Regular scheduled Richfield Township Board of Trustees meeting was called to order at 8:00 p.m.

Roll Call: Trustees - Robert Hooper, Shano Cica-Mraz and Robert Luther
Clerk / Treasurer - Mark Uhrich

Others present: Laurie Gilmore - Office Administrator; Laurie Pinney – Zoning Inspector; Chief Arbogast
Road Foreman – Jerry Schall

Mr. Hooper made a motion to approve the September 4 minutes, seconded by Ms. Cica-Mraz: Mr. Luther – No; Mr. Hooper – Yes; Ms. Mraz – Yes, motion passes by majority.

Mr. Hooper made a motion to approve warrant report 6281 to 6315, seconded by Ms. Cica-Mraz, motion carried unanimously.

Mr. Uhrich – The township held a successful auction that raised close to $3,000.00 and got rid of some of the old equipment. Also, Mr. Uhrich would like to reserve Mr. Don Titko, OTAS consultant, for review of current work and for year-end transition work. Ms. Mraz: please get quotes for his services.

Zoning report presented by Ms. Mraz: The next Zoning Commission meeting is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. on Oct 1, 2001. The Board of Zoning Appeals next meeting is October 15th with an October 1st filing deadline.

Mr. Schall presented the Service Department report: We are still applying crack sealant to our roads. The new truck Richfield Township ordered should be delivered within the next four weeks. There is one more month of brush chipping for the community.

Ms. Gilmore presented the administrator report: Summit County Engineer, Gene Esser will attend the next
Richfield Township Trustee meeting. The county is planning to pave Black Road and Columbia Road from Boston Mills to Riverview Road with cement stabilization. The Township has signed with Shell Energy to provide natural gas. Constantine’s Nursery will donate the landscaping bushes for around the new Triangle Park sign. A pre-construction meeting took place with the contractors on Fellowship Hall. The handicap ramp installation will take place after the building is painted. Richfield Township has received 23 applications for the snow plowing program for seniors. On Tuesday September 11, the Village of Richfield is conducting a planning meeting for the renovation of town hall.

Mr. Luther – The builder has passed the rough framing inspection on the new storage building. The builders did not use the bird netting, that should be a reduction of about $1,000.00. Holmes lumber gave us a quote for the installation of overhead doors. Laurie Gilmore indicated that their quote did not include framing.

Ms. Mraz – We need Holmes lumber to give us an estimate for framing the overhead doors. Eight quotes from concrete suppliers needed for this project are discussed. One bid from Pravano was submitted late We need to find out if saw cutting is part of the bid. Mr. Luther believed that saw cutting was part of the bid.. Ms. Mraz made a motion to accept T & C quote with saw cutting not exceed $8770.00 for concrete for the Storage Building, seconded by Mr. Hooper, motion carried unanimously.

Mr. Slagter, legal counsel from Buckingham, Doolittle and Burrows recommends that the trustee’s authorize the township Administrator to enter into a contract with the determined contractor. Ms. Mraz made a motion to authorize Richfield Township Administrator to enter into a contract with T & C concrete, seconded by Mr. Hooper, motion carried unanimously.

The trustees reviewed the fall road projects and repairs. Mr. Luther -- Whitethorn is probably the worst road. The Township Road Department is to level off the roads before chip and seal. Ms. Mraz made a motion start the repair work on Whitethorn and Twig not to exceed $5,700.00, seconded by Mr. Hooper, motion carried unanimously. Ms. Mraz made a motion to use Lytle Construction for these projects. Seconded by Mr. Hooper, motion carried unanimously.

Mr. Hooper read resolution 20-2001 and reviewed key points: The combined Police force will be 17 full-time and three part-time officers; Patrolling will increase from one per shift in the township to three to four in the entire community; A full-time Police Chief; and moving into a new state of the art police headquarters early in 2002.

Mr. Luther saw problems with the contract, such as: Thought that Mr. Hooper would give the public three weeks to review the contract; Richfield Township will lose levy money, $115,000.00 and we will have to use General Fund money to make the difference, and we will have to pay back our COPS grants up to $180,000.00, there is no escape clause to this contract. Will the Village Police Officers be willing to go to Akron to appear in contested court cases? Can the Clerk certify that funds are available for this contract?

Mr. Uhrich – My obligation to certify funds is limited to the current fiscal year, which ends 12/31/01. I do not certify availability of funds past this fiscal year.

Mr. Slagter offered clarification on this point – the Clerk certifies funds only for that first fiscal year, and next year the funds are included in the trustees’ annual appropriation charge.

Mr. Luther would like to have routine updates from the new police department as it relates to Richfield Township activities. Has no problems with the Village Police department, just does not want to lose control.

Mr. Hooper stated one of the advantages is that we would have a police supervisor on duty on all shifts.

Mr. Luther wants an “out” to this contract if we are not satisfied.

Mr. Slagter indicated that the contract has an obligation to provide same level of service. If we do not receive the level of service as called for in the contract we could seek remedies. They are accountable to Richfield Township.

Open to public:

Mr. Phil Sipos chair of Richfield Township Safety Committee, 5030 W. Streetsboro, Generally speaking we feel this is a good contract, but some points I would like clarification on: Section four of the contract; Seniority and Longevity pay; effect on retirement benefits.

Ms. Mraz response: Village police officers “top-out” at 36 months, so Officer Gilbert and Michel will go in at the highest level; Longevity – Richfield Township officers are not losing any of their full-time years of service; Seniority – the Village will waive the probationary period for all new officers but the they will not carry seniority over to the new Police Department; retirement benefits will transfer to the Village.

Ms. Gilmore – the Village’s retirement benefits pays more into the officers account then current contributions.

Mr. Slagter – Richfield Township just gave pay increases earlier this year and now the Officers will get another substantial pay increase with this contract.

Mr. Hooper – looking at the total dollars, it is costing us approximately $372,000.00 for 2001 at current level and the contract calls for $325,000.00, this will save us $47,000.00 right from the beginning. The one levy that will drop off will save our taxpayers money while increasing our force size. We will have the option to bring a police levy up to vote if we need to next year.

Officer Gilbert – The PERS will not all transfer to village, my part-time service credit will not transfer.

Charlie Easton, 5168 Streetsboro, We are going to lose the $115,000.00 in levy money and may have to return $180,000.00 in grant money and what are we going to do when the chief is gone?

Bob Anderson, 4358 Oviatt Road, What will be the new ratio of officers to population?

Steve Schmidt, 3124 Wheatley, Will we receive same protection as in the village? Why were three officers shooting radar up there by where the new Burger King. What if that is not the kind of protection I want.

Ms. Bobbie Bersha, 4268 Streetsboro, councilperson from the village, believes that these were special assignments and not routine officers taken from patrol.

Gail Luther, 5126 Alger, paying all this money to lawyers and I am surprised that it is only four pages, I think it should more thorough. Why haven’t we heard from Chief Arbogast. As it is today, is it true that we can we live in our current police budget?

Chief Arbogast – We live within our budget, we may need to have an additional levy in the future to operate the department.

Bob Anderson, 4358 Oviatt Road, do we have a mutual aid agreement with our surrounding communities?

Chief Arbogast – Yes we have entered into mutual aid agreements with surrounding communities.

Mr. Jeremy Hersey, 4394 Broadview, Bad move not having an exit strategy in the contract. We should just hire another officer. I am pretty sure we’ll have to give back the grant money. Certain groups of police are friendly and some are not, I’m not sure this going to work. We were promised three weeks to review the contract.

Mr. Rich Fleming, 2780 Columbia, To the chief: How many times have you not had adequate back in crucial situations? How many times did the Village back you up? Chief Arbogast – We have always received back up from any /all available resources. The Committee survey was to be issued, was there one issued? Mr. Hooper – No we never did send one out. In the contract, does the five percent increase relate to the original $325,000 amount or does the increase compound?

Diane Kranik, Richfield Times reporter, How many officers would it take Richfield Township to hire to put at least two officers on patrol per shift? Mr. Hooper – We would have to count on 4.2 officers per shift to adequately cover each shift seven days a week, 24 hours per day.

Mr. Rich Fleming and Ms. Gail Luther stated it was hard to get a copy of the contract from Village and Mr. Fleming stated that Mr. Hooper would give him three weeks to review.

Chief Arbogast – I will take a substantial pay cut.

Ms. Mraz – You are a part-time chief with a full time job and you would be unable to work full-time for the Village.

Ms. Gilmore – at 36 months Officer Gilbert will receive a ten percent increase, Officer Michel will get 12.5 percent increase, Officer Dressler will get a seven percent increase.

Mr. Luther – We gave the fire department away and that was a big mistake. Personal service does take money. The Village will take a cut in their service.

Ms. Mraz – There are many citizens that are in favor of this police contract. We have examined many details for several months.

Mr. Luther made a motion to “beef-up” our department.

Ms. Mraz made a motion to adopt resolution 20-2001, seconded by Mr. Hooper: Mr. Luther – No, Mr. Hooper – Yes, Ms. Mraz – Yes, motion passes by majority.

Mr. Hooper read resolution 21-2001
Mr. Luther thought it might be premature to vote on this motion because there might be litigation on the matter.
Ms. Mraz made a motion to adopt resolution 21-2001, seconded by Mr. Hooper: Mr. Hooper – Yes, Ms. Mraz – Yes, Mr. Luther – No, motion passes by majority.

Mr. Hooper read resolution 22-2001
Ms. Mraz made a motion to adopt 22-2001, seconded by Mr. Hooper: Mr. Luther – No, Mr. Hooper – Yes, Ms. Mraz – Yes, motion passes by majority.

Public Forum:

Ms. Betty Hayes, 3415 Gelding, is Laurie Gilmore the Township Administrator or Office Administrator?

Ms. Mraz made a motion to amend previous motions and make the language consistent if there was any inconsistency with Laurie Gilmore as Richfield Township Office Administrator or Township Administrator, seconded by Mr. Hooper: Mr. Hooper – Yes, Ms. Mraz – Yes, Mr. Luther – No, motion passes by majority.

Mr. Hooper made a motion to go into executive session at 10:15 p.m. to discus pending legal matters, seconded by Ms. Mraz, motion carried unanimously.

Ms. Mraz made a motion to hire Buckingham, Doolittle and Burrows as legal counsel in the event there is legal action taken against Richfield Township in matters regarding the Police Department contract, seconded Mr. Hooper: Ms. Mraz – Yes, Mr. Hooper – Yes, Mr. Luther – No, motion passes by majority.

Ms. Mraz made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 10:40 p.m., seconded by Mr. Hooper, motion carried unanimously.

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Chairman Clerk