Twinsburg Lifts Digging Ban, Tightens Contractor Rules, and Advances Flock Camera Renewal

A New Chapter for City Hall Twinsburg City Council held a caucus session and a regular meeting on September 8, moving through new agenda software, a lifted digging ban with tougher contractor rules, four pieces of legislation, and updates on business retention, road work, and a local suicide prevention event. New Software Aims to Simplify Public Access to Agendas Clerk of Council Shannon Collins told council the city has purchased new agenda management software designed to make meeting documents easier to find. Right now residents have to visit separate pages for agendas and supporting documents. The new system will combine both onto a single page with direct links to everything posted. Collins said the rollout will happen in phases. Council will begin working with the software for the remainder of the year, the public facing side goes live at the first council meeting in January 2027, and boards and commissions follow in the first quarter of 2027. Internally, the system will also route legislation between the mayor, law director, and finance director with tracking so nothing gets lost in email. Existing subscribers will not need to resign up, since the notification system stays hosted through the same provider. Resident Raises Flock Camera Concerns Ahead of Vote During audience participation, a resident told council she and her husband had researched the city's Flock Safety camera system and were concerned about its renewal. She said she had emailed council members with references and asked that they review the material before voting later in the month. Council President Bill Furey thanked her for the effort, telling her, "a lot of links to look into. Thank you very much. I read your letter." Mayor Sam Scaffide also confirmed he had read and forwarded the email to colleagues. The city entered a five year agreement with Flock Safety in 2025 at an annual cost of $30,000. Police Chief Thomas Mason and department lieutenants presented information on the program at the previous caucus meeting, and that presentation is posted on the city's YouTube channel. A resolution affirming the agreement had its second reading Monday night. Committee and Board Updates Several council members shared brief updates. Councilman Shaun Castillo reported that the Capital Improvements Board met earlier in the evening, hearing from the IT, Parks and Recreation, economic development, and golf course departments. The board is scheduled to vote on funding requests next Tuesday, and a Board of Control and Appeals meeting follows on September 28. Councilwoman Daisy Walker asked whether presentation slides could be added to the Together Twinsburg webpage so residents can review them in one place. Councilwoman Karen Labbe reported no committee meetings since the last session, with the next Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee meeting set for September 14 and Planning Commission for September 21. Councilman Chuck Bonacci said he attended a September 3 Architectural Review Board meeting where an extensive front porch and exterior renovation project on Post Road was approved unanimously. He also attended a swearing in ceremony for two new fire officers and the Rally Against Suicide event described later in this article. Council Clears Contractors to Resume Digging Under Tougher Rules Mayor Scaffide announced the city's stop work order on boring and drilling projects would end September 9. City staff, including the engineer, building official, and law director, spent the pause reviewing guidelines after a nearby explosion in Twinsburg Township exposed gaps in how contractors are tracked and contacted during emergencies. New requirements include mandatory contractor and subcontractor registration with the city, printed cards listing a field supervisor's name and phone number for crews, and stricter timelines for marking utilities before digging begins, seven to ten days in residential areas and fourteen in commercial zones. If work is not completed within that window, contractors must file a new locate ticket. Compliance with the state's utility protection service does not excuse a contractor from locating unmapped assets, and crews must stop work and use ground penetrating radar or similar methods if a utility cannot be verified. Contractors must also give written notice to neighboring property owners at least ten days before work starts. Separately, the mayor said the city's civil service commission was scheduled to meet the following day, September 9, to consider a firefighter and paramedic testing process and hiring for a police dispatch position. EPA Stays Put, New Business Opens Downtown The mayor shared that the Ohio EPA, which has operated on Route 82 for years, considered relocating and evaluated buildings across several cities before choosing to move to the former Vision Rx call center building on Canyon Falls, keeping the office in Twinsburg. He called it a sign of the community the city has built over time. He also not