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Security changes coming to Youngstown City Hall
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Judge Elizabeth Kobly
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Judge Robert Milich
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Youngstown Municipal Court Judge Robert Douglas
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YOUNGSTOWN
Retired Youngstown police officers as well as current and former members of law enforcement will take over security at city hall, effective May 2.
The change came after negotiations between city administration officials and the three Youngstown Municipal Court judges.
It was announced Wednesday during the judges’ budget meeting with city council, and embraced by all three branches of government.
“We’re looking forward to making the building more secure,” said Elizabeth A. Kobly, the court’s presiding and administrative judge.
Security has been a long-standing complaint by the three municipal court judges.
The issue exploded July 14, 2010, in what Judge Kobly called at the time “the brawl in city hall.”
A fight occurred in the court’s hallway after the arraignment of a murder suspect.
Less than a minute after the fight between family members of the suspect and the murder victim, about six Youngstown police officers responded and broke up the fight.
But Judge Kobly said at the time that properly trained security officers would have known to separate the two families before the fight started, and that “security breaches” were common.
Vector Security handles security for city hall.
The new security arrangement would cost up to $59,000 more than the deal with Vector for a full year, said Kyle Miasek, the city’s deputy finance director.
The contract would be for eight months this year. That would be an increase of up to $39,333 for 2011.
The increase is because the city has to pay for security at the city hall annex building and the lobby of the police station on weekends, Miasek said. Vector provides those services as part of its contract.
The type of security at those two locations hasn’t been decided yet, he said.
Mayor Jay Williams said he’s been “generally pleased” with Vector, and the company has provided “adequate” service.
But after discussions with the judges, Williams agreed to the change.
“We’ve tried to be as reasonable and accommodating as possible,” he said.
Michael Vodilko, who retired Feb. 14 as a Youngstown police captain, will help organize the new security team at city hall with plans to hire about 20 to 22 current and former law enforcement officers, Judge Kobly said.
Current Youngstown officers can’t be hired to handle security because it would be cost-prohibitive related to collective-bargaining issues, city officials say.
Though all branches were pleased with the new policy, it doesn’t do anything to change the judges’ complaint filed with the Ohio Supreme Court in 2009 demanding the city administration and council provide the court with “suitable accommodations.”
The judges have asked the state’s top court to compel the two other branches to spend about $8 million to turn the city hall annex into a municipal courthouse.
The administration has countered with a $6 million plan to improve the annex that the judges have refused to accept.
“The building is a total separate issue,” Judge Kobly said. “There’s no movement on that issue.”
Williams, Miasek and Finance Director David Bozanich met for about 90 minutes behind closed doors Wednesday in an effort to close a gap in the city’s 2011 budget.
The governor’s proposed state budget includes a $377,000 cut to Youngstown this year.
Without any of the proposed additions and the new security program, the city’s general fund for 2011 has a surplus of about $50,000.
During the meeting, Williams said he, Bozanich and Miasek discussed a number of proposals.
Without being specific, Williams said the three looked at using more federal Community Development Block Grant money to “augment” some expenses now covered by the general fund.
The three also looked at “additional revenue options,” he said.
The administration will meet in public Friday or Monday with city council to discuss ways to balance the budget.
Council is to meet at 4 p.m. Wednesday to pass the budget. Under state law, the city must pass the budget by March 31.