Quantcast
Home | Back

Fire group starts talks: First meeting held in private; officials want future talks public

Share_email E-mail Story    |    Share_print Print Story    |    Comments    |   

February 4, 2009

by Jeff Saunders

Reporter

Nordonia Hills -- Representatives from four area communities looking at forming a fire district met for the first time Jan. 26, but most residents were probably unaware of it.

Sagamore Hills Trustee Richard Barrett said the meeting of political and fire department representatives from Boston Heights, Northfield Center, Northfield Village and Sagamore Hills was called by Sagamore Hills attorney Jeff Snell without prior public announcement and was conducted in Snell's private Sagamore Hills office.

Barrett said the meeting was the start of an information-gathering process, with communities being asked to compile estimates of fire department and dispatching costs.

Northfield Mayor Victor Milani, an appointed village representative to the group, said he declined to attend because he felt the meeting should be public.

"I don't think it should be private," said Milani.

Snell, who Barrett said is in the "leadership" role for the group until a chairperson is selected, did not return phone calls seeking comment.

Barrett said he was not sure why the meeting was held in private.

"It may have been just because it was just a workshop, but I don't know," said Barrett.

Barrett said the next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 16. A location had not been set at press time.

"I would think the next meeting would be a public meeting," he added.

Northfield Center Trustee Richard Reville, who attended the meeting, said he also did not know why the meeting was not announced to the public. He said it may have taken place in Snell's office because that is "neutral ground."

"It wasn't in one community's building," he said, adding he feels the gatherings should be considered public meetings.

Those attending also included Boston Heights Mayor Bill Goncy, Northfield Center Fire Chief Robert Derrit, Township Fire Capt. Frank Risko, Northfield Village Council President Brian Barber, Village Councilors Chuck Lewis and Jesse Nehez and Village Fire Chief Gary Vojtush.

Village Law Director Brad Bryan said that he saw no legal or ethical issue with the three Councilors attending the meeting since it takes four Councilors to constitute a quorum, and the meeting was technically not a village meeting with votes being taken.

"We were invited. We didn't call it," said Bryan.

Officials from the four communities, plus Macedonia, met numerous times last year to discuss some level of fire and EMS cooperation, and all contributed thousands of dollars toward
a fire district study, before Macedonia dropped out of the talks.

E-mail: jsaunders@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3169

Too see a related opinion piece on this story, click here: www.the-news-leader.com/news/article/4518308




Comments
By Posting to this site, you agree to our Terms of Service Be polite. Inappropriate posts may be removed. The-News-Leader.com doesn't necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post.

Login above or Register to comment.
 0 Total Comments Home | Back