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Municipal judge hails progress, but mayor of Cuyahoga Falls to develop separate plan
By Bill Lilley Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Thursday, Oct 11, 2007
STOW: Ground was broken Wednesday for the controversial relocation of Cuyahoga Falls Municipal Court to Stow.
While an elated Municipal Court Judge Kim Hoover was on hand for the official ceremony for a project that is about $1 million under budget, Cuyahoga Falls Mayor Don Robart said he is drawing up his own plan to keep some of the court's business in his community.
About a third of the traffic citations that go through the court originate in Cuyahoga Falls.
By opening a mayor's court, Robart would be able to keep the fines and court costs under his jurisdiction.
Robart's plan in itself is controversial, because Ohio Supreme Court Justice Thomas Moyer began in 2005 to push for elimination of mayor's courts and the legislature is hearing testimony on a proposal that could shut down some or all mayor's courts in the state.
On hand for the groundbreaking ceremony for the Stow Municipal Courthouse was Stow Mayor Karen Fritschel, Municipal Court Judge Lisa L. Coates, Clerk of Courts Lisa Zeno Carano and several Stow officials and construction professionals.
''We got the construction bids in and we're thrilled that we'll come in more than $1 million under budget,'' Hoover said. ''We still may add some bells and whistles, but we're very, very happy to be in this situation.
''And we will pay for the court 100 percent through users' fees.''
Hoover, who has been working on the project for six years, said the construction bids came in at $6.63 million. Adding the $1 million already paid for the land, which recently was appraised at $1.5 million, and about $800,000 for professional fees, the total for the project will be slightly less than $8.5 million. The project had been budgeted for $10 million.
The current building in Cuyahoga Falls has 13,000 square feet. The new building, at Steels Corners Road and state Route 8, will have 33,000 square feet on two floors, plus 6,000 square feet in the basement. There will be six courtrooms for the two judges, two full-time magistrates and two part-time magistrates.
The court is expected to open in January 2009.
The court serves Stow, Cuyahoga Falls, Hudson, Tallmadge, Boston Heights, Macedonia, Munroe Falls, Northfield Village, Peninsula, Reminderville, Silver Lake, Twinsburg and Boston, Northfield Center, Twinsburg and Sagamore Hills townships.
Robart has been planning for several months to open a mayor's court.
''We're still going in that direction,'' Robart said Wednesday. ''There are still some things that we have to take care of logistically in terms of schooling and certification.
''But it's definitely our intent to go down that road. Our timetable (to start up) will coincide with the new courthouse's opening.''
The mayor's court would enable Cuyahoga Falls to establish and collect local court fees for speeding tickets and other traffic citations, first-time driving-under-the-influence charges and other minor offenses.
More serious crimes such as repeat drunk-driving charges and civil disputes would have to be handled at municipal and common pleas courts.
According to the annual report from Cuyahoga Falls Municipal Court, 6,321 of the 19,615 traffic citations handled in 2006 came from Cuyahoga Falls. noweb
Bill Lilley can be reached at 330-996-3811 or blilley@thebeaconjournal.com.
STOW: Ground was broken Wednesday for the controversial relocation of Cuyahoga Falls Municipal Court to Stow.
Get the full article here.
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