Brecksville Council Advances Budget Update, School Safety Partnership

Brecksville City Council worked through a packed committee schedule and regular meeting last Tuesday, August 4, approving a revised income tax estimate, a new three year school resource officer agreement and a bid advertisement for a culvert replacement on Riverview Road. Council also discussed a proposed active shooter training program for council members and city staff following a recent tragedy in North Royalton. Budget and finance Finance Director Laura Starosta told the Finance Committee the city is revising its income tax estimate upward by a little over $2 million, a 9 percent increase. Starosta said the change reflects updated numbers from the income tax administrator and comes earlier than the city typically reviews estimates, since officials felt comfortable with how monthly collections had been tracking. Alongside the revised estimate, council approved an increase to the general fund appropriations budget to cover payroll related items. The increase includes the 27th pay period for bargaining employees in the police department and a 3.5 percent raise for non bargaining full time employees in the general fund. The city will also transfer $21,000 to the Community Center fund and $101,000 to the fire department fund to cover matching salary increases for employees in those funds. Council also approved closing out the city's separate architect fee and engineering fee funds and rolling any remaining balances into the general fund. Starosta explained the city collects those fees from building permit applicants and pays them out to firms handling engineering and architectural reviews. Because state law does not require the funds to remain separate, the city will begin paying those costs directly out of the general fund going forward. The Finance Committee also approved a resolution authorizing a memorandum of understanding with the Ohio Department of Medicaid, which Police Chief Stan Korinek said allows the city to seek additional revenue tied to ambulance calls. Council approved monthly professional bills totaling $48,342.33, covering firms including Mazanec Raskin and Ryder, William Logan, Mary Hannah, Manning Gavin and Donald G. Bohning and Associates. Public safety The Safety and Service Committee recommended renewal of a three year memorandum of understanding with the Cuyahoga Valley Career Center for a school resource officer. Korinek said the current agreement, first signed in October 2023, has worked well for both the school and the department. He said Superintendent Dave Mangus and Principal Mike Hall are satisfied with the program and with Officer Maxwell, who administers it. The renewed agreement adds a provision addressing staffing shortages. Korinek said four department officers currently serve in the military reserves and could be deployed at any time. If staffing drops below 28 officers, Officer Maxwell would be pulled back to regular patrol duty, and the city would refund the school for any period the position sits vacant. Council approved the resolution. Mayor Daryl Kingston also raised the idea of active shooter training for council members and city staff, citing a recent tragedy in North Royalton. The city has two officers certified as ALICE instructors, a program that teaches civilians options based responses to violent incidents rather than only sheltering in place. Kingston said the training would likely run one to two hours and could be scheduled before a future council meeting inside council chambers, since Korinek said practicing in the actual meeting space would be more useful than a generic classroom setting. Because the session touches on security measures, officials noted it can be closed to the public under state law. No formal vote was taken, and the city plans to schedule the training in September or October. Infrastructure and utilities The Utilities Committee recommended advertising for bids on the Riverview Road Culvert C14 replacement project, located south of the National Park Service maintenance garage between Ohio 82 and Snowville Road. City Engineer Gerry Wise said the project would go out to bid this week, with an estimated cost of $325,000 and a 10 week contract window that allows six weeks for culvert delivery and four weeks for installation. The work will require a full road closure with no bypass option. Wise acknowledged the timing is late in the construction season but said the project was intentionally scheduled for this window since crews are working from the pavement rather than underground. The Streets and Sidewalks Committee approved a resolution accepting a $7,545 proposal from TMS Engineering for an independent third party review of the Valor Acres traffic study. City Engineer Wise said the review will verify assumptions in the developer's existing traffic report as the project nears its final building phases, with a focus on Brecksville and Miller roads. He noted a final traffic study will still be required once the development reaches full occupanc