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Ohio pension changes could affect county departments

9/20/2012 - South Side Leader
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By Kathleen Folkerth

DOWNTOWN AKRON — With changes to Ohio’s state pension plans around the corner, some county departments like the Summit County Sheriff’s Office may see a rash of retirements in the coming months.

The topic arose during Summit County Council’s Sept. 17 meeting as Randy Briggs, of the Sheriff’s Office, explained the need to post a position that will be vacant due to the retirement of a longtime employee.

“We’re going to have an onslaught” of retirements, Briggs told Council. “A lot of people are going to be giving short-term notice.”

Council President Jerry Feeman (D-District 6) asked if Briggs could say how many retirements might be expected. Briggs said the office estimates that between 32 and 36 Sheriff’s Office employees are eligible for retirement this year and that possibly 10 might give their notice by the end of the year.

He said many of the employees eligible for retirement have been going to Columbus to meet with pension counselors to determine what they should do.

“A number of them aren’t going to go for a number of reasons,” he said.

According to the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System, the General Assembly passed pension legislation Sept. 12. The changes become effective in January.

Council members indicated they would like to be updated on the issue as the end of the year approaches.

Also Monday, Council heard first reading of legislation regarding a sewer plan for the village of Clinton in southern Summit County.

Officials and residents from the community spoke before Council and stressed the need for the plan so the area can capitalize on the Towpath Trail and Ohio Veterans Memorial Park.

Councilman Matt Steiner said Clinton would like to attract more visitors as other communities along the Towpath have.

“We’d like to bring the bike riders down here from Peninsula,” he said.

Jack Baker, who owns businesses in Akron’s Northside district, said if Clinton’s downtown were to improve, he might consider relocating his businesses there when his lease is up in a few years.

“If I don’t see the hotel go up between the downtown lofts, I might be interested in a location in downtown Clinton,” he said.

Mayor Allen Knack said the village’s downtown has no more businesses. Due to water issues, the Summit County Public Health Department will not allow restaurants to open until something is done.

Also Monday, Council adopted a resolution allowing the replat of a parcel in the McKnight Park subdivision in Springfield. County officials said the replat is the first part of a two-part process to swap land from Springfield with a resident to correct encroachments created by a driveway and garage.

Council also adopted a resolution allowing the county to accept a grant in the amount of $171,841 for the county’s Emergency Management Agency, and allowing an expenditure of the same amount as the county’s matching grant.

On first reading, Council adopted a resolution that will provide $40,260 in Title XX funding to Summit County Public Health for maternal depression screening kits to be distributed to new mothers who receive public assistance.

Steve Zimmerman, of the Department of Job and Family Services, said those mothers have a higher incidence of maternal depression: 40 percent compared to 12.5 percent in the general population.

Council will meet Sept. 24 at 4:30 p.m. for committee meetings in Council Chambers on the seventh floor of the Ohio Building, 175 S. Main St.

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