we're still working on the Highland Avenue drainage study. We sent out surveys to the residents along that stretch of the road and asked that the survey be returned by the 15th. That's last Friday so we're still —— it's only Monday so we're just waiting to see if a few more come in. Then we're going to map out all the responses that we get from people.
The other item was what Arno had mentioned, the survey staking for those test holes.
MR. SULLIVAN: Thank you. Any questions for the Engineer?
MR. BOND: Yes. Under residents' responses from Highland Avenue, are you getting a good response back?
MS. GORDON: I think we have gotten a handful or so and we sent out, I want to say, 30 or 31.
MR. BOND: Okay.
MRS. WILSON: Are you going to be present the day that they bore?
MS. GORDON: I am not planning on being present because I didn't want to appear to be directing them what to do.
MR. SULLIVAN: We're going to have ES&C present?
MRS. WILSON: I understand them to actually be there, but I just thought you would be there, too.
MR. ZOLDAN: It might be a conflict, Mary Jane.
MRS. WILSON: How?
MR. ZOLDAN: How? Who else besides CT and everybody else is involved in this mess? That's how.
MRS. WILSON: I just thought that you would be there to protect your interests ——
MR. ZOLDAN: Don't think. Sometimes, Mary Jane, I don't want you to think.
MRS. WILSON: Shut up, Stanley.
MS. GORDON: I can discuss it with Chuck Riehl and Bill Hanna again. What we had discussed in executive session last time was that I would not be there. That's why you were hiring a third party.
MRS. WILSON: I meant a third party to double check everything, but I just thought you'd be there to protect your own interest.
MR. ZOLDAN: But one of the committeemen ——
MRS. WILSON: I didn't ask you, Stanley.
MS. GORDON: I'll ask him again what he thinks is appropriate.
MR. ZOLDAN: Mary Jane, the committee —— one of us will be there at the time.
MR. SULLIVAN: Special reports, Police Chief?
CHIEF MILHOAN: I have no written report but I would like to update you. As you know, the dealership inadvertently ordered the wrong colored cruiser for us. They were able to locate a white Chevy Caprice 2011 for us. My understanding is that the vehicle is in California right now. It's got some add—ons that has to take place. Then it will be sent via a truck to Lancaster, Ohio, which is where the dealership is that we purchased through the State purchasing. Then it will be brought to us. So they're estimating somewhere between three and four weeks we will have it, which is better than five or six months. When it gets here, I'll make you aware of it. That's the timeline we're looking at right now.
MR. ZOLDAN: There's no added costs to us?
CHIEF MILHOAN: No. In fact, my understanding is it's going to be a little bit less because a couple of the options we had ordered are not going to be on this vehicle that they found, but it's the closest match they could find.
MR. ZOLDAN: Are we going to have to have those added options?
CHIEF MILHOAN: We'll have to have our installer who puts the light bar and radio and things in, he'll have to do some additional wiring, which we had pre—ordered on the car and didn't get. The other thing will have to be probably taken care of by the Road Department. That's simply disabling the rear windows, locks and doors. So a prisoner, if you will, would not be able to exit the rear of the vehicle. But we feel that is something that John James will be able to help us with. Other than his time, that should be no cost to us. But the pre—wiring that we had ordered on the car, our understanding is the one they found us does not have that. They could not find one that had that. So we will pay less to the dealership but probably more to the installer.
MR. ZOLDAN: So even.
CHIEF MILHOAN: We're thinking it's going to be a tradeoff.
MR. MCCARTHY: I'd like to sit down with you, Brent, at your convenience and we'll go over both cars and make sure what we ordered is not missing and vice versa.
CHIEF MILHOAN: Okay.
MR. MCCARTHY: And see if there will be any additional cost.
CHIEF MILHOAN: The dealership indicated that he will not have the invoice until the car is loaded on the truck and they will send the invoice at that time. He verbally went through each list over the phone, and he indicated what was on this one. But he's not —— I asked for a copy of the invoice.
MR. MCCARTHY: That is what I'm asking for.
CHIEF MILHOAN: And I can't get that until he gets it. And he won't get it until it's —— don't ask me why, but that's the way it works, I guess. We were trying to eliminate the same problem.
MR. MCCARTHY: At that point I'd like to sit down and go over that.
CHIEF MILHOAN: As soon as I get that I will let you know. That's all I have.
MR. SULLIVAN: Any questions for the Police Chief? (NO RESPONSE FROM COUNCIL.) Seeing none, Fire Chief, Travis?
CHIEF EASTHAM: No report.
MR. SULLIVAN: Any questions for the Fire Chief? (NO RESPONSE FROM COUNCIL.)
Planning and Zoning Administrator?
MR. HARRISON: Yes, Mr. Sullivan. Anderson—Dubose will be having a job fair for Lordstown residents here in the Administration Building on November 16th from 4:00 to 7:00.
MR. SULLIVAN: Fantastic.
MR. HARRISON: It will be in the newsletter that all the residents will get.
MR. SULLIVAN: Anything further?
MR. HARRISON: That's it.
CHIEF MILHOAN: Mr. Sullivan, I'm sorry. I know I went out of order here but when he mentioned the newsletter, it reminded me. I wanted to make you all aware that under the direction of Officer Michele Mercer and Dispatcher Judy Musser, we will be doing our food drive again this year. We put that information in the newsletter which we'll get out to residents in early November. But we're going to attempt this year to provide meals for the Thanksgiving holiday and also the Christmas holiday.
MR. SULLIVAN: Warren Mission?
CHIEF MILHOAN: To some of our needy families in the Village. All of the food will stay in the Village. The newsletter is going to indicate that we're going to be accepting non—perishable, unexpired food and monetary donations, as well. We'll feed as many needy families as we can. We work close with the school and some of the local churches to find out some people in the Village who need some assistance. That's going to be in the newsletter, as well.
MR. SULLIVAN: Going to have our basketball game?
CHIEF MILHOAN: I think. I don't know.
MRS. WILSON: I have another question. Brent, would you want to advise the Villagers about what was happening in the Village today about what you thought was maybe a scam?
CHIEF MILHOAN: Well, you mean right now or through the newsletter?
MRS. WILSON: Right now and through the newsletter just telling them to be careful because senior citizens are the biggest, preyed—upon targets.
CHIEF MILHOAN: We had received a call this early morning, late afternoon from a resident who was concerned about an individual who is going door to door trying to sell blacktop. They would come in and give you a price on maybe if you had some holes or some cracking in your blacktop and they would take out the old or just do a top coat over top of it. Prior to that, we received some information—— Detective Bordonaro received some information from his investigator's meetings that some individuals in the area are falling victims to these scams, if you will.
We believe that the individual that we had today was part of that group. But we're not sure at this point so we're still ——
MR. SULLIVAN: You actually arrested somebody today?
CHIEF MILHOAN: We did not. The only thing we advised him was he did not have a solicitation permit to go door to door. So we instructed him that if he wished to go door to door in the Village, that he had to apply for a permit, which he did go to the Admin. Building here and did obtain a permit. We're trying to do some more checking. I can't come out and say for sure that he's a scam because to my knowledge he, himself, has not scammed anybody. However, his company that he works for we did feel they did scam one of our residents last year. He works for that same company. Now, that being said, doesn't mean that he's going to scam somebody. But he was going door to door today trying to find individuals who would let him do this type of work.
I guess my suggestion would be buyer beware. I would strongly suggest that the things you've all heard before is obtain references. I personally—— just speaking for myself—— would be leery about doing business with somebody who just showed up at my door to give me an estimate. I would feel more comfortable if I called three or four individuals to get estimates to get some work done. So I think you run the risk of being ripped off. A lot of these individuals —— and this guy was no different —— he had a Texas driver's license. He seemed to be very transient going from area to area. That's kind of a red flag. Doesn't always mean that he's going to rip you off, but there was a lot of red flags that went up in talking to him that I would be concerned about in having him do some work.
MS. GORDON: Was he looking for cash?
CHIEF MILHOAN: No. My understanding was he did not accept —— he indicated to us that he did not accept cash until the job was completed. But, again, last year about this time he did a job for one of our residents and they paid up front. So that's another red flag if he wants 50 percent down before the job is done, that's probably not a good idea. A lot of this stuff comes back to common sense. But a lot of these individuals do prey on some of our elderly. So we try to get this information out when we can, but a lot of it really comes down to common sense.
MR. SULLIVAN: Okay. Parks, Grounds, Buildings, Streets, Mr. Grimm?
MR. GRIMM: Yes, Mr. Sullivan. The only thing I have is on the building side. As most of you have probably driven by and seen, the fire station roof is underway. They started to tear off today. So far all the metal decking looks to be well in tact, so hopefully we won't have any overages on that portion of it.
MR. SULLIVAN: Do they have a problem with this rain tonight and tomorrow?
MR. GRIMM: (Shrugging.)
MRS. WILSON: Big tent.
MR. GRIMM: That's all I have.
MR. SULLIVAN: Any further questions for Mr. Grimm? (NO RESPONSE FROM COUNCIL.)
For Marty Gibson, we have the one piece of legislation we would like passed tonight. That's it.