Trustee defends comments about safety corridor
Area on state Route 18 will be continually monitored for speed
Ray Lurtz
SHARON – When Sharon Township Trustees met Aug. 22, a less-than happy trustee Ray Lurtz referred to a front-page article in the Beacon Journal, “ODOT will play it safe on Route 18,” regarding a comment he made that “motorists could be cited for going 1 mile over the speed limit when the new traffic enforcement begins” in the 5-mile stretch of state Route 18 from Windfall to Medina Line Road that has been earmarked as Ohio’s first “Safety Corridor.”
Law enforcement will continually monitor this section of the road for speed, aggressive driving, driving under the influence and seat belt use, and exercise zero tolerance when issuing citations for any and all infractions, according to Julie Cichello, Ohio Department of Transportation District 3 traffic engineer.
This was implemented because, from 2008, when the reconstruction of the roadway was completed, through 2015, there were 563 crashes, including seven with nine fatalities. (There was yet another fatality Aug. 16 as a result of an Aug. 15 crash on state Route 18.)
Lurtz said he received a phone call Aug. 16 from the ODOT District 3 deputy director chastising him for his comments about the zero tolerance policy.
However, Lurtz went on to say he received a project update from ODOT on Aug. 21, which stated in part, “Last week, ODOT announced plans to name this stretch of highway as Ohio’s first ‘Safety Corridor.’ This means that law enforcement will continually monitor this segment of the roadway for speed. aggressive driving, driving under the influence, and seat belt use, and exercise zero tolerance when issuing citations for any and all infractions,” Lurtz read directly from the memo.
He noted that the words “zero tolerance” were in bold print.
“I rest my case,” Lurtz said, adding, “I will make no statement about ODOT’s policy.”
Apprehension
Medina County Sheriff’s Deputy Sgt. Kevin Ross said suspect James Vaughn of Akron was arrested in connection with the 13 burglaries of businesses on state Route 18 in a period of four weeks. Ross said some of the businesses had been burglarized multiple times. He said the State Road break-ins are still under investigation.
In other news
• Trustees approved the request of Fire Chief Rob Haas to purchase three sets of turnout gear, six pairs of boots and one name tag for $10,135.
• They approved spending $1,446.69 for EMT training at Tri-C for firefighter Caleb Ernshaw.
• Bob Turek, township maintenance supervisor, said he is concerned about the number of large dead ash trees that could fall on the road as a result of strong winds and cause damage to passing vehicles. He is in the process of marking the biggest trees so a professional tree service can be contacted. He said township maintenance employees will be able to remove all the smaller dead trees.
• Trustee Brian Guccion announced that Deputy Brady England is leaving Sharon Township Aug. 30 and will then be working in Liverpool Township.
• Trustees agreed to pay Hinckley Roofing $7,264.67 for replacing the roof on the administration building. The total cost was $15,713, of which insurance paid $8,448.43.
• The board agreed to purchase two new computers and the related software for the zoning office for $2,024 from Bay Pointe.
Next meeting
Trustees will conduct their next meeting Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. at the township administration building on Sharon Circle. There will not be a meeting Sept. 12 as two of the trustees will be out of town.
Law enforcement will continually monitor this section of the road for speed, aggressive driving, driving under the influence and seat belt use, and exercise zero tolerance when issuing citations for any and all infractions, according to Julie Cichello, Ohio Department of Transportation District 3 traffic engineer.
This was implemented because, from 2008, when the reconstruction of the roadway was completed, through 2015, there were 563 crashes, including seven with nine fatalities. (There was yet another fatality Aug. 16 as a result of an Aug. 15 crash on state Route 18.)
Lurtz said he received a phone call Aug. 16 from the ODOT District 3 deputy director chastising him for his comments about the zero tolerance policy.
However, Lurtz went on to say he received a project update from ODOT on Aug. 21, which stated in part, “Last week, ODOT announced plans to name this stretch of highway as Ohio’s first ‘Safety Corridor.’ This means that law enforcement will continually monitor this segment of the roadway for speed. aggressive driving, driving under the influence, and seat belt use, and exercise zero tolerance when issuing citations for any and all infractions,” Lurtz read directly from the memo.
He noted that the words “zero tolerance” were in bold print.
“I rest my case,” Lurtz said, adding, “I will make no statement about ODOT’s policy.”
Apprehension
Medina County Sheriff’s Deputy Sgt. Kevin Ross said suspect James Vaughn of Akron was arrested in connection with the 13 burglaries of businesses on state Route 18 in a period of four weeks. Ross said some of the businesses had been burglarized multiple times. He said the State Road break-ins are still under investigation.
In other news
• Trustees approved the request of Fire Chief Rob Haas to purchase three sets of turnout gear, six pairs of boots and one name tag for $10,135.
• They approved spending $1,446.69 for EMT training at Tri-C for firefighter Caleb Ernshaw.
• Bob Turek, township maintenance supervisor, said he is concerned about the number of large dead ash trees that could fall on the road as a result of strong winds and cause damage to passing vehicles. He is in the process of marking the biggest trees so a professional tree service can be contacted. He said township maintenance employees will be able to remove all the smaller dead trees.
• Trustee Brian Guccion announced that Deputy Brady England is leaving Sharon Township Aug. 30 and will then be working in Liverpool Township.
• Trustees agreed to pay Hinckley Roofing $7,264.67 for replacing the roof on the administration building. The total cost was $15,713, of which insurance paid $8,448.43.
• The board agreed to purchase two new computers and the related software for the zoning office for $2,024 from Bay Pointe.
Next meeting
Trustees will conduct their next meeting Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. at the township administration building on Sharon Circle. There will not be a meeting Sept. 12 as two of the trustees will be out of town.