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Village eyes filling administrator position



LAKEMORE — Currently, Lakemore Village does not have a village administrator in place, but that soon may change.
Village Council is mulling several new pieces of legislation introduced at the brief Feb. 3 meeting, including a resolution to put in place an interim village administrator.
According to the proposed legislation, Mayor Richard Cole, who began in the role last month, proposes to appoint an interim village administrator to start performing the duties of a village administrator.
Past village information on the administrator position states job duties include managing public utilities, overseeing zoning and supervising the maintenance of public places and roadways, among other responsibilities.
The official position has remained unfilled for several years, following the departure of former administrator Chad Pryor, who was terminated in 2011 following a police investigation concerning theft in office.
The mayor said the village is “required by law to have” a village administrator in place.
“My goal, as mayor, and I believe the goal of Council, is to bring that position back so that we become more efficient and more immediately responsive to local matters, and of course, so that we can become compliant with what’s required under the law,” he said after the meeting.
Council is scheduled to vote on the pending resolution at the March 2 meeting.
Council also continues to consider the purchase of four parcels of property in the village, with the total price for the parcels not to exceed $79,000, to save a piece of community history.
Cole has said some of the land is on or abuts Fourth Street and involves a parking lot and the site of the “old coffee shop.”
“We are looking at historical preservation money to restore the historical significance of the old coffee shop,” he announced last month.
If the village moves forward with the real estate purchase, the mayor also envisions establishing a community center in one of the existing buildings.
Cole said Lakemore may qualify for funding for the building restoration.
Also during the meeting, legislation was introduced to create an event permit fee in the village and to apply for grant funding for equipment for the Lakemore Fire Department.
Before the meeting’s close, Councilman Tracy Douglas said he requested a budget breakdown be presented to Council each month in a specific way, expressing frustration that it has not happened yet.
Council went on to discuss the chain of command in the village, with the mayor asking for things from Council to come through Council President Sam Ray and then himself before being presented to village employees as something they must do.
Additionally, at the meeting, Council:
• heard the second reading of an ordinance to allow for the transfer of $52,000 into the Storm Sewer Fund for storm sewer work on Lakeview Street and Lakeside Drive;
• heard the second reading of legislation authorizing a salary increase for Lakemore Fire Chief Brett Reinbolt, from $25.85 per hour to $30.62 per hour;
• approved legislation to authorize a contract with the Summit County Public Defender’s Commission for defense of indigents in Akron Municipal Court from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31;
• accepted the proposals from Hammontree and Associates Ltd. to update and maintain the Lakemore Asset Management Study through 2020, as required by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency;
• confirmed the mayor’s appointments of Councilwomen Anne Snyder and Heather Anderson, two members from the fire department and Clarence Bittner as board members of the Volunteer Firefighter Dependents’ Fund for 2020; and
• approved, after additional discussion, a settlement agreement between the village and the owner of property at 2705 Ottawa Ave.
In village news, Cole invited the community to a skating party at the Springfield Lake Roller Rink, sponsored by the S.U.P.E.R. Learning Center, on Feb. 17, Presidents Day, from 10 a.m. to noon. Cole said admission is free, but skate rental costs $3.
The mayor additionally announced the annual Quarter Auction by the Rotary Club of Port Summit will take place Feb. 22 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Ellet Event Center, 2208 E. Market St.
The next Lakemore Village Council meetings will be Feb. 18, a day later than usual due to Presidents Day, and March 2, both at 7 p.m. at the Municipal Building, located at 1400 Main St.