6/21/2012 - West Side Leader
     

Also, Council to hire deputy director of insurance

DOWNTOWN AKRON — Summit County Council adopted an ordinance June 18 that will make property owners responsible for the costs incurred by the Summit County Sheriff’s Office whenever that agency is called in to remove chemicals and devices used in the manufacture of methamphetamine and other illegal drugs.

The legislation was adopted on second reading, after being introduced by the Public Safety Committee June 4.

It states property owners will need to pay for cleanup costs of drug labs as well as an administrative charge to be paid to the county within 30 days of receipt. Cleanup costs are not to exceed $1,200 for a first occurrence, including a $200 administrative charge, according to the legislation. If not paid, the county fiscal officer may enter a lien in the amount of the total owed on the property, to be collected as other taxes and assessments.

The legislation applies to residential properties as well as motor vehicles, hotels and abandoned and vacant commercial and residential properties.

Also at the meeting, Council adopted a resolution that will allow County Executive Russ Pry to hire a full-time deputy director of the Department of Law, Insurance and Risk Management, with some opposition.

The position has been vacant since Don Mittiga retired at the end of last year, according to Jason Dodson, chief of staff for the County Executive’s Office.

During Council’s June 11 Personnel Committee meeting, the committee recommended Council adopt a resolution that would allow Pry to hire a candidate for the position.

Dodson said at that meeting if Council were to adopt the resolution, it would be Pry’s intention to offer the job to longtime Summit County Council member Tim Crawford (D-District 7).

Crawford abstained from voting on the resolution to hire someone for the position, while Council members Gloria Rodgers (R-District 3) and Bill Roemer (R-at large) voted against it.

Rodgers asked during the committee meeting June 11 if the position will be posted, and Dodson said it won’t because the Executive’s Office believes Crawford would be the best candidate due to his experience.

Crawford is the former mayor of Norton and was elected to Council in 1993. He’s currently the most senior member of Council. Professionally, he has been an insurance agent for nearly 30 years.

Dodson said Crawford’s background in county and local government and the insurance industry makes him a good fit for the job, which would see him handling day-to-day risk management duties as well as prevailing wage compliance in the county.

“We’ve talked, and certainly I think it’s a fine position and I would love to take it, but I think we’re jumping the gun,” Crawford said after the meeting. He added that more than likely “a little bit of a search” will be conducted for other candidates.

If he does end up taking the position, he will have to resign from Council, he said. The hiring process will need to be completed by sometime in August, he added.

In other action, Council:

• approved a motion confirming the appointments of Pry (with alternate Dodson), County Fiscal Officer Kristen Scalise (with her chief of staff Jack LaMonica as alternate) and County Councilwoman Ilene Shapiro (D-at large) (with alternate Councilman Frank Comunale, D-District 4) to the Summit County Land Reutilization Corporation Board;

• adopted on first reading a resolution authorizing the county prosecutor to hire a full-time computer systems/software analyst in the Child Support Enforcement Agency at a rate of $19 per hour;

• adopted on second reading a resolution approving the vacation of a portion of Stanford Road in Boston Township; and

• adopted a resolution to proceed with placing a 2.25-mill renewal levy for Summit County Children Services on the Nov. 6 General Election ballot.

County Council will meet for committee meetings, followed by a regular meeting June 25, beginning at 4:30 p.m. in Council Chambers on the seventh floor of the Ohio Building, 175 S. Main St. Also, Council will take a July recess, meeting only July 30.

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