LORDSTOWN — Village council on Monday voted 4-2 against giving a former village police officer her duty gun for $1, noting she was not retired from the Lordstown Police Department at the time she resigned for another position with Mercy Health-Youngstown.

A grievance hearing took place during Monday’s council meeting, where former Lordstown police Sgt. Michele Mercer requested the duty gun for $1.

Attorney Amanda Hays, who was at the meeting representing Mercer, said her client filed a grievance July 10 regarding the collective bargaining agreement with the Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association on her request to purchase a handgun upon retirement.

Village Solicitor Matt Ries said police Chief Brent Milhoan denied the grievance, stating Mercer was not retiring at the time she submitted her resignation; she left the village for another job and the grievance was not timely.

Hays said that for an employee to buy their handgun for $1, they must have retired after at least 10 years of service. She noted that Mercer worked for the village for more than 20 years and she has officially retired.

Hays applied for retirement in August 2024 and the process took to February 2025. She said the village was notified of Mercer’s retirement.

“The union’s position is that she should be able to purchase her handgun for $1,” Hays said.

Milhoan said he received an email Jan 21 from Mercer that stated she was resigning as a police sergeant / officer effective Feb. 16.

He said on May 15, he received a second email from Mercer stating she left the department on retirement / disability and asking for retirement identification and to purchase her gun for $1.

“Nowhere in the resignation letter does she mention retirement and / or disability. At that time (May 15), I denied her request for retirement identification from the police department and to purchase her duty weapon for $1. We had a grievance hearing and I denied her grievance due to her resigning from the police department to attain another job at Mercy Health, where she worked, to my knowledge, until her disability retirement was approved and she retired from there. She also did not file the grievance in a timely manner under the collective bargaining agreement,” Milhoan said.

Hays said the village was notified of her disability retirement once it went through. She acknowledged Mercer was working somewhere else when her retirement process was finalized.

Council President Robert Bond said council was not made aware that Mercer was retired.

Resident Danielle Watson said Mercer dedicated more than 20 years to the police department and the police union has recognized her as being retired, and she should be able to purchase her gun.

Voting against Mercer being able to purchase her gun were Bond, Lamar Liming, Jamie Moseley and Jessica Blank.

Voting in favor of Mercer being able to purchase her gun were Ernie Bowen and Howard Sheely.

WATERLINE PROJECT

In other business, council voted 5-1 to approve an amended road use maintenance agreement with Warren for the construction of a water transmission main line to benefit the Trumbull Energy Center.

Moseley cast the “no” vote.

Village Engineer Chris Kogelnik said the waterline project, which started this week, involves three intersections and involves placing the waterlines under the road. All repairs will be done to the affected roads.

He said the first intersection being worked on is Brunstetter Road, then Highland Avenue and then Salt Springs Road. Kogelnik said all three intersections will be done by early September.

In other business, council:

• Will seek Ohio Public Works Commission funds for the Lyntz Road resurfacing project at $63,125. Kogelnik said the road is in poor condition.

• Approved Timothy Grant as a full-time firefighter / captain and paramedic effective Aug. 15.

• Approved $16,170 for the fire department to install a donated life monitor with EKG and AED capabilities in the ambulance. The life monitor was donated by Foxconn.

• Announced a mobile market 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. today at the administration building parking lot.