Girard OKs locking apartment complexes

Emergency personnel will have access to lock boxes

GIRARD -- An extra layer of security has been locked into place at city apartment complexes.

City council recently approved an ordinance that apartment complexes are required to have their main entrance doors secured and locked as an extra way to keep residents inside the buildings safe.

Coucil gave the final reading at Monday's meeting.

The legislation requires that complexes with four or more dwellings have self-locking doors at entrances and main accesses.

Law Director Brian Kren said concerns were raised by the police and fire chiefs regarding how emergency personnel will get into buildings.

Fire Captain Brian Iceman, who was at the meeting, said the apartment complexes will have arrangements with the fire and police departments to access the lock boxes of the buildings when there is an emergency.

Councilwoman-at-Large Lily Martuccio said the apartment buildings within the city need to be self-closing and self-locking.

Residents could access the buildings with a key or card through an electronic system.

Mayor Jim Melfi said he and other officials have met with tenant associations concerned about their safety and other issues.

He said residents have told him and other officials they want to feel safe and not have strangers walking around inside the apartment buildings.

Such locks, self-locking and self-closing doors and electrical control systems, such as buzzers, bells or intercom systems, shall be maintained in good and operable condition, the legislation states.

The ordinance applies to apartment complexes with four or more dwellings constructed after the effective date of the ordinance.

Current dwellings have six months after the effective date to have dead-bolt locks with external key mechanisms on each apartment entrance door.

Violators face a first-degree misdemeanor.

In other business, Safety / Service Director Jerry Lambert said that surveyors have been bore drilling at the 92-year-old Girard Lake Upper Dam.

The city is required by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to have an engineering study and inspection done on the dam.

The inspection and study on the dam's condition will cost $195,000, with a grant covering 65% of costs;

In other business, council:

l Heard from Iceman that fire and emergency medical service calls for the year are nearing 2,000 as of the nine months this year, which is ahead of 2022 totals.

l Heard from Treasurer Mark Zuppo that income tax collections are 8% higher the first nine months of 2023 compared to same time period in 2022.

l Scheduled a special session of the employee welfare committee to meet 6:15 p.m. Nov. 13 for updates to the personnel policy manual. Issues being reviewed are employee medical insurance.