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Commissioners’ Meeting

William F. Hutson called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. with Adam Friedrick and Patricia G. Geissman present. The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer.

The minutes of the April 3, 2018, Commissioners’ meeting were emailed in advance. Mr. Friedrick moved to approve the minutes; Mrs. Geissman seconded the motion. Roll call showed all commissioners voting AYE. Highway Administrative Assistant Doug King presented and reviewed the following resolutions: (1) accepting and awarding the 2018 Medina County Item 422 Resurfacing Bid on various county roads in Medina County, Ohio for the Medina County Engineer; (2) accepting and awarding the 2018 Medina County Item 405 Resurfacing Bid on various county roads in Medina County, Ohio for the Medina County engineer; (3) replacing Kennard Road (C.H. 78) Bridge No. 4 in Harrisville Township by constructing a new bridge and necessary approach pavement; and (4) determining the necessity to close Garman Road (C.H. 91) between Avon Lake Road (S.R. 83) and Friendsville Road (C.H. 35). Mr. Friedrick moved to approve the four resolutions; Mrs. Geissman seconded the motion. Roll call showed all commissioners voting AYE.

The commissioners reviewed the permits issued March 29-April 4, 2018.

Finance Director Mike Pataky presented and reviewed the following resolutions: (1) amending the Annual Appropriation Resolution; (2) amending the 2018 Appropriations Resolution by transferring appropriations; (3) authorizing the county auditor to transfer funds from various county department accounts to the Medina County Print Shop revenue line item; (4) sales tax distribution to the various districts located in Medina County; (5) authorizing the execution of a participation agreement between Medina County and the County Risk Sharing Authority, Inc. (CORSA); (6) authorizing the submission of a grant application for a Family First Council Operational Capacity Building Funds grant; (7) allowing expenses of the Adult Probation Department; and (8) allowing expenses of county officials. Mr. Pataky requested payment of the weekly bills in the amount of $818,000.40. Mr. Friedrick moved to approve the eight resolutions and to pay the bills; Mrs. Geissman seconded the motion. Roll call showed all commissioners voting AYE.

Human Resources Director Holly Muren presented and reviewed a resolution approving personnel changes for the employees under the jurisdiction of the Medina County commissioners. Mr. Friedrick moved to approve the resolution; Mrs. Geissman seconded the motion. Roll call showed all commissioners voting AYE.

County Administrator Scott Miller presented and reviewed the following resolutions: (1) authorizing the acceptance of payments by financial transaction device and (2) authorizing public hearings and publication of notice thereof on the proposed levy of a county sales tax pursuant to O.R.C. 5739.021 and 5741.021. Mr. Friedrick moved to approve the two resolutions; Mrs. Geissman seconded the motion. Roll call showed all commissioners voting AYE.

Commissioner Hutson presented resolutions commending the following students on being chosen as outstanding seniors by the Medina County Share Cluster for 2018:

Black River High School: Carrie Cepec, Ryan Sinnema
Brunswick High School: Ashland Damron, Samira Pelekar
Buckeye High School: Bethany Eirdam, Gregory Steinberger
Cloverleaf High School: Abby Andrews, Logan Sims
Highland High School: Abigail Catron, Raymond Flannery
Medina County Career Center: Matthew Arehart, Morgan Valente
Medina High School: Melissa Gottschalk, Megan Sency
Wadsworth High School: Katie Callow, Drew Doepker

Mr. Friedrick moved to approve the resolutions; Mrs. Geissman seconded the motion. There was no discussion. Roll call showed both commissioners voting AYE.

MCDAC

Director Brian Nowak reported that grant applications are in and are being reviewed. The MCDAC Board will meet on May 7 to make recommendations for funding; the recommendations will be made to the commissioners on May 15. He noted that tomorrow, Share Cluster will host a seminar called Faces of Recovery; the presenter is Rick VanWarner, author of On Pills and Needles. The seminar will take place at Cleveland Clinic Medina Hospital from 8:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. The next Opiate Task Force meeting will take place on April 13 from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. at Founders Hall in the Wadsworth Medical Center; a tour of the new men’s residential treatment facility will be provided. The Share Cluster Breakfast will be held on April 27 from 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. at Williams on the Lake. Mr. Nowak further reported that the Drug Task Force will sponsor a medication take-back day on April 28 from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at Medina Township Police Department and Wadsworth Police Department.

Mr. Hutson noted that an Expedited Type 2 Annexation Petition was filed in the Commissioners’ Office on April 4, 2018, for 1.7616 acres to be annexed from Westfield Township to the Village of Gloria Glens Park. There is no hearing for an Expedited Type 2 petition. The commissioners’ review has been scheduled for Tuesday, May 8 at approximately 9:45 a.m. during the regular Commissioners’ meeting (if no objections are filed between now and then).

Public Comment

Teresa Snyder, 10145 Shaw Road, Chatham Township, stated that she is concerned about the serving of alcohol at Sèrènitè. This is supposedly for drug rehab, and alcohol is a drug. She stated that Mr. Chrostowski feels that eventually these people will have to learn how to work in an environment and be around alcohol. She shared her personal experience of the difficulties of being around cigarette smokers when she was trying to quit. She believes that those going through rehab have low self-esteem and are powerless, and it should be their choice. We want these people to get better and get back into society healthy and strong; they need our support. Mrs. Snyder noted that a friend told her that this is cheap labor, and if they really want to do a service for these people, they should not use them for that under the umbrella of rehab to promote their own business. Mr. Chrostowski’s restaurant in Shaker Heights trains those that have been incarcerated, but that is a different culture. Alcohol is addictive, and alcohol withdrawal is the only drug that a person can die from while going through withdrawal. She stated that she believes this to be a misuse of grants if they are just going to promote the use of another drug. She believes the people need to have the choice and not have others make that choice for them.

Commissioner Friedrick explained that Edwin’s Restaurant in Shaker Heights does focus on hiring people with felonies in their background, however, according to Mr. Chrostowski, about 30-40 percent of those felons also have a drug or alcohol addiction. The experience of these people in dealing with the addictions in the presence of alcohol is there. Mrs. Snyder stated that we do not know what the outcome is going to be, but something is not right if it’s still escalating with the opioid addiction. Mr. Friedrick answered that we do know what the outcomes are at Edwins; they have been very successful.

Commissioner Hutson noted that he previously shared her same concern, and because he’s not an expert in the field, he spoke to those that are. It was described to him that there is a spectrum of recovery. What is transpiring at Sèrènitè is for those at the end of the recovery spectrum to get them more acclimated to the pressures of society and the recidivism issue. At the other end of the spectrum, they have a recovery center that is open at a church that will deal with those less advanced in the spectrum. People do have a choice. They do have grants from the State of Ohio to do this, and those from the State are very interested in the development of the program and the outcome so they can assess it to determine if it should be replicated. It is being looked at as something that is perhaps a model for other recovery centers to help people at that end of the spectrum.

Richard Sisson, 395 Union Street, Medina, stated that one year ago today, he was at the height of his opiate addiction; it was pretty bad. He was able to go to a treatment center and began putting his life back together. He had a job before starting this program, and through outreach, he was able to make the decision of whether to work for $11.50 an hour for the rest of his life, or to learn a craft to help better his life. The people at the Recovery Center have done nothing but show them love and kindness, and in order for anyone with an addiction to succeed, that must come into play because they cannot do it alone. The restaurant and Medina County have shown a lot of care for them. He has been in this program since it began and has already accomplished a lot. He’s learning the trades of a restaurant, not just cooking French fries and hamburgers. The last thing on his mind when he goes into work is a mixed drink. If he wants an alcoholic beverage, he can make the choice to do that by going to the gas station; these things are in their lives. With the structured environment they are in, they are not thinking about the alcohol because they are there learning to better their lives.

Mr. Sisson stated that the other day, there had been a comment made about the money being spent and that this is only for 9 or 10 people. Shame on them because that is 9 or 10 lives being changed, 9 or 10 families, 9 or 10 mothers and fathers, 9 or 10 lives saved – it’s priceless. While getting ready for school, his six year old son asked if he was going to work to be a better dad. His six year old son can determine seeing his dad become a better person; it brought tears to his eyes because for the first time in his life, he sees the change within himself. He’s not had a year sober in 18 years until now, every bill in his home is paid, he’s driving again, his daughter is an honor student and going to college next year, and he was able to purchase his daughter a car. These things are not possible without the help of the people in this program, AA/NAA, and the probation department backing him and his family. He thanked everyone for supporting this program; it’s going to change lives. Mr. Chrostowski is a very smart man who not only talks the talk, but he also walks the walk. He explained that they are selected for the program and must have a little time under their belt.

Mr. Friedrick told Mr. Sisson that was the best five minutes he had heard in the eight years he’s been here. With no further business to come before the Commissioners, the meeting recessed at 9:57 a.m.

Discussion Session

At 9:59 a.m., the Commissioners began the Discussion Session in the Commissioners’ Conference Room. Mrs. Geissman noted that tomorrow morning, Fran DeWine will be visiting Feeding Medina County at 10:00 a.m. to see exactly what they do. Fran has a good chance of being our next governor’s wife, and her thing is children and family; Feeding Medina County is about children. The reason she started it is because someone had made a comment that we had children going to be hungry at night. She did not want to believe this, but found out it was true.

Mr. Hutson stated that he had been in Louisville, Kentucky at Fort Knox last week for a change in command ceremony; his son was promoted to major.

Adjournment

There being no further business, Mr. Friedrick moved to adjourn the meeting; the motion was seconded by Mrs. Geissman. Roll call showed all commissioners voting AYE. The meeting ended at 10:01 a.m.

RESOLUTIONS PASSED APRIL 10, 2018

• 18-0288-0303 Commending students on being chosen as outstanding seniors by the Medina County Share Cluster for 2018
• 18-0304 Allowing claims and authorizing issuance upon the treasurer in settlement of such list of claims
• 18-0305 Accepting and awarding the 2018 Medina County Item 422 Resurfacing bid on various county roads in Medina County, Ohio for the Medina County engineer
• 18-0306 Accepting and awarding the 2018 Medina County Item 405 Resurfacing bid on various county roads in Medina County, Ohio for the Medina County engineer
• 18-0307 Replacing Kennard Road (CH-78) Bridge No. 4 in Harrisville Township by constructing a new bridge and necessary approach pavement
• 18-0308 Determining the necessity to close Garman Road (C.H. 91) between Avon Lake Road (S.R. 83) and Friendsville Road (C.H. 35)
• 18-0309 Amending the Annual Appropriation Resolution
• 18-0310 Amending the 2018 Appropriations Resolution by transferring appropriations
• 18-0311 Authorizing the county auditor to transfer funds from various county department accounts to the Medina County Print Shop revenue line item
• 18-0312 Sales tax distribution to the various districts located in Medina County
• 18-0313 Authorizing the execution of a participation agreement between Medina County and the County Risk Sharing Authority, Inc. (CORSA)
• 18-0314 Authorizing the submission of a grant application for a Family First Council Operational Capacity Building Funds grant
• 18-0315 Allowing expenses of the Adult Probation Department
• 18-0316 Allowing expenses of county officials
• 18-0317 Approving personnel changes for the employees under the jurisdiction of the Medina County commissioners
• 18-0318 Authorizing the acceptance of payments by financial transaction device
• 18-0319 Authorizing public hearings and publication of notice thereof on the proposes levy of a county sales tax pursuant to O.R.C. 5739.021 and 5741.021

All deliberations concerning official business and formal actions by this Board of Commissioners were conducted in an open public meeting this tenth day of April 2018.

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