Hartford

WHAT: Township trustees organizational meeting Jan. 6

PRESENT: Rebecca Whitman, Phil Wilhelm and Melissa Pucak

Trustees:

• Named Whitman as chairwoman and Wilhelm as vice chairman.

• Appointed Wilhelm to the Emergency Management Agency board and Pucak to the county health district advisory board.Whitman and Pucak will serve on the park board.

• Approved pay for Zoning Inspector Jim Davies at $950 per month.

• Approved pay for police Chief Brian Martinek at $29 per hour, police sergeants at $27 per hour, detectives at $26 per hour, and patrolmen at $25 per hour. New patrolmen with no prior experience will make $20 per hour.

• Approved Road Superintendent Chris Lavazarre at $28 per hour and road laborers at $20 per hour.

• Approved paying $40 per hour for police officers or the zoning inspector appearing in court for township issues.

• Approved paying the township custodian $16 per hour.

• Approved zoning commission and zoning board of appeals members $40 per meeting.

• Are looking to fill two openings on the zoning commission and three openings on the board of appeals.

• Set meetings for 7 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month at township hall.

— Bob Coupland

Howland

WHAT: Township trustees meeting Jan. 14

PRESENT: Frank Dillon, James LaPolla and Matthew Vansuch

Trustees:

• Appointed Dillon as chairperson and Vansuch as vice chairperson of the board of trustees for 2026.

• Approved authorizing Fiscal Officer Thomas Krispinsky to adjust the township’s 2026 certificate 26-1 Other Expected Sources with the following changes in amounts: Road and Bridge, minus $5,000; Police District, minus $120,000; Fire District, minus $185,000; Ambulance and Emergency Medical, plus $100,000; Howland Fire and EMS Training Center, plus $10,000, OneOhio opioid settlement, plus $10,000.

• Approved continuing service with GPD Group as the township’s architects, engineers and planning service for 2026.

• Approved hiring James McCarthy as a part-time instructor for the Howland Township Training Center, effective Jan. 16, at a probationary rate of $20 and $25 as a lead with no benefits, on an as-needed basis.

• Appointed Dillon as a representative on the Trumbull County 911 Program Review Committee.

• Approved applying for the 2026 scrap tire grant program through the Geauga-Trumbull Solid Waste Management District.

• Approved appointing Administrator James Pantalone and Krispinsky to the Trumbull County Planning Commission’s 2026 Tax Incentive Review Council.

• Approved an agreement for legal services with the office of the Trumbull County Prosecutor through Dec. 31.

— Brandon Cantwell

Maplewood

WHAT: Board of education organizational meeting Jan. 12

PRESENT: Kevin Blair, Dan Denman, Tom Donaldson, Dan Schwartz and Tori Wiltrout

The board:

• Appointed Denman to fill an opening on the board with the recent resignation of board member Tami Morrison. Denman will serve through December 2027 and if he wants to continue for a new term, he will need to run in the November 2027 general election. Denman has served on the board previously.

• Named Blair as board president and Denman as vice president.

• Approved Schwartz as board representative to the Trumbull Career & Technical Center, Blair as legislative liaison and delegate to the Ohio School Boards Association annual meeting.

• Heard from Superintendent Kevin O’Connell that the district is seeking applicants for the elementary principal position that will become vacant with the retirement of principal Beth Goerig on March 1. O’Connell said if no one is found, he will handle the principal’s duties.

• Set meetings for 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month at the high school.

— Bob Coupland

Liberty

What: Township trustees meeting Jan 13

Present: Arnie Clebone, Greg Cizmar and Devon Stanley

Trustees:

• Appointed Greg Cizmar as chairman and Arnie Clebone as vice chairman.

• Renewed the appointment of Cherry Poteet as the township’s law director at a contract rate of $3,800 per month, which reflects no increase.

• Approved promoting police Sgt. Michael Shuster to the rank of captain. Shuster, who had been serving as acting captain since June 27, will be given credit toward his one-year probationary period.

• Approved setting the compensation of the township’s zoning commission and zoning board of appeals at $45 per meeting or hearing. Alternates also will receive $45 for each meeting they serve in place for an active member.

• Approved Kevin Strickland as an alternate for the zoning board of appeals, effective through Dec. 31, 2030.

• Set the 2026 mileage rate for authorized travel for township officials and employees outside of the township at $.75.5 cents per mile, the maximum rate allowed by the IRS.

• Approved the township’s membership with the Coalition of Large Ohio Urban Townships, and submitting the $200 fee.

• Approved hiring Brycen Prasky as a part-time basic EMT at a rate of $20 per hour with no benefits.

• Approved authorizing a $250 charge from the fire department to provide lift assists for patients at public or private medical facilities, health care facilities or custodial care centers that have requested lift assistance when the patient has no injury requiring transport.

• Approved a $15 per call stipend for volunteer firefighters.

— Brandon Cantwell

Trumbull County

WHAT: Commissioners meeting Thursday

PRESENT: Rick Hernandez and Tony Bernard

ABSENT: Denny Malloy

The commissioners:

• Extended the time to purchase dog licenses until the end of the business day on Monday, March 2, per the recommendation of county Auditor Martha C. Yoder.

• Approved an agreement between the Trumbull County Prosecutor’s Office and the Howland Township trustees authorizing the Prosecutor’s Office to serve as law director for Howland through Dec. 31. The Prosecutor’s Office will be paid $42,000 annually at a rate of $3,500 per month. The agreement may be terminated for any reason by either party upon 30 days written notice.

• Reappointed Sam Covelli as a member of the Western Reserve Port Authority Board for an additional four-year term commencing Jan. 1, 2026, and ending Dec. 31, 2029. Covelli was first appointed Aug. 27, 2014, and reappointed Jan. 24, 2018, and again Jan. 11, 2022.

• Executed a letter of support for the village of McDonald’s application to the Cleveland Guardians Foundation’s Diamond Improvement Grant.

• Entered into agreements with the municipalities listed below for services of the Public Defender’s Office, 250 E. Broad St., Suite 1400, Columbus, OH 43215 for the period of Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2026.

The county, through the office of the Public Defender, provides legal representation for all indigent defendants charged under the ordinances where there is a possibility of incarceration.

Taking part are Warren, $50,000, to be billed in quarterly payments of $12,500 on July 1, 2025, Oct. 1, 2025, Jan. 1, and April 1; McDonald, $500; Lordstown, $500; Cortland, $500; Hubbard, $500; Girard, $3,500; and Niles, $7,375.

• Authorized the commissioners’ clerk to advertise for letters of interest for engineering services related to the Liberty Township sidewalk project. This project includes safety improvements on state Route 193 between East Liberty Street and state Route 304.

• Accepted an $8,567.60 maintenance bond, issued by Westfield Insurance Company, for three home sewage treatment system replacements and installed by Proscape Septic & Landscape Contractors. The bond is valid Dec. 10, 2025, through Dec. 10, 2027. The original contract was awarded Sept. 24, 2025.

• Amended the professional services agreement with Strollo Architects increasing the agreement amount from $25,480 to $29,480 regarding the Monumental Stair Replacement Project at the Trumbull County Law Library.

• Accepted the resignation of Gaye Blair, utility and account clerk floater, effective Jan. 20.

• Approved the transfer of Dominic Angelo from water operator to chief water operator, effective Jan. 23. He will be paid $33.42 an hour.

• Designated Amy Shannon as representative for Bernard on the Family and Children First Council from Feb. 20, 2026, to Dec. 31, 2026.

• Approved the transfer of Yale Watkins from the Sheriff’s Office to facilities supervisor, Building and Vehicle Maintenance Department, at $39.03 per hour, effective Feb. 2.

— Patrick E. Litowitz