Purchases approved for police cars, snowplows and IT equipment
by Sue Serdinak
Feb. 7 village council meeting
Funds were budgeted in 2022 for several large purchases in 2023, and Richfield Village Council suspended readings and passed several pieces of legislation to make those purchases.
The acquisition of two snowplows for $515,000 was approved. They will be obtained from Kenworth of Richfield and Canton, using the Ohio cooperative purchasing program.
Council suspended readings and approved the purchase of two cars for the police department, a Ford Explorer and a Ford Expedition from Montrose Ford for $105,000. The Explorer will be used as a cruiser and the Expedition for the canine program.
Mayor Michael Wheeler said he met the puppy that will be trained by officer Jacob Totten.
One retired police vehicle will be used by the administration, according to Wheeler. Another will be sold by internet auction.
Council suspended readings and approved the purchase of two computer servers, one network server and the server license from BPI Information Systems for $57,883.
According to IT Director Tim Baker, this replaces equipment no longer supported by manufacturers. He added that the software Office 360 has been installed on all village computers, and that all village emails have been moved to the cloud. The Senior Center system was updated and provides printing capabilities.
Animal control
Council passed legislation to provide animal control services to Bath Township. The village will seize, impound, house and feed animals for up to three days for the Bath Police Department. The village will charge $40 to impound an animal and $10 per day to house and feed it. An optional service of seizing and transporting will also be offered for $50.
According to the agreement, a member of the Bath safety forces will accompany the Richfield animal control officer when control of an animal occurs.
As a township, the county dog warden is available to Bath on weekdays but not on weekends, when Bath requested coverage from Richfield.
Board pay
Council passed a resolution to pay members of the cemetery board $10 per meeting. The other village boards already receive this compensation.
Energy costs
Council passed legislation to approve an agreement with Northshore Energy Consultants to guarantee electricity rates at $.05656 for village streetlights for 36 months.
Finance Director Sandy Turk warned that these rates are guaranteed for only 24 hours and asked council to suspend readings and pass the legislation at this meeting.
Wheeler reported that he sent a letter to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio in support of the recertification of NOPEC, Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council.
“They have helped us get lower rates,” he said.
NOPEC, an Ohio nonprofit energy aggregate, took unusual action in August 2022, when it switched its customers to electric service offered by the local utility company because the NOPEC rate had been frozen at a higher rate.
The Public Utilities Commission has required that NOPEC justify its recertification as an energy provider. About 100 communities and other organizations have written in support of NOPEC’s recertification.
NOPEC plans to offer the utility service to customers starting in June.
Appointment
Wheeler announced his nominee of Diane Nagy to the tree and landscape commission. Council approved the appointment.
Council reports
During council committee reports, it was recommended that Fellowship Hall and Historical Museum be sided with a manufactured product instead of paint because of the ongoing expense of removing old paint and repainting.
It was also recommended that the sanitary sewer line in a ravine in Glencairn Forest be re-aligned using a method used in the national park and metro parks, saving the village about $700,000 from the estimated cost to rebuild the system.
The cemetery board plans to recommend a design for a columbarium to be built in Fairview Cemetery this year.
The park board recommended a location for a basketball court at Richfield Woods west of the Johnson Barn. ∞