CHRONIC "SPARRING" GOING ON IN NIMISHILLEN BETWEEN TRUSTEES GRESS & SHAFER?

Click on this link and read the SCPR report on a fight that materialized between Nimishillen trustees Allen Gress and Lisa Shafer over whether or not county commissioners should vacate an alley next to a bar located in the township.

Be sure to view the video that accompanies the blog.

Readers/views from reading the September 23rd blog and viewing the video will get the notion that Gress and Shafer are at odds on the issue.

If reading the earlier blog and viewing the accompanying video is not enough, then read a letter sent to Commissioner Todd Bosley on September 9th.

Note the highlighted portion which sets out Gress slamming Shafer.

But the alley issue is not the only problem between the two.

They were back at it that same evening at Township Hall.

The occasion?

Trustees had suspended one of their firefighters (Thomas Todd) earlier in the year and were considering whether or not to fire him for failure to attend an adequate number of  training meetings in 2009. 

Yours truly attended the hearing with camera in hand.

While Trustee Michael Lynch referred to himself as "not used to being a judge,"  let's hope he wasn't taking himself seriously as a judge because the hearing was not up to the judicial standards that attorneys experience in a real court.  In representing Todd, Attorney Jeff Jakmides did a admirable job under trying circumstances.

The SCPR suspects that the results of the disciplinary hearing was predetermined on the part of Trustees Shafer and Lynch.  The Report believes they went into the hearing with minds made up and that the nearly two hours of hearing were were the "appearance" of a hearing of the merits of Todd's case. The resultant dismissal of Thomas Todd as a Nimishillen firefighter (to The Report) did not seem to be supported by the gravity of the offense.  Not even close as far as the SCPR is concerned.

The SCPR has written before that Chief Peterson seems to be in charge in Nimishillen.  The Report is told that a number of Nimishillen Township residents believe that Trustee Shafer is Peterson's chief patron and that Trustee Lynch always follows her.

The Report agrees with Todd lawyer Jakmides' interpretation of the evidence presented:  Todd had fallen out of favor with Chief Peterson and there was no redeeming himself.  Peterson disputed this point of evidence, but Todd contended that Peterson had told him - "either resign or get fired."  Jakmides said over and over again "selective enforcement" and The Report believes that the evidence he submitted to the trustees was convincing to the open-minded.

Trustee Gress has told The Report that he has misgivings about Peterson's administration of the Nimishillen Fire Department.  However, he is between a rock and a hard place on Peterson and his big, big project of the CenCom 9-1-1 operation.

A few years ago, the township floated a loan of about $1 million to build the new fire station where CenCom is situated.  Gress tells The Report that were Nimishillen to merge with the emerging Stark County countywide dispatching consolidation, then Nimishillen could not generate (from various local government clients) the income needed to pay its outstanding mortgage. 

So, apparently Gress is prone to support the continuance of CenCom (and Peterson as its chief architect) as a matter of financial practicality.

But are Gress, Shafer and Lynch dealing with long-term reality?

Once Stark's countywide 9-1-1 "state-of-the-art" system gets up and rolling in about 18 months, aren't Nimishillen's clients going to see that they are are not getting the best that is available in the county?  Aren't they going to want to move to the better system?

In any event, Trustee Gress did get to the correct result in the Todd disciplinary hearing in the opinion of the SCPR.  However, he was outnumbered two to one.

To say it again, sources tell the SCPR that Trustee Lynch seems to be dependent on Shafer (clearly, according to a number of SCPR sources, in the pro-Peterson camp) for direction and Lynch does not appear to be able to chart his own course.  Hence, Gress once again (on September 23rd) differs with Shafer who currently has Lynch on her side.

To those who think that Trustee Lynch is in thrall to Shafer, the Todd decision seems to buttress their belief.

Unfortunately for Nimishillen Township residents, Shafer and Lynch will be in place for three more years.  Expect a lot of trouble in Nimishillen Township local government administration. There is likely to be one fight after another, after another, and after another.  Moreover, the township will likely be an outlier in relation to working with adjoining local governments and county government as long as Shafer and Lynch are in control.

Here is a video of Gress, Shafer and Lynch speaking to the their respective decisions in the Todd matter.

ON STARK COUNTY'S 9-1-1 PLAN: GONZALEZ "OUT SMARTS & OUT MANEUVERS" NIMISHILLEN FIRE CHIEF RICH PETERSON?

UPDATE:  01/26/2010 AT 10:30 AM

Today, the SCPR received an email reponding to The Report's assessment that Randay Gonzalez chairman of the Stark County Council of Governments (SCOG) 9-1-1 had prevailed over Rich Peterson in their battle over which plan was going to be adopted by SCOG.

Here is an excerpted part of Peterson's email to the SCPR which contains the Nimishillen Township fire chief's response:

ORIGINAL BLOG

The battle over 9-1-1 is finished.

The SCPR declares "the Gonzalez Plan - as modified," the winner!!!

To the politically observing Stark County Political Report, Stark County has just witnessed the "Gonzalez Plan" coming back from the dead.  It was two weeks ago or so that the SCPR was told by North Canton fire chief John Bacon that the fire chiefs had gotten behind Niimishillen fire chief Rich Peterson's Plan and would be presenting  the "Peterson Plan" to the Stark County Council of Government's (SCOG) Technical Advisory Committee as an alternative to the "Gonzalez Plan."

CLICK HERE to see more detail on the ephemeral "Peterson Plan" victory.

The official line is that the interested parties have found "a third way" via a - slight - modification of the Gonzalez Plan made by Stark County Emergency Management"s director Tim Warstler.

The gist of the modification?

In the words of a person in a position to know, to wit:

Tim Warstler told me we could do remote hosting instead of primary or secondary PSAP's and the equipment could be assimilated into the new center when it's built.

Moreover, the Gonzalez Modified Plan will go ahead without all users of the system on the 800 megahertz system (which the SCPR thinks is a huge mistake that will cost Stark County's countywide 9-1-1 dearly in tens of thousands of dollars in lost grant opportunities).

The Gonzalez Plan triumph is a testament to the political power wielded by Randy Gonzalez in Stark County.

Rich Peterson (the "Peterson Plan) gave all he hah, but he is no match for Stark County Democratic Party chairman Randy Gonzalez and Stark County commissioner Todd Bosley.

A heavy irony plays in this match-up.  It can be argued that Todd Bosley would not be Stark County commissioner without having latched onto the "Peterson Plan" for fixing 9-1-1 when he ran against sitting Republican commissioner Richard Regula.

Gonzalez, being the consummate politician he is, co-opted Bosley and brought on board Gonzalez's countywide plan (Gonzalez in his role as chairman of the 9-1-1 Governance Committee of the Stark County Council of Governments (SCOG).

Gonzalez deserves credit for finessing Bosley into proposing a political career threatening "imposed" 0.5 percent sales/use tax.

How's that?

Bosley probably thinks the imposed tax idea was his.  But the SCPR isn't buying that take.

Gonzalez did not go to Bosley and say:  "this is what I want you to do."

No,  Gonzalez is far too politically sophisticated a politician to do that.  He merely talked and talked and talked about needing money to get the 9-1-1 fix underway.  Bosley seeing fixing 9-1-1 as being the gateway to higher political office jumped on the opportunity to coincidently please Gonzalez and boost his own political career.

Boost his own political career?  How about the "political career threatening" stuff above?

Well, at the time Bosley thought to himself "Eureka! (I've found it)":  the perfect plan to come up with the funding for countywide 9-1-1 and to put booster rockets on my political career.

Bosley did not think that "imposing" the tax was much of a political risk at the time.  He had vetted "to himself" his plan and came out convinced it was a sure winner in every aspect.

Peterson, by now, is astounded that his former political ally had been lured off the Peterson Plan onto the Gonzalez Plan.  But Peterson is a fire chief; he is not a politician.  And that reality has been vexatious to Stark's well meaning, largely non-political fire chiefs.

An outstanding example of a non-political guy who just wants the best for all Stark Countians is Tom Burgasser, chief in Massillon.  Tom wants to get to the bottom of things, get answers to the unanswered questions and move forward in the most efficient and effective way to serve all of Stark County.

Burgasser leaves the politics to the likes of Bosley, Gonzalez and the Nimishillen township trustees (who, by the way are controlled by Nimishillen fire chief Rich Peterson).

On Saturday, yours truly was talking with a highly respected source who has a keen intellect and the subject of Randy Gonzalez came up.

The Report's observation:  "Randy Gonzalez has won the 9-1-1 battle which is a demonstration of his ability to outsmart and outmaneuver his adversaries."

Response:  "If he uses those skills for the public good, it is a good thing."

As readers of the SCPR know, The Report believes that Gonzalez does a lot of self-serving for himself, his relatives, his political allies and loyalists - on the taxpayer's dime.

But on the 9-1-1 issue, the SCPR endorses the Gonzalez Plan as modified.

As an aside, to make the point of how Gonzalez  covered all bases in his maneuvering on 9-1-1, the SCPR takes note of the question that Commissioner Bosley raised with respect to the "promised" 9-1-1 share of "to be collected" imposed tax which expires mid-year this year because Stark County voters rejected retention of the tax this past November.

Ex-commissioner Harmon, before he vacated office on December 1, 2009, teamed up with Commissioner Pete Ferguson to divert all of the "to be collected" revenues into the county general fund.  Bosley portested loud and clear and  asked "what about our promise?"

Enter Steve Meeks. (Harmon replacement appointed by the Stark County Democratic Central Committee - controlled by Randy Gonzalez)

Political insiders understand that Gonzalez and Meeks are indeed joined at the hip.  Gonzalez (who wears many, many "political power" hats) is fiscal officer for Jackson Township and a former Jackson trustee.  Meeks is a former guess what?  You have it.  Yes, a former Jackson Township trustee.

So these two have a poiitical relationship that makes it hard to know who is "really" commissioner; Meeks or Gonzalez.

As a sidenote,  it appears that Meeks in more ensconced in Stark County government than the SCPR had known.  The Report learned recently that Meeks' daughter works for Stark County clerk of courts Nancy Reinbold (the wife of former Common Pleas judge Richard Reinbold).
It appears that Reinbold's office may be a haven for family, friends and loyalists of the Stark County Democratic Party leadership heirarcy.

The connection?  Phil Giavasis, the clerk of courts for Canton Municipal Court - formerly the Common Pleas clerk of courts, who handed that job off to Nancy Reinbold).

So where does Gonzalez come in?

He is Phil Giavasis' chief deputy.

Interesting, no?

Back to Gonzalez and his modified 9-1-1 plan.

Surely Gonzalez would prevail on Meeks to vote with Bosley to reverse the Harmon initiative?

Not at all.

Gonzalez wants Meeks to succeed as county commissioner, above all else.  Meeks is Gonzalez's ticket to continued and extended political power in Stark County like Stark County has not seen in many a year.

Gonzalez knows that Stark County is facing a financial crisis of epic proportions in 2011.  The SCPR has heard the county's administrator make this point ad nauseam in the many county commissioner meetings.

So what is Gonzalez to do?

No doubt, the Gonzalez Modified Plan could use the money.  For one thing, because of the deficiency in revenues, countywide  9-1-1 will not be able to purchase 800 megahertz mobile radio for all emergency forces to be on the same communication system.  Second, in order to fianance basic operations,  countywide 9-1-1 dispatch will be exacting a "user" fee from all of Stark County political subdivisions (villages, cities and townships).

Well, being the bright guy he is, Gonzalez put his pencil to paper and figured it out.

"A 9-1-1 countywide plan which is a marked improvement over what exists, but not quite what it ought to be; can be cobbled together and the Stark County public will be appreciative - with the money we now have."

"Hmm?  Now,  I (Gonzalez) I think I can give Steve Meeks a pass on supporting Bosley's motion to undo Harmon's move and satisfy both of my concerns."

In fact, the SCPR received an email from Gonzalez (sent at 1:33 p.m. on that day's commissioner meeting) responding to The Report's question on this very matter saying that countywide 9-1-1 could proceed to fruition without the $2.75 million.

Before the commissioners meeting, the SCPR is told that Gonzalez's son Kody (chief deputy for Recorder Rick Campbell)  was huddled up with Steve Meeks immediately before the meeting in which Bosley's motion was rejected by Commissioner Pete Ferguson and Steve Meeks.

Hmm?  Last minute instructions on the vote?

The SCPR takes Bosley at his word that he was sincere about wanting to keep the commissioners' promise made in December, 2008; but as Steve Meeks said: (consistent with Gonzalez to SCPR email) "I was not part of the decision.  I have been told by Randy Gonzalez that 9-1-1 countywide  can get by without the $2.75 million; therefore, I stand behind putting the money in the county general fund (paraphrase)"

Now from the Peterson side.

When Rich Peterson lost Bosley's support for his plan, the "Peterson Plan" for a number of primary and secondary PSAP's was doomed.

He tried to work the "Vote No Increased Tax Committee," and the Stark County fire chiefs to give his plan new life.  And he nearly succeeded.

Peterson's major failure?

He did not figure on Gonzalez having strong ideas about how Stark County should get to countywide 9-1-1.  Peterson refused to dialog with Gonzalez et al.  Moreover, he convinced Nimishillen Township trustees Gress, Lynch and Schafer to refuse engaging SCOG officials (which is another way of saying Gonzalez) on transitioning into a countywide system and the role CenCom (Nimishillen's dispatch center) could be integrated into the countywide plan.

A major, major mistake.

Now Peterson and Nimishillen will take what Gonzalez dishes out.

Knowing Gonzalez to be the highly skilled, intelligent (contrasted to his predecessor Johnnie A. Maier, Jr.) and consummate politician he is, the SCPR believes, that although he won the battle with Peterson; he will be gracious in victory and make the change as painless as possible for the folks in Nimishillen.

So there you have it folks.  A thumbnail sketch of the political ins and outs of getting to a countywide 9-1-1 system.

MULE PETERSON "CAN-NOT-A" GO SCOG ON 9-1-1?

UPDATE: (06/30/2009 - TUESDAY AT 12:30 AM)
STARK COUNTY COMMISSIONER TODD BOSLEY

The fact that Mrs. Shafer does not know there is a definitive plan illustrates my point. They have not been to a meeting for many months and are making decisions based on hear say (second hand information)!! The Stark Council of Governments wants to hear why they are opposed, but they (the Trustees) will not make themselves available.

Here are some facts -

1) Cencom has an operating budget greater than $400,000.00 per year which is subsidized by Nimishillen Township residents for other communities dispatching needs. That means Nimishillen Township residents pay for the dispatching of other communities such as Perry and Canton Township.

2) Cencom cannot add any additional users until it purchases additional equipment which costs hundreds of thousands of dollars

3) The Trustees have not attended a SCOG Governance Committee meeting in over a year

4) Cencom will be forced to close if the SCOG Central dispatch system opens because no community will pay for dispatching if the County offers it for free

5) Even if Cencom remained open to service itself, it would not recieve 911 calls directly, they would still have to be transferred. This would create further delays and confusion for residents of Nimishillen in need of help. How could any Trustee say this would benefit the Township? It would create greater delays and put the Township in bankruptcy.

The conclusion to this matter is very simple. Nimishillen Township residents cannot shoulder the cost of dispatching on its own. The $400,000 plus operating cost would put the Township into bankruptcy and residents would suffer greatly by the decreased response time. There is no good old boys club as Mrs. Shafer describes, but how would she know since she has not taken the time to show up for a meeting in over a year.

I CHALLENGE ALL THREE NIMISHILLEN TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE'S TO SHOW UP AT THE NEXT SCOG GOVERANCE MEETING AND PRESENT THEIR CASE TO THE BOARD!

Todd Bosley
Your Stark County Commissioner

UPDATE: (06/29/2009 - MONDAY AT 11:30 AM)
NIMISHILLEN TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE LISA SHAFER

Dear Martin,

After reading the article, "Mule Peterson can-not-a go SCOG on 9-1-1" it is more apparent that even Commissioner Todd Bosley has lost touch with the direction that the 9-1-1 Project is headed.

First of all, Commissioner Bosley must be very confused because over the past 18 months or so I have attended many SCOGS meetings as well as Chief Peterson thru out the process. Attending the meetings however is more of a spectator status rather than being a participant.

In addition, I can assure you that the Nimishillen Township Trustees and the Chief are making educated decisions based on what is best for our community and the agencies that we serve. Our Board voted unanimously to remove ourselves from participation on the 9-1-1 committee which should not be confused with our participation in SCOGS.

The 9-1-1 project continues whether we participate or not . Why is it that Nimishillen and Cencom is the center of attention? Could it be because we refuse to be part of the "good old boys club?" The county has no definitive plan and too many unanswered questions... Not to mention, a sales tax that was imposed on the people that is still in question. Will it be on the ballot? This project should be about saving lives and making Stark County a leader in 9-1-1. Somewhere along the way the 9-1-1 Project has turned into a political three ring circus. Politicians serving their best interests not the interests of those they are sworn to serve.

For those who may be confused by Commissioner Bosley's statements, let me make this perfectly clear. Cencom is not closing.

Lisa Shafer
Nimishillen Township Trustee

UPDATE: (06/28/2009 - SUNDAY - AT 12:15 PM)
COMMISSIONER BOSLEY RESPONDS TO NIMISHILLEN FIRE CHIEF PETERSON

I respect Chief Peterson and his views on this matter. I know he believes in the safety and well being of the public. He truely cares about Nimishillen Township residents.

I believe all three Nimishillen Township Trustee's are making decisions based on hear say with regards to SCOG dispatch plans. Had any of the Nimishillen Township Trustee's actually attended the SCOG meetings held on this subject, they might have been able to give Chief Peterson and the people of Nimishillen Township more accurate information regarding 9-1-1.

SCOG is willing to work with Nimishillen Township and incorporate their dispatch equipment into the County plan. SCOG will have to purchase additional equipment and I believe it should be at the benefit of Nimishillen Township residents. The Participation of the Nimishillen Trustees in this process would be beneficial towards moving thingsforward. It's impossible to have a meaningful discussion when the decision makers (The Trustee's) refuse to come to a meeting.

It is not a secret that we have the worst dispatch system in the entire United States. This fact was revealed in the Geocom Report in 2008. The restructuring of 911 is very territorial, but the Stark Council of Governments has proposed a solution that will bring Stark County to the forefront in dispatching services. It is my responsibility to represent all residents of Stark County and keep them safe. All that matters to me is that once these changes are implemented, every person in Stark County can be confident that when they dial 9-1-1, help will be on the way. I look forward to continued work with my friend Chief Peterson and the other Safety Leaders in Stark County.


Todd Bosley
Your Stark County Commissioner

RICH PETERSON COMMENT - POSTED 06/27/2009 AT 10:15 PM (SCPR HAS ASKED COMMISSIONER TODD BOSLEY TO RESPOND. IF BOSLEY CHOOSES TO RESPOND, THE SCPR WILL UPDATE THIS STORY

For the record, Commissioner Bosley did not support a "centralized 911 dispatch center" when he was a township trustee and a candidate for county commissioner. He wanted to see the fire station / regional communications center become a reality in Nimishillen Township as a part of a countywide system. After a Nimishillen Township resident's little girl had a less than satisfactory experience with the current 911 system, Bosley took on the charge to "fix" 911 by having the calls answered in the regional centers that actually send the police officers, the ambulance units, and the firefighters. Meetings were held with many agencies and political factions regarding this regionalized proposal. Participants included Bosley, RED Center representatives, Sheriff Swanson, Kirk Shuring, Congressman Regula's office, the EMA/911 Director, and Stark County Commissioners.

It seems now the focus is no longer getting help to the little girl who wasn't breathing but is now about political favors and money for the county via the sales tax. So Martin, that's why I'm not participating in this charade any longer. I want no part of the creation of a system that is based on anything other than the best interest of the end user calling 911 and the dispatchers and emergency safety forces that use it every day and depend on it working.

I think the "taking my toys and going home" is just an easy excuse instead of tackling the truth head on. I've told you before, I never wanted the 911/dispatching position and quite frankly believed that the RED Center Director (Mark Busto) was the man for the job. Even you admit that Joe Concatto is not qualified and was a political appointee. Joe Concatto is a fine person. He just wasn't the best candidate for the job. And one has to question how he could go around telling people he had the job in the fall of 2008 and amazingly was hires for the job. I would think that your investigative curiosity would have prompted you to look into these allegations.

The issue about SCOG purchasing CENCOM's equipment is simply not true. The SCOG Committee and its Director have already decided that they are not interested in purchasing any agency's current equipment other than giving free dispatching to Canton City and the Stark County Sheriff in exchange for a $1 per year fee to use their existing centers. Nimishillen Township and the agencies making up its CENCOM dispatch center are not interesting in having a "garage sale" and ceasing operations for a proposed county system that doesn't currently exist, has far too many unanswered questions, and so far offers no advantages over CENCOM's current features and offers a facility (Canton's site) that is structurally inferior to CENCOM's tornado proof, below grade construction design.

And the need for a fire station was determined and was planned to be constructed since 1999. The idea to incorporate the communications center into the lower level of the fire station was after the initial plans were started and came about out of necessity due to the fact that a private dispatching company was going out of business and the agencies of that center had no alternatives for dispatching services. (Where were all of the experts then?) CENCOM was built and created out of necessity, not ego which is more than can be said about the current county dispatch proposal. There are way too many egos and too many folks just wanting to create a legacy. So let's be clear. The fire station and the dispatch center are not closing. We will continue to operate CENCOM for those agencies that seek quality, customized, state of the art dispatching at an affordable price.



ORIGINAL STORY

The big sticking point for Nimishillen Fire Chief Rich Peterson on the SCOG 9-1-1 is project manager Joseph Concatto.

Piercing the veil of all the rhetoric that Peterson has unleashed as to why Nimishillen is going its own way on 9-1-1 dispatch, it is clear to the SCPR that the real reason is the appointment of former Canton Fire Chief and Creighton administration official Joseph Concatto.

Peterson does make a valid point that Concatto had no previous experience in emergency dispatch and that he has had to work hard to get conversant in emergency services (necessitating the expense of taking trips to seminar sites such as San Diego).

Moreover, the SCPR buys into the notion that Concatto's appointment was wrapped up in Stark County politics under the direction of Stark County Democratic Party chairman Randy Gonzalez (executive vice president at the time of the appointment). Gonzalez battled with Stark Commissioner Todd Bosley over whom the project manager would be.

Bosley was pushing for Peterson. Gonzalez was pushing for departing Canton Safety Director Tom Nesbitt initially and then went to Concatto as his first alternative. Some Stark emergency force officials feel that Concatto was Gonzalez's first choice all along and that the Nesbitt thing was a political sleight-of-hand gambit.

Why Nesbitt or Concatto?

Because Gonzalez apparently feels that he can control/direct either one.

Back to the Nimishillen Township aspect of the 9-1-1 project.

How Rich Peterson goes, so goes the Nimishillen Township trustees.

At a Stark County Township Trustees Association (SCTA) meeting (June 18th - Louisville Baptist Temple), Nimishillen Trustee Allen Gress got into a "disagreement" (to put it nicely) with Stark County Commissioner Todd Bosley over the county's remake of Stark County centralized dispatch.

Listen to the audio tape (below) of Trustee Allen Gress (trustee since January, 2007) at the June, 2009 SCTA meeting.

You will hear Commissioner Bosley correct Gress on his facts regarding Sheriff Swanson and what he did/did not or could have done with regard to a centralized 9-1-1 dispatch.

As an aside, the SCPR takes exception to Gress's comment to the effect that the SCPR took the position that the Nimishillen wanted Commissioner Bosley defeated in the upcoming 2010 election.

What the SCPR actually said was that "the effect" of the Nimishillen trustees/Peterson position on the CenCom/SCOG Governance Committee tete-a-tete (via the media) "could" undermine Bosley's re-election drive because he ran on fixing 9-1-1 as his primary campaign theme when he defeated Republican incumbent Richard Regula whom he accused of dwaddling on repairing 9-1-1.

Historically, Peterson of Nimishillen and Bosley (a former Nimishillen trustee) have been pretty much joined at the hip on the need to redo centralized 9-1-1 in Stark County.

Now that Peterson, who Bosley fought hard for to make the 9-1-1 project manager, is - yes - Mr. Gress - "taking his marbles and going home" since he lost out to Concatto; he and the Nimshillen trustees are - ironically, in the opinion of the SCPR, undermining Bosley's re-election chances.

Gress is a newspaper man who comes out of Morrow County and presently works as an independent contractor (as the SCPR understands the relationship) for the Louisville Herald. It is interesting that he cannot seem to get the SCPR's take on the 9-1-1 centralization straight nor the correct take on Sheriff Swanson and 9-1-1 centralization efforts.

As another aside, the SCPR has been told that at the SCTA meeting, fellow trustee Mike Lynch advised Gress that the SCTA forum was not the appropriate place to air his grievances with the SCPR, Bosley, Sheriff Swanson and the 9-1-1 Governance Committee.

One final point. The SCPR believes that Nimishillen local government is in a world of hurt on this issue. They have expensive dispatch equipment that will become inefficient when most if not all of its Stark County local government customers migrate to Stark County's centralized dispatch which they surely will do. How could local governments pay Nimishillen for a service that is "free" from Stark County centralized dispatch?

Moreover, there is that fire station that houses CenCom in its basement. If CenCom ceases to exist in its broader context; is there a justification to keep the fire station open?

Apparently, Commissioner Bosley is not holding it against Peterson and the Nimishillen trustees for (again, in the opinion of the SCPR) undermining his prized 9-1-1 centralization project.

Why would the SCPR surmise that?

Because he is trying to find a way for Stark County centralized dispatch to procure the Nimishillen equipment.

That folks, is interesting, indeed.

Now listen to the audio, as Gress fulminates.