Church Deal Not Complete, Law Director Resigns and other City News

City Finalizes Sales Contract for New Senior Center, Awaits Approval

Final approval for the City of Stow to purchase and use the Cornerstone Church as a new senior center will have to wait until City Council’s Jan. 25 meeting as council failed to pass a vote on Jan. 11 to expedite discussion of the project and give final approval.

Former Stow Cornerstone Baptist Church — The former Cornerstone Baptist Church on Fishcreek Rd. will become a new senior center for the city.

Like the Jan. 3 meeting, the motion to suspend the rules failed 5-2, with Council At-Large Jeremy McIntire and Ward 4 Councilman Mario Fiocca voting against the motion, again. Council rules require a 6-1 vote in order to remove the requirement for three public readings of proposed legislation.

(Read our new column by Dr. David Licate on how “suspending the rules” and “declaring an emergency” impacts city legislation and efficient operation of city business.)

But, the city will be able to finalize the deal at its next City Council meeting, according to Chief of Staff and Director of Public Service Nick Wren. Following the Jan. 3 City Council meeting at which council failed to finalize the contract, Wren renegotiated the purchase agreement to allow for a final approval on Jan. 25 and closing of the sale on Feb. 26 in exchange for increasing the sales price by $3,500 to a final cost of $738,500 to cover the church’s utility expenses for an additional month. The original listing price for the church, located at 5344 Fishcreek Rd., was $725,000.

In an interview last week with Wren, he said the city was able to secure the sale, even though there was a second all-cash bid, with an all-cash deal paid out of the city’s capital budget with funds that had originally been earmarked for a splash pad at SKiP Park this year. The splash pad, for which $750,000 had been budgeted in 2024, would be moved back to 2025, he said.

Although the approximately 30-year-old facility is in very good condition, Wren said there would be an immediate need to install fire sprinklers throughout the building to meet current safety codes.

Additionally, at the Jan. 11 City Council meeting, McIntire expressed concern over increased traffic on Fishcreek Rd. and requested that the city conduct a traffic study. Wren responded that a traffic study could be done to determine whether a separate turn lane should be added and that he would work on obtaining quotes to submit a proposal to council.

Law Director Leaves for Federal Position

After winning her election for a second term as Stow Law Director, Jaime Syx resigned her position on Jan. 4 to join the Department of Homeland Security as Assistant Chief Counsel, a position located in Cleveland. She announced her departure at the Jan. 11 City Council meeting.

In her four years at the helm of the city’s law department, Syx supervised a wide variety of activities and projects, including:

The city’s efforts to become an original member of the Regional Dispatch Center;
Collaborated with Lieutenant Erik Dirker of the Stow Police Department to develop “Safety in Stow” videos with that were published on Facebook to raise awareness to the dangers of scams, bullying and general public safety and knowledge of local laws;
Participated in the first Wills for First Responders event, co-sponsored by Community Legal Aid and the Akron Bar Association to provide free estate planning services for first responders and frontline healthcare workers;
Established the Administrative Review Board to allow the city to pursue zoning violations as civil issues rather than a criminal offense;
Worked with the Parks and Recreation Department to establish a Day Camp Diabetes Policy to train day camp counselors on the administration of diabetes medication should the need arise.

Syx’s last day was Jan. 12. Deputy Law Director Drew Reilly has assumed the role of Acting Law Director until Mayor John Pribonic appoints a new law director. Once the mayor makes his selection, City Council would have 75 days to vote on that appointment.

New City Council Leadership

Following the November election, Stow’s new City Council was sworn in by Judge Lisa Coates on Jan. 3 before a packed house in council chambers. The council then conducted its organizational meeting, selecting its officers for the new term.

Councilman At-Large Cyle Feldman, the top vote-getter in November who begins his third term in City Council, was elected as the body’s President.

Ward 1 Councilman Matt Riehl, serving in his sixth term, was selected Vice President.

Ward 3 Councilman John Baranek, who served as the city’s Finance Director for 24 years before being term-limited out, won his first election for City Council in November and was chosen by his colleagues to serve as President of Council Pro Tem.

Feldman subsequently appointed council members to lead its various subcommittees:

Committee of the Whole – Feldman, chair; Riehl, vice chair (all of council as members)
Planning Committee – Councilman At-Large Kyle Herman, chair; Ward 4 Councilman Mario Fiocca, vice chair (Feldman, Baranek, members)
Roads & Safety – Councilman At-Large Jeremy McIntire, chair; Ward 2 Councilwoman Kelly Coffey, vice chair (Riehl, Herman, members)
Finance Committee – Baranek, chair; Feldman, vice chair (Herman, McIntire, members)
Public Improvements – Riehl, chair; Coffey, vice chair (Baranek, Fiocca, members)

The council’s committees meet on an as-needed basis in back-to-back meetings right before the main council meeting the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month, starting at 5:30 pm in council chambers.

Council’s committee meetings are open to the public and that’s when most of the review and discussion of legislative items takes place. Each committee meeting includes a public comment period to enable residents to address council on the topics discussed. To see when committee meetings are scheduled and what items are on their respective agendas, visit the City Council web page.

New City Staff Appointments

During its first two meetings this month, City Council approved the following staff appointments:

Jeremy Gilpatric as Assistant Prosecutor for the City of Stow;
Zach Cowan was promoted from Deputy Planning Director to Planning Director, replacing Nathan Leppo, who left last Fall;
Jamie Twigg as deputy finance director.

Boards & Commission Appointments

City Council approved the following appointments and reappointments to its all-volunteer boards and commissions. These appointments are selected by the mayor and approved by City Council. The appointments below were approved unanimously by City Council, unless otherwise noted.

Arts Commission

LeAnn Covey (reappointment)
Michele Leissler (reappointment)
Debra Rich (reappointment)
Tom Stephan (reappointment)
Lisa Toppin (new appointment)

Civil Service Commission

Daniel Bacik (new appointment)
Charles Obendorf (new appointment) -- was approved on a 6-1 vote with McIntire voting against and stating that he would not support the appointment because Obendorf had been a part of the Charter Review Commission in 2020 and voted to sue City Council over its decision not to put any of the commission's recommended changes on the ballot for voter consideration. Coincidentally, Councilman Baranek was the chairman of the Charter Review Commission at that time.

Cemetery Board

David Renninger (reappointment)

Commission on Inclusion

Bruce Bach (reappointment)
Elizabeth Kinsella (reappointment)
Michael Lamboy (reappointment)
Tricia Streharsky (reappointment)

Parks and Recreation Board

Nick Stoiber (appointment) – was approved on a 6-1 vote with Riehl being the only one to object. Stoiber had challenged Riehl for the Ward 1 council position last November.

Records Commission

Jared Brauer (appointment)

Urban Forestry Commission

Jeff Saltzman (reappointment)
Jeff Napieralski (reappointment)
Joe Kollar (appointment)

Board of Zoning and Building Appeals

Randall Roberts (reappointment)

One commission reappointment was turned down by City Council on a 4-3 vote. John Comi, who had served on the Planning Commission as the Ward 3 member, was rejected on Jan. 3 for reappointment by all four of the returning city council members (Feldman, Riehl, McIntire and Fiocca). Mayor Pribonic nominated Mary Treptow for the open Ward 3 position on Jan. 11 from resumes the city had previously received and kept on file. Her nomination was approved on a 6-1 vote with Fiocca voting against.

Commendations

Mayor John Pribonic presented former Finance Director Jim Costello with a proclamation and plaque recognizing his 20 years of service to the city as a city councilman, interim mayor and finance director. Costello decided not to run for re-election in 2023 and retired.

Pribonic, Stow Fire Safety Education Officer Melissa Gammel and Assistant Fire Chief Mike Lang presented certificates to the 12 winners of Stow’s 2024 Fire Safety Poster contest. The winners were treated to lunch and tour at the city's safety building and will ride on a ladder truck in the 2024 Stow Fourth of July Parade. The winners were chosen out of 452 posters created by students in Stow’s elementary schools.