Garrettsville Village Council met briefly Aug. 13, appointing a new member, reviewing finances, and approving a new policy regulating social media use by village offices.
Present were council members Tom Hardesty, John Chambers, Sheri Johnson, Richard Beatty and Jeff Kaiser, along with Mayor Rick Patrick, Fiscal Officer Donna Love and Solicitor Bill Mason.
Patrick announced that Councilwoman Deb Wordell has resigned her seat. Council approved his recommendation to appoint John Brachna to serve the remainder of her term, which runs through the end of 2027. Mason administered the oath of office.
Hardesty reported that 142 letters were sent to residents regarding non-filing of 2023 income taxes, and, according to Love, “there has been quite a stir.” Through July, collections totaled $1.14 million, down about 3% from last year. Year-to-date spending was 43% of appropriations in the General Fund, 49% in the Street Fund, and just over half in the water and sewer funds.
The village paid $344,030 in July, including utilities, loan payments, equipment purchases and a new police cruiser. Council voted to approve the payment of bills.
Council reviewed Ordinance 2025-25, creating Chapter 107 of the village’s codified ordinances to regulate social media use by village offices, employees and elected officials.
The policy requires mayoral approval for any official village accounts and designates the village website as the primary online presence. Department heads must monitor approved accounts, and all official posts must be accurate, civil and nonpartisan.
Prohibited content includes unrelated, offensive, discriminatory, threatening, political, commercial, unlawful or unsafe material, as well as posts that violate copyright. All social media content is subject to Ohio public records law. The policy also addresses separating personal and official accounts, correcting mistakes, and protecting confidential information.
Tim Christopher reported the village’s new 2025 police cruiser has been delivered for decals and equipment, with the trade-in of a 2018 cruiser netting $11,000.
A resident, Chad Harris, who had raised concerns about stormwater drainage near the AutoZone site at the July meeting inqured about the staus of his complaint. Hardesty said the village and its engineer reviewed the situation and determined runoff is not greater than when the gas station occupied the property.
Roundtable discussion
• Hardesty said road paving projects were completed with positive feedback. State Route 82 and 88 repaving is scheduled for 2026, with Route 88 improvements to include a warning light at the Headwaters Trail crossing. A cemetery grant application was denied, but landscaping will be added at the columbarium to prepare for a future veteran’s memorial plaque monument. He also noted possible repairs at the village garage.
• Chambers said updated tornado siren quotes came in at about $500 more than earlier estimates. Sirens would be installed at the Industrial Drive standpipe and the Center Street sewage pump station. Council voted to move forward with the purchase.
• Patrick reported the village’s electric vehicle charging station has been inoperable since April 2024. The software provider is no longer in business, and he asked Mason to review the contract so the station can be removed.
• Love said she interviewed candidates for the tax clerk position and requested council’s approval to hire. She also raised the question of fall cleanup, which Kaiser supported.
• Beatty welcomed Brachna to council and wished Wordell well. He also reported a resident’s concern about a damaged curb on Shawnee Trail, likely caused by a snowplow, and asked Hardesty to add it to the project list.
• Kaiser asked about the missing monument at the time capsule site. It was removed temporarily to correct the stone’s angle.
The meeting adjourned at 7:45 p.m. The next council meeting is set for Wednesday, Sept. 10, at 7 p.m. at Village
