Fri Mar 12 2010
by Jeff Saunders
Reporter
Nordonia Hills -- Victims of unscrupulous business practices or those concerned they may become victims can get help from the county.
Such was one of the messages heard from county officials at an Aug. 12 District 1 meeting hosted by Summit County Council President Nick Kostandaras at Northfield Village Hall. About two dozen area residents and politicians attended the 90-minute meeting.
Cynthia Sich, director of the three-year-old county Office of Consumer Affairs, said the office is a resource for county residents who have had problems with businesses.
"We actually mediate with the business and we can force the business to obey the consumer protection laws," said Sich.
For example, Sich said, her office negotiated with a Tallmadge furniture store that suddenly closed last October. She said those talks resulted in the store agreeing to reimburse 43 customers $23,000 for furniture they paid for, but did not receive.
Sich said the office can also help with people who feel they have not been treated fairly in such areas as debt consolidation and mortgage terms.
"We've seen some horrible loans and seniors are often the victims," said Sich. "Seniors have lost their homes after 40 years."
Sich, however, said that the office's work begins with education, adding her office has also provided information to police, who are sometimes the first agency that people call with complaints.
"Now instead of just telling people it's a civil matter, they can provide a phone number for them to call us," said Sich.
For more information, go to www.co.summit.oh.us/conaffairs.htm or call 330-643-2879.
Other officials speak
Other county officials also gave brief talks about what their agencies do and projects they are working on.
* Newly appointed Economic Development Director Connie Krauss said that after six weeks on the job, she is still forming her view of how best to accomplish the department's mission.
"My vision is to work collaboratively with the communities in Summit County on all our projects," said Krauss.
The job of the department is to find ways to bring in companies to the country, keep them and help them expand.
* County Engineer Greg Bachman said his office overseas 200 miles of roads and about 300 bridges. He said that after the collapse of a bridge spanning the Mississippi River last year in Minneapolis, bridge safety has been especially on people's minds.
"All the bridges we have in Summit County are in good shape, We check each bridge every year," he said.
* Steven Libby, deputy director of the Public Safety and Justice Affairs Division of the county executive's office, said the department is working to increase efficiency in the court system.
"Our barometer is the Summit County Jail," he said. "The 671-bed facility has often been at 750 and pushing 800 inmates."
He said speeding up the trial process has reduced the number of inmates in jail so that this year, the facility has consistently been below peak capacity.
* Annette Petranic, coordinator for the county's Emergency Management Agency, said her office's goals include getting all the communities to adopt the digital, 800 megahertz radio communications system.
Many communities in northern Summit County presently use 400 megahertz analog signal radios.
"The theory behind the 800 system and the countywide system is so that people can talk to each other," she said.
E-mail: jsaunders@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3169
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