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BRISTOL -- Township trustees have renewed a contract with the Trumbull County Sheriff's Office for extra police protection each week at an annual cost of approximately $30,000.
Trustee Jim Cicchillo and new Trustee Jeff Waldeck voted Tuesday to renew the contract for another year starting in February for an additional 12 hours per week, or 48 hours per month, at $29,972 annually. Trustee Chairman Doug Seemann abstained from voting, saying he wanted more time to renew the proposed contract.
Cicchillo said the current agreement was to end Jan. 31.
Seemann said there were 758 calls in 2023 from Bristol to the sheriff's office, from breaking and entering reports to barking dog complaints.
As part of the agreement, the sheriff's office will provide monthly activity reports to trustees. Sgt. Ronald Carr attended the meeting and said a sheriff's deputy will be stationed for 12 hours per week solely in Bristol at various times of the day and night. He said the deputy would leave only for emergencies, such as a fellow officer needing assistance.
The sheriff's department has an office it can use at the fire department.
Carr said in addition to the 12 hours per week, the department also travels through Bristol when it is patrolling throughout the county. He said the sheriff's department has similar agreements with Newton Falls village and Mecca and Newton townships.
Carr said in the past year, individuals coming from Portage County were involved in breaking and entering of homes and other buildings, mostly in Mesopotamia and Farmington.
The township contracted with the sheriff's office in 2022 and 2023. In those two years, trustees and residents have noted more of a police presence in the township with crime on the downswing.
NEW TRUSTEE
Waldeck, who is marking his first time in public office, was selected from three applicants for the open trustee seat.
"I wanted to be a public servant and do my best and help the community," Waldeck said.
He said he wants to work with the fire department in getting a new ambulance and starting a new historical society. Cicchillo said Waldeck is a businessman with 14 years in the community. "He is very interested in the goings on in Bristolville," he said.
Waldeck will serve in 2024 and 2025, which is the remainder of former trustee Ramon French's term. If he wants to serve another term, he will need to run in the November 2025 general election.
French stepped down last year.
In other business, a five-member committee that includes Waldeck, fire Chief Steve Craiger and resident John Hickey, the Trumbull County Emergency Management director, will review finances and funding for a firetruck.
Hickey said the committee will review options to get money for needed fire vehicles as well as the fire department operations in the next five years. The township was successful in getting a 2-mill additional, five-year fire levy passed in November.
The levy, which passed by just three votes, will generate $120,000 per year. It will cost $70 per year for the owner of a home appraised at $100,000.
Craiger previously hassaid the funds are needed for new equipment to replace an unsafe 27-year-old firetruck that has been taken out of service.
Craiger said even with passage of the levy, the department will have to come up with more than $200,000 to cover the cost of a new firetruck, which is estimated to cost $850,000. Trustees said the levy will be used for fire equipment and vehicles only.