The Lucas County commissioners opened 2024 with a change in the board following the retirement of Commissioner Tina Skeldon Wozniak in December.
On January 6, the county democratic party held a central committee meeting and selected county auditor Anita Lopez to complete the remainder of Ms. Skeldon Wozniak’s term, which ends this December.
At the commissioners’ January 8 meeting, the board welcomed Ms. Lopez and elected commissioner Pete Gerken as president and Lisa Sobecki as vice president.
They also set regular meetings for 2024. The commissioners will meet on Tuesdays at 11 a.m. and on select Tuesday afternoons at 2 p.m.
Commissioner Sobecki was chosen as the official alternative for voting at the annual meeting of the County Commissioners Association.
In other organizational matters, the board approved appointments to the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments board of trustees and committees.
Mr. Gerken will serve on the board of trustees and also on the regional water planning committee.
Other appointments are county engineer Mike Pniewski–board of trustees, transportation council and smart transportation and innovative mobility committee; Mike Stormer–transportation improvement program committee; Brian Zienta–freight advisory committee; Mike Melnyk–pedestrian and bikeways committee; Sarah Rowland– system performance and monitoring committee; Kyle Warner–transportation planning committee; Benjamin Pushka–water quality council; Jim Shaw–public water supply; Jay Mosley– stormwater coalition; Nate Inkrott–wastewater., and Alexa Vogel–watersheds.
Each commissioner was assigned seats on various county and local boards. They are Mr. Gerken–Corrections Commission of Northwest Ohio, County Commissioners Association of Ohio, 9-1-1 Regional Council of Governments administrators technical advisors committee, board of revision, convention and visitors bureau, economic development corporation, land bank, plan commission, solid waste management district and policy committee, Pathway, Inc., homelessness board and Toledo Opera Association; Lisa Sobecki– district advisory council of the county health district, Downtown Toledo Improvement District (DTID), family services planning committee, criminal justice coordinating council, data processing board, economic development corporation, emergency planning committee, family and children first council, land bank, plan commission, solid waste management district, workforce development board, MacArthur Foundation safety + justice challenge, Toledo Zoological Society board of trustees and National Association of Counties conferences and events, and Ms. Lopez–community corrections planning board, DTID, emergency food and shelter program local board, Healthy Lucas County executive committee, 9-1-1 Regional Council of Governments administrators technical advisors committee alternat,; common pleas drug court, economic development corporation, integrated justice system, plan commission, solid waste management district, records commission, cultural arts society and sustainability commission.
Personnel
The commissioners acted on a number of personnel matters.
The board employed six people to fill eligibility specialist one positions at the department of job and family services. They are Noyemi Detro, Justin Hale, Lindsey Hussar, Leah Mokri, Jacquelyn Strickland and NaJae Wright. They will be paid a starting wage of $17.27 per hour.
Filling eligibility specialist two positions in the department at a starting hourly rate of $18.93 will be Melissa Highsmith, Tammy McGovern, Nathan Haase, Millenia Terrell, Hannah Young, Laura Malik, Garrett Meade, Anastesia Hughes, Alaa Arab, Yasmin Ladriye, Jocelynne Ranson, Cynthia Richardson, April Dotson and Patricia Jones.
The commissioners also promoted Omar Albakri to network administrator one in job and family services at an hourly rate of $18.93.
A change in employment status was approved for Hope Modlin from temporary to permanent senior personnel officer in human resources. Her compensation will be $35.39 per hour.
A similar change in status to permanent was authorized for Lucy Dixon, employee benefits and wellness manager in human resources. She will be paid $31.29 per hour.
The commissioners concluded personnel matters with a reclassification of the existing corrections center construction project manager position. The position will now be called senior project manager for incumbent Bridgette Kabat who will be paid an hourly rate of $55.54.
Other Business
In other business, the commissioners: •Appointed Emmanuel Yakumithis as acting county auditor, replacing Commissioner Lopez.
•Contracted with Midwest Contracting Inc. of Holland for repairs to the youth treatment shower at a cost of $351,900.
•Agreed to advertise for bids on the first phase of renovations to the sheriff’s station post 48 at 10391 Airport Highway, Swanton.
•Entered into an agreement with Cornerstone Inc. to provide design assist services for detention equipment and security electronic equipment.
•Approved an agreement with High Bridge Consulting for advocacy services at a cost of $5,000 per month.
•Entered into an agreement with Heritage Health Solutions LLC for management of inmate medical claim, provider network contracting and payment for inmate medical obligations. The agreement is not to exceed $49,000 and runs through January 1, 2025 with a renewal option.
•Authorized common pleas court to apply for the Ohio adult drug courts case management system upgrade grant through the Ohio Supreme Court in the amount of $100,000.
•Accepted a grant for $27,250 from the Ohio Law enforcement bulletproof vest program.
•Approved information services department purchasing of a replacement cooling system through state contract for $68,534, and a replacement storage system for the virtual environment with Avalon Technologies for $525,085.
The commissioners also approved a contract with Hyland Software Inc. of Westlake, Ohio to upgrade the onbase platform version for $102,800.
•Approved a supplemental agreement with Verdantas LLC of Toledo for geotechnical and design services for South Avenue and Kuhlman Drive, future site of the material recovery facility, for $425,000.
•Amended an agreement with Arcadis U.S. Inc. of Toledo, for an ultraviolet disinfection feasibility study at the water resource recovery facility, extending the time frame for completion from February 29 to April 30.
•Purchased 12 parcels of land on State Street in Toledo for $300,000.
•Authorized the county commissioners, sheriff, CSB and Sylvania Outdoor to utilize county credit cards. Each department has a credit limit.
The sheriff’s department will be issued eight cards; CSB and Sylvania Outdoor, two each, and the commissioners, one.
