Council approves deal for officer in school

A new commission will establish policies for saving village records.

By MARY GRZEBIENIAK

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

NEW MIDDLETOWN — Village council approved an agreement Monday that will provide a school resource officer to the Springfield Local School District for the sixth consecutive year.

The only significant change in the contract is that the daily rate, which the school district will reimburse to the village for use of the officer, will rise from $210 to $215. Mayor Robert Carson said this amounts to 90 percent of the daily cost of Police Sgt. Kenneth Goist’s wages and benefits.

The village pays the other 10 percent because Goist is available to the village for emergencies while he is at the schools.

The popular program puts a police officer in the schools during the academic year to address security issues as well as provide educational programs and other assistance.

Also Monday, council agreed to create a records retention commission, which is now required by law. The commission will establish policies for which village records must be saved, and for dealing with public records requests. The mayor, village solicitor, fiscal officer and a citizen will comprise the commission which is required to meet twice a year.

Carson asks that any village resident interested in serving on the commission contact him at the village offices.

Council members Dan Santangelo and Dan Stanton questioned whether Aqua Ohio water company is flushing village water hydrants annually, as it is required to do. Fire Chief William Opsitnik reported that one on Calla Road was “frozen shut” and could not be opened during a recent fire.

Santangelo reported that a hydrant on his property was also stuck. He asked whether so many hydrants would have this problem if they are actually being flushed each year. Opsitnik said he will contact the water company today.

Carson reported that a review of an emergency call, which drew complaints at last month’s meeting, showed the response time was satisfactory. He said that several members of Zion Lutheran Church had complained that help did not arrive for 30 to 40 minutes Sept. 2 when a 911 call was made for assistance for a woman who had a medical emergency during a morning service.

A review of the call logs showed that the call was made at 10:28 a.m. and Clemente Ambulance arrived at 10:37 a.m. Carson said. He said the 911 call was dispatched through the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Department and forwarded to Clemente Ambulance within a minute. The dispatcher also sent a village police officer, who arrived at the church within a minute of the initial call.

Clemente paged the village for a first responder from the village fire department who could have provided first aid until the ambulance arrived, but none was available in the village at that time. Carson said this is not unusual and said the village is seeking more residents to be trained as first responders.