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Officers from Springfield Township will begin patrolling village on July 15
By Linda Golz
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Tuesday, May 19, 2009
LAKEMORE: The Lakemore Police Department will be dismantled and Springfield Township Police will begin patrolling the village on July 15.
Facing significant financial challenges, Village Council voted unanimously Monday to authorize Mayor Mike Kolomichuk to enter into a contract with the township to provide police protection for the 2,700 residents.
Springfield trustees voted Thursday to accept the agreement.
Fiscal Officer Richard Quay said the village expects to save up to $200,000 a year with the agreement, which includes Springfield hiring the eight full-time police officers from Lakemore.
''That's why we went this way,'' he said.
Had the village kept its own department, Quay said, three or four officers would have been laid off.
Some of those full-time jobs may wind up being part-time, Quay said. And he didn't know whether Lakemore's part-time officers will also be hired by Springfield.
''The two communities are working together to get the best solution,'' said Village Councilwoman Marlene Hill.
Quay said the village will pay the township $435,000, as well as other costs, such as maintaining two cruisers.
He said Lakemore pays $762,000 in operating costs per year, plus payments on the police building, bringing the cost to $831,000 annually to operate the department.
''This has been the most
agonizing process,'' Kolomichuk said. ''I think it's as good as we're going to do.''
Police Chief Kenneth Ray will be made a captain with the Springfield department and will oversee coverage in Lakemore.
The arrangement will be reviewed quarterly to work out the bugs, Hill said.
In addition, there is an ''out clause'' if either side decides the arrangement isn't working well, Kolomichuk said.
The agreement was met with mixed emotions by residents Monday night.
''I feel sad,'' said Betty Ross, who has lived in Lakemore most of her life. ''But if it's going to help the finances, I hate to see it happening, but what do you do?''
Jack Cliver, who said he was born in Lakemore, favors the move. ''I think it should be 'yes' all the way. It's overdue by 20 years or so. We're one community. We've always been one community. I think we should be one city.''
He said both the village and township were too small to have an impact on issues. Together, as one city, they would have more influence.
But Larry Kovach, who moved to the village in 1986, didn't agree. ''I wish it would never have gone through,'' he said. He said the police officers know everyone and everyone knows them.
Linda Golz can be reached at 330-996-3640 or lgolz@thebeaconjournal.com.
LAKEMORE: The Lakemore Police Department will be dismantled and Springfield Township Police will begin patrolling the village on July 15.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Tallmadge, OH
Posted 06:07 AM, 05/19/2009
Will the $200,000 be returned to the citizens with a reduction in their property taxes? That is the question or will it be wasted on something else?
Akron, Oh
Posted 06:22 AM, 05/19/2009
I hope Denise Johnstonbaugh gets fired!
Akron, OH
Posted 06:25 AM, 05/19/2009
For the money, all of those small communities should regionalize services. The savin's would be huge.
Akron, Oh
Posted 06:46 AM, 05/19/2009
Middle Man - you have said negative things in the past with regards to Denise. Why do you feel that way ? Did she do something to you or is it just a personality dislike ?
Akron, oh
Posted 07:30 AM, 05/19/2009
Sounds like a good move. Lakemore and Springfield community is more than one than not.
I believe both will benefit. The qaulity of the law enforcement will be enhanced. Lakemolre also took care of the working officers of the department and didn'te let them hang out and dry.
Posted 07:37 AM, 05/19/2009
Time to regionalize all services and eliminate/minimize the administrative overhead ....
akron, oh
Posted 07:59 AM, 05/19/2009
"Some of those full-time jobs may wind up being part-time, Quay said. And he didn't know whether Lakemore's part-time officers will also be hired by Springfield."
Sorry Lie Detector they did not take care of their officers just some of them. The above quote is the 9th paragraph of the story.
akron, oh
Posted 08:00 AM, 05/19/2009
Sorry the 7th paragraph.
"Some of those full-time jobs may wind up being part-time, Quay said. And he didn't know whether Lakemore's part-time officers will also be hired by Springfield."
rootstown, oh
Posted 08:40 AM, 05/19/2009
who cares?
Akron, OH
Posted 09:02 AM, 05/19/2009
At least the Village has the right man for the job. Mayor Kolomichuk has said for a long time that the financial ills of the village started long ago. Now the good people of Lakemore will suffer by loosing the Police department. Is the Fire Department next? I believe that the mayor will find a way to get the village out of the mess it finds itself in.
Akron, OH
Posted 09:03 AM, 05/19/2009
At least the Village has the right man for the job. Mayor Kolomichuk has said for a long time that the financial ills of the village started long ago. Now the good people of Lakemore will suffer by loosing the Police department. Is the Fire Department next? I believe that the mayor will find a way to get the village out of the mess it finds itself in.
Posted 09:11 AM, 05/19/2009
Good. Now the Lakemore Police can stop trying to pay their delinquent bills by pulling people over for going 1 MPH over the limit on Canton Rd. in front of Lakemore Plaza, which is barely in their jurisdiction to begin with...
Akron, OH
Posted 09:23 AM, 05/19/2009
Mebbe the Township boys will do a better job of protecting the Doughboy.
Akron, OH
Posted 09:47 AM, 05/19/2009
Wait until Lakemore begins Mayor's Court! 1 mph could bring some jail time!
Akron, OH
Posted 09:57 AM, 05/19/2009
Beta - your on the money. Too bad Akron doesn't think that way .. they just try and smash the little guy and take what they want. I think Mayor Don's days are numbered .. say till June 23rd :)
Akron, OH
Posted 11:33 AM, 05/19/2009
Less police, more area to cover. Here comes he crime!
Stow, oh
Posted 12:08 PM, 05/19/2009
toxic nut
rootstown, oh
Posted 08:40 AM, 05/19/2009
who cares?
_______________________________________________
Old Man Grump
Betamax
Lie Detector
Appraisit
Volley Mom
Justice for all Mankind
Cloverfield
Truth Patrol
Karykzen
and the jury is still out on me.
Akron, OH
Posted 01:43 PM, 05/19/2009
@ Cav2009:
Thanks for including me on that list of commenters requiring care. A virtual support group, we are.
;)
Orrville, Oh
Posted 03:03 PM, 05/19/2009
Reality demands every corporation, farmer, business, outsourcer sweatshop, and nonprofit, tax-exempt, organization and Church markets the cost in the wholesale and retail price of his or her product and service; Of every worker, consumer, and taxpayer funding contract with Township with money derived from wages or independent business profit and living (including pension and health care). Enabling parents to love, nurse, nurture, discipline, protect, and provide, for every child (job) they conceive and fund schools, infrastructure, national security, government services, and etc.; with money derived from wages or independent business profit.
San Diego, CA
Posted 05:22 PM, 05/19/2009
Very interesting Loren....but are you for the move or against it? Come on...I'm interested to see which words you change this time.
rootstown, oh
Posted 06:20 PM, 05/19/2009
now that loren has posted,i have changed my mind.i care.
Lakemore, OH
Posted 06:27 PM, 05/19/2009
Justice for Man Kind,
Yes, the talks are in the works to join forces between the fire depts. All that will be accomplished by this will be formalizing what is already been the standard for the 2 depts. There will not be any real cost savings with a merger of the fire services. As a life resident of the Village, it does sadden me to see us loose our Police Force, but I do see the need to cut cost, this is the best arrangement that could be made at this time.
Posted 07:03 PM, 05/19/2009
All of these smaller towns (Woodridge, Munroe Falls, etc.) should merge into their slightly larger neighbors. Tell me how Munroe Falls benefits from having a counsel, mayor, police, fire, roads dept. that is separate from Stow's. They do not. Munroe Falls' citizens would save $300k per year in adminstrative costs without losing the services of one fireman or one police officer just by petitioning the State to merge with the city of Stow. I know other little cities and villages (Silver Lake anyone?) would also benefit by doing the same.
......, Oh
Posted 10:36 PM, 05/19/2009
Merge Monroe Falls with Cuyahoga Falls, and Silver lake with Stow.
Posted 11:48 PM, 05/19/2009
I do not see how Lakemore will save the money they are saying they will unless Springfield picks up alot of their costs. Dean Young and Vince Mealy are determined to bankrupt Springfield to try and force a merger. The committee that they will put together to assess how this is going will be their cronnies who do exactly what they say and get jobs and other perks in return.
None of them had the guts to put together an accurate financial analysis. Lakemore could have saved money and kept their own police department. This will work and both communities will be safe but either Lakemore's savings will be very low or Springfield will foot the bill and the Dean and Vince show will bury that fact.
They have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on things that they didn't need. Vince got a new asphalt road also.
Next to go will be the Senior Center. They pushed Julia out and will now probably hire Vince's neighbor to complete the transition of the Senior Center to a community center stealing all of the things that our senior ciitizens have put into the place. Only evil people would pick on senior citizens. I hope that they don't slam any of the senior citizens arms in the door as they kick them out.
This November the residents of Springfield have to vote for new trustees and stop this collusion.
Look at some of the expenditures that they have made since they've been together:
Gazebo = over $69,000
Rock the Docks = $18,000; Return from Rock the Docks = a $300 bench that was paid to one of Vince's friends.
Having the Zoning re-written = Over $74,000.
Community Center = Almost $12,000 approved.
Vince's street being repaved with Asphalt = Noone will admit to this cost overrun but the materials were about 6 times higher than what most other streets are paved with.
Who is going to pay for the overtime for Rock the Docks this year? My bet is The Springfield taxpayers.
y
Richfield, OH
Posted 11:50 PM, 05/19/2009
An excellent example of regionalization.
AKRON, OH
Posted 01:12 PM, 05/20/2009
As long as Springfield doesnt absorb the expenses that Lakemore is saving on, I am ok with it. I really don't want their officers though, they are too ticket happy.
