Jefferson Council Awards $1.7 Million Wastewater Contract, Bids Farewell to Longtime Clerk Treasurer

Jefferson Village Council covered a packed agenda Monday night, awarding a major wastewater contract, renewing two tax levies, and honoring longtime Clerk Treasurer Patty Fisher on her final meeting in office. Wastewater Plant Contract Moves Forward Council voted to accept the administrator’s recommendation to award a bid for improvements to the wastewater treatment plant’s equalization basin to Union Industrial Contractors Inc. Administrator Andria Manor said engineering firm Verdantis reviewed the bids and that she and the wastewater supervisor both recommended the company. The contract is worth $1,728,000 for the cast in place work. Council also approved the first reading of a resolution authorizing the administrator to sign the agreement, listed as Project No. 34180. A second clarifier project at the plant is set to go out for bid July 30. Levies Renewed for Parks and Fire Department Council suspended its rules and adopted two levy renewals in a single meeting under emergency clauses. One renews a 1.0 mill levy for five years supporting the Parks and Recreation Department. The other renews a 1.5 mill levy for five years funding the Jefferson Area Fire Department. Both go before voters as renewals rather than new taxes. General Fund Running Over Budget The village’s 2027 tax budget has been submitted to the Ashtabula County auditor. Officials told council the general fund is again running about 10 percent over what was anticipated, matching last year’s pattern. To bring the fund back in line, the village plans to transfer $200,000 toward the Imagination Park project and the police department, along with an additional $100,000. A cover letter explaining the transfers has been sent to the auditor. Police Chief Addresses Flock Camera Legal Question Police Chief Mackensen briefed council on a recent Supreme Court ruling and how it relates to the village’s Flock license plate cameras. He explained the ruling centers on cell phone data used for continuous tracking of a specific person, not license plate readers. He pointed instead to Schmidt v. City of Norfolk, a federal court decision from January that found Flock cameras do not violate the Fourth Amendment because they capture plates on public roads without tracking a vehicle’s movement afterward. Every camera search requires an officer to log a reason and case number, he said, and those logs are reviewable by administrators. Mackensen credited the system with helping locate a stolen vehicle from Parma that passed through Jefferson, leading to an arrest at a local McDonald’s, and with helping the Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Office identify a vehicle involved in a hit and run. New Patrol Vehicle and Other Business Council gave second reading approval to a resolution authorizing the purchase of a 2026 Ford Interceptor from Montrose, along with police equipment for the vehicle from Northeast Communications. Members also approved the Verdantis agreement for professional consulting services and adopted an ordinance establishing a Fire Damage Security Fund, along with a companion resolution setting up the fund’s accounting procedures. Personnel and Staffing Changes Council approved a new job description and created a full time Senior Streets Operations Specialist position within the street department. Members also adopted an ordinance setting pay rates for salaried, hourly and part time village employees. Separately, council accepted the resignation of Sergeant Joe Schroeder from the police department, effective August 13. Fire Protection Agreement With Township Finalized On third reading, council adopted a resolution authorizing a fire service agreement between the village and Jefferson Township, covering fire protection services from January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2029. Clerk Treasurer Patty Fisher Says Goodbye Fisher attended her final council meeting after nearly 30 years in the elected role. Mayor Steven Sekanina read a letter noting she has attended more than 350 council meetings, and said her official last day is July 31. He credited Fisher with helping ensure a smooth transition over the past six weeks as the village moves to an appointed fiscal officer, a structural change most Ohio villages have already adopted. Council presented her with a plaque, and cake was served after the meeting. Fisher read her own letter to council and the public, describing her tenure as one of the greatest honors of her life. She thanked residents and voters for the trust they placed in her and said she respects the village’s decision to move toward an appointed fiscal officer and tax administrator. The next council meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 3. Watch a Summary of the Meeting Watch Highlights From the Meeting