HARTVILLE POLICE CHIEF LARRY DORDEA GETS "BIG, BIG" BOOST FROM PAST POLITICAL FOE SHERIFF TIM SWANSON IN ATTEMPT TO SOLVE STARK'S EMERGENCY FORCE COMMUNICATIONS PROBLEMS?

In November, 2008 Hartville Police Chief Larry Dordea (formerly the Alliance police chief) was duking it out with Stark County Sheriff Tim Swanson as to who was going to be Stark's sheriff for the next four years.

In March, 2010 they are working together to solve some lingering communications problems that plague Stark County's emergency forces.  Smooth and integrated communications are a key in effective law enforcement and emergency force response.

For years  now, Sheriff Swanson has been working, through obtaining federal grants, to equip all of Stark's policing/emergency forces with a state-of-the-art 800 megahertz radio communications system.  At yesterday's Stark Council on Governments Governance Committee regular monthly meeting, it was made known that Congressman John Boccieri has agreed - as one of his top priorities for Stark County - to see an "earmark" of federal funds to complete the purchase of the necessary monies to fulfill Swanson's dream.

Larry Dordea, of late, has become an evangelist for advanced integrated Stark County emergency force communication.  He has been pushing a plan for Stark County's law enforcement, fire departments and EMT forces to get behind a plan proposed by TAC Computers, Inc utilizing the Summit County Emergency Management Agency's grant submission facilities to obtain TAC's state-of-the-art software to integrate home base and "in-the-field" police/emergency force including Computerized Assisted Dispatch (CAD) for the revamping of Stark 9-1-1 centralized dispatch.

There has been some skepticism (healthy, in the judgment of the Stark County Political Report) about the viability of the TAC system in view of the promise that the system would be "free."

The SCPR has been at two of Dordea's presentations and is satisfied the "deciders-in-chief" are asking the right questions and putting Dordea and TAC owner Tom Craven to the test in providing answers to key questions as to whether or not the system would - indeed, be "free," and effective.

As it turns out, "free" means that the $1 million or so in cost will be paid for (if Stark officials can get the Summit Emergency Agency to get behind the TAC plan) by a federal grant.  However, there will be ongoing maintenance costs in the range of $150,000 per year.

Dordea may have achieved a critical mass that might well propel his effort to success at yesterday's Governance Committee meeting.

Among the most enthusiastic for the TAC plan was none other than old Dordea political foe:  Stark County Sheriff Tim Swanson.

That Swanson would support Dordea in his effort for the good of Stark County does not surprise the SCPR.

During the campaign when The Report talked with Swanson, he had nothing to say critical of Dordea.  In fact, he credited Dordea with cleaning up an illegal drug use problem in Alliance where Dordea had been police chief.

The SCPR applauds both men for setting aside their political differences in a mutual quest to do the right thing for Stark Countians!

THE FUTURE OF CENTRALIZED DISPATCH? NIMISHILLEN FIRE CHIEF THINKS THE COUNTY OUGHT TO SHUT DOWN THE SCOG GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE PROJECT

If Nimishillen Fire Chief Rich Peterson was making the call, the SCPR is clear that the 9-1-1 centralized revamp effort headed up by former Canton services director Joe Concatto (Creighton administration) would have been shut down yesterday.

Yours truly talked with Peterson today and he had positive words for the "Vote No Increased Taxes Committee" for stopping Stark's centralized dispatch by cutting off the money.

But Peterson said he has mixed feelings about the defeat of the sales/use tax initiative because he does believe that 9-1-1 needs fixing (just not in the way proposed by Commissioner Bosley et al) and he does believe that Stark County's general fund needs help.

The problem for Peterson and many of his fellow safety forces scattered throughout Stark's villages, cities and townships?

The "overkill" county plan that until yesterday was being put together by Randy Gonzalez in his role as chairman of the Stark County Council on Governments (SCOG) Governance Committee.

No one will say it, but it is becoming more and more apparent to the SCPR that the dissatisfaction with Gonzalez's role stems from him being chairman of the Stark County Democratic Party and the suspicion that politics and the "good ole boy" phenomenon is at play under Gonzalez leadership.

Could the 9-1-1 process be benefited, if Gonzalez would remove himself from the mix?

Probably.

Does the SCPR believe that Gonzalez would sacrifice himself "for the good of the [Stark County] order?"

No.

Perhaps the Stark County commissioners will "step-up-to-the-plate" and remove Gonzalez from any formal role in the 9-1-1 reconfiguration rate?


Is it realistic to think that Democrats Bosley, Ferguson and Harmon would ask the party chairman to step aside?