Trustees Corner – Paul Schweikert

In early December, I bumped into Fire Chief Brian Ripley, who I have known for 30 of his 42 years as a fireman. Ripley is a pretty upbeat guy to begin with, but on this occasion he was ecstatic. I asked him if he got his Happy Meal early. He could not wipe the grin off of his face as he explained members of our fire department had just finished helping an expectant mother deliver her baby. It was the third time for the fire department in a three-week period.

On each delivery, Ripley said their assist was stellar. I asked him if he ever had to help an expectant mother. Ripley replied he had, but only three times in his entire career. He added that three deliveries in such a short time period was pretty remarkable. Trustees John Zaccardelli, David DePasquale and I want to thank Ripley and the fire department members on helping three new moms in a delicate circumstance. We appreciate your professionalism.

Sagamore Hills Police Department is a member of Metro SWAT. There are 22 communities that are trained to serve Summit and Portage counties. The commander of Metro SWAT is Ryan Schulz. Commander Schulz sent Sagamore Hills Police Chief David Hayes a letter commending Sgt. Ken Wolf, who is Sagamore’s representative to Metro. Wolf exceeded performance expectations with perfect scores in both handgun and rifle firearm requirements. He exceeded expectations on fitness requirements as well. Hayes said, “This is an agency we hope is never deployed,” but he was pleased that Sagamore’s tactical member is outstanding in his field.

Hayes wants to remind everyone who is at Brandywine Ski this winter to keep an eye on his or her valuables. In the past, there has been a high degree of theft of snowboards, skis, etc.

Service Director Bill Cuprak wants to thank all the residents who allowed the service department to operate during the 2022 Christmas blizzard. Many did “allow for the plow.” Cuprak said driver visibility was poor and giving them room to operate was appreciated.

Please be advised that any time the National Weather Service is calling for 3 inches of snow or more, Sagamore Hills has a snow ban in effect. This means you may not park a vehicle on the street. If you do park on the street, you may receive a ticket.

When weather conditions are poor, the waste removal company may skip a week if driving conditions are treacherous. The waste removal truck weighs more than Sagamore Hills’ 5-ton snowplow trucks when they are loaded. This is difficult on stop and go. The waste removal company will pick up two weeks of waste the following week. They do not issue a refund as they pick up twice as much waste. They realize skipping is an inconvenience, but it is caused by extremely poor driving conditions.

Lastly, on behalf of the Sagamore Hills Board of Township Trustees, I want to thank our department heads for staying on budget in 2022.

Any questions, call 330-467-4970. Go Cavs. ∞