Commissioners consider bike safety
Benefactor Murray Van Epp gets certificate of appreciation
Beth Schnable, president of Bike Medina County, presents a certificate of appreciation to Murray Van Epp for his contribution toward the purchase of bicycle safety signs for county roads. Photo by GLENN WOJCIAK
MEDINA – Bicycle safety is an issue that has attracted the attention of Medina County commissioners.
Beth Schnabel, president of nonprofit Bike Medina County, appeared before commissioners Oct. 16 to present a certificate of appreciation to Murray Van Epp.
Van Epp is a cycling enthusiast from Medina Township who has pledged $5,000 to Bike Medina County for the purchase of road signs that remind drivers of Ohio’s new law, which requires motorists to allow at least three feet of clearance when passing a cyclist on roads and streets.
Van Epp estimates that he’s cycled about 100,000 miles over the years and much of that distance has been along roads in Medina County. He said the safety of cyclists has long been a concern of his and he was happy to make a donation to Bike Medina County to bring attention to the issue.
Schnabel told commissioners her organization has been making progress since it was established three years ago to improve the safety and experience of cyclists around the county. Committee members have been designating safe routes for cyclists to ride across the county and have recently been visiting township trustees to get approval for posting the signs Van Epp is purchasing.
Issue One opposed
County commissioners adopted a resolution stating their opposition to State Issue One, which appears on the ballot in the November election.
Issue One is a proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution which would reduce the penalties for some drug related crimes and divert money which would have been spent on incarcerating drug offenders into rehabilitation programs.
Commissioners state several reasons for joining other organizations in opposing Issue One including the opinion that it will not increase treatment options in Medina County or protect neighborhoods and will “likely increase the number of children in the custody of the Medina County Department of Job and Family Services by leaving addicts in crisis on the streets.”
Commissioner Bill Hutson said he also objected to Issue One because it is in the form of a constitutional amendment, which will be difficult to modify if it goes into effect and that most of the funding for the campaign to pass the issue comes from out-of-state organizations.
Brunswick older adults
Commissioners approved a three-year agreement between the City of Brunswick and the Medina County Office for Older Adults to provide a variety of senior services and programs at the city recreation center. The contract calls for the city to pay $18,750 for the service coordinator in 2019, $19,500 in 2020 and $20,000 in 2021.
Food service
County commissioners approved an amendment to its agreement with Aramark to provide meals to residents of the Medina County Home. The amended agreement reflects changes in the consumer price index and sets the cost of meals provided by Aramark at a range between $4.61 and $3.69. The highest price takes effect if the number of meals provided falls below 39 and the lowest price takes effect if the number of meals exceeds 55.
Gasoline purchase
Ports Petroleum of Wooster won a bid to sell the Medina County Engineering Center 6,300 gallons of regular unleaded gasoline for $1.902 per gallon. The price the county paid is down from $2.10 per gallon earlier in October but up from $1.61 paid for 6,900 gallons of gas purchased in October 2017.
Appointees
County commissioners appointed three people to serve as alternates on the Medina County Planning Commission. Ralph Copley will serve as the alternate representative for the City of Wadsworth, and Pat Ryan and Christine Kusnerak will serve as alternates for the county’s Township Trustees Association.
Personnel expenses
Commissioners authorized $450 in travel expenses for County Recorder Colleen Swedyk to attend the four-day Ohio Recorder’s Conference in Columbus.
Beth Schnabel, president of nonprofit Bike Medina County, appeared before commissioners Oct. 16 to present a certificate of appreciation to Murray Van Epp.
Van Epp is a cycling enthusiast from Medina Township who has pledged $5,000 to Bike Medina County for the purchase of road signs that remind drivers of Ohio’s new law, which requires motorists to allow at least three feet of clearance when passing a cyclist on roads and streets.
Van Epp estimates that he’s cycled about 100,000 miles over the years and much of that distance has been along roads in Medina County. He said the safety of cyclists has long been a concern of his and he was happy to make a donation to Bike Medina County to bring attention to the issue.
Schnabel told commissioners her organization has been making progress since it was established three years ago to improve the safety and experience of cyclists around the county. Committee members have been designating safe routes for cyclists to ride across the county and have recently been visiting township trustees to get approval for posting the signs Van Epp is purchasing.
Issue One opposed
County commissioners adopted a resolution stating their opposition to State Issue One, which appears on the ballot in the November election.
Issue One is a proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution which would reduce the penalties for some drug related crimes and divert money which would have been spent on incarcerating drug offenders into rehabilitation programs.
Commissioners state several reasons for joining other organizations in opposing Issue One including the opinion that it will not increase treatment options in Medina County or protect neighborhoods and will “likely increase the number of children in the custody of the Medina County Department of Job and Family Services by leaving addicts in crisis on the streets.”
Commissioner Bill Hutson said he also objected to Issue One because it is in the form of a constitutional amendment, which will be difficult to modify if it goes into effect and that most of the funding for the campaign to pass the issue comes from out-of-state organizations.
Brunswick older adults
Commissioners approved a three-year agreement between the City of Brunswick and the Medina County Office for Older Adults to provide a variety of senior services and programs at the city recreation center. The contract calls for the city to pay $18,750 for the service coordinator in 2019, $19,500 in 2020 and $20,000 in 2021.
Food service
County commissioners approved an amendment to its agreement with Aramark to provide meals to residents of the Medina County Home. The amended agreement reflects changes in the consumer price index and sets the cost of meals provided by Aramark at a range between $4.61 and $3.69. The highest price takes effect if the number of meals provided falls below 39 and the lowest price takes effect if the number of meals exceeds 55.
Gasoline purchase
Ports Petroleum of Wooster won a bid to sell the Medina County Engineering Center 6,300 gallons of regular unleaded gasoline for $1.902 per gallon. The price the county paid is down from $2.10 per gallon earlier in October but up from $1.61 paid for 6,900 gallons of gas purchased in October 2017.
Appointees
County commissioners appointed three people to serve as alternates on the Medina County Planning Commission. Ralph Copley will serve as the alternate representative for the City of Wadsworth, and Pat Ryan and Christine Kusnerak will serve as alternates for the county’s Township Trustees Association.
Personnel expenses
Commissioners authorized $450 in travel expenses for County Recorder Colleen Swedyk to attend the four-day Ohio Recorder’s Conference in Columbus.
