MEDINA COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Newsletter 144 N. Broadway St. Medina, OH 44256 (330) 722-9208 www.co.medina.oh.us County Home Report Medina County Commissioners Patricia G. Geissman (President of the Board) pgeissman@medinaco.org Stephen D. Hambley shambley@medinaco.org Adam Friedrick afriedrick@medinaco.org What’s Happening – 7/1/14 .Appointment/Reappointments .The commissioners appointed Dennis Langdon to the Medina County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health (ADAMH) Board and reappointed Melanie Kasten-Krause, Tom Lockard, and Kent Patterson. .The commissioners appointed Richard P. Sisko to the Medina County Port Authority. Upcoming Events Brunswick Summer Celebration July 1-6, Brunswick High School Campus, 3553 Center Rd., Brunswick. The parade kicks off on Sunday, July 6, at 2:00 PM. The celebration includes parades, contests, entertainment, rides, bands, fireworks, and much, much more! For the complete schedule visit www.summer-celebration.com. Report suspected fraud at JFS.Ohio.gov/Fraud “It’s not how many times you get knocked down that count, it’s how many times you get back up.” George A. Custer (1839-1876) US Military Commissioners’ Contact: Pam Vereb, Clerk (330) 722-9208 pvereb@medinaco.org Email Pam to Subscribe Joyce Giles, County Home Superintendent, reported that there are 46 residents at the County Home. The Adult Day Care Program has three participants. The renovations on the second floor have been completed. The elevator was inspected and everything was fine. The website is current. They are working with the OSU Extension to enhance dietary services. The Brunswick Astronomy Club will be visiting the County Home to provide stargazing education. The residents continue to volunteer at Feeding Medina County. They are having a holiday picnic. The Center for Older Adults and the Medina Senior Center provide the Picnics on the Patio events. Since not all of the residents can attend those, they will be having Picnics under the Pavilion every Friday in July. They will also have a residents’ bonfire in collaboration with the Lafayette Township Fire Department. Several residents are already submitting their arts and crafts for the Medina County Fair at the end of the month. Joint Meeting with the City of Medina There was a joint meeting with Medina City Council Monday, June 30, and it was a lively discussion. Some questions were asked by the audience and the administration regarding user charges for sanitary service. Commissioner Hambley said that Sanitary Engineer Amy Lyon-Galvin and County Administrator Chris Jakab have been involved with a number of meetings on this to improve their communications and, secondly, to look at the rate structure of the fees. Some businesses said that it may be a hindrance to investment. The county eventually planned rate studies after an upgrade in their software and some other matters, but consideration will be given to possibly expediting this. Commissioner Friedrick said that the second topic most discussed was the Central Processing Facility (CPF). He didn’t think that there was a full understanding that the county is going through two processes – the request for proposals (RFP) for the CPF operation and the long-term planning for the facility; they are connected, yet they are separate. At the end of the evening, he believes everyone had a better understanding. There was concern expressed about the tipping fees and recycling rates. The commissioners will prepare a response to council members regarding their concerns and how they are going to proceed. They will continue to work with them, as well as all the other entities and individuals that are current users, in developing a comprehensive review of their rate structure. Dog & Kennel Fund The commissioners have been asked by some concerned citizens to consider providing some funding for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) for a trap, neuter, and release (TNR) program for the feral cat population. The levels of licenses are one-year, threeyear, and permanent and the fund is to be used for dogs. Commissioner Hambley said that they planned to reevaluate it and possibly reduce fees. If it is possible, an option may be to give the dog tag purchasers for a reduction in cost and asking them if they are willing to give $2, for example, for a trap, neuter, and release program for cats. This would leave the decision to the dog owner as opposed to the commissioners. There are probably some dog owners, including him, that would be agreeable to passing on their savings for a TNR program. Research will be done to see if that is possible and they will check with the SPCA Board about its program priorities and capability for implementation of this type of new initiative. Electric Aggregation Recertification The commissioners approved the filing of a renewal application with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) for a governmental electricity aggregation program. There is a requirement that the county be recertified by the PUCO every two years as a government aggregator. This was specific to electric aggregation that was approved by the voters in 2010. Volume 9, Number 24 7/1/14