Incumbent Doug Eastwood stresses safety, parks and cautious zoning at Medina Township trustee forum

Doug Eastwood, the incumbent Medina Township trustee, told voters at a candidates forum hosted by the Greater Medina Chamber of Commerce and Medina TV that public safety, park development and careful zoning are his priorities if re-elected.

Eastwood, a lifelong Medina resident who said he graduated from Medina High School in 1981 and served on the Medina City School Board from Feb. 2013 to Feb. 2019, framed his candidacy around restoring stability to township operations and improving services for residents. "The first term was stressful. It started off with a police force that was begging for support," Eastwood said, describing the early years of his first term.

At the forum, Eastwood described safety as his chief concern, citing speeding on township roads, dangerous intersections and recent residential structure losses where emergency response was slow. "I want people to feel safe," he said. He discussed exploring options such as dry hydrants and working with the county on water access for fire suppression in outlying areas, saying some locations do not meet county requirements for emergency response.

Eastwood also listed park development among his objectives, saying he would like to open the 30-some-acre Read-A-Whole Park near the Hamlin Road and Route 3 intersection for resident use and add amenities such as a pavilion. He said the township recently completed an asphalt perimeter path at Blaiseley Park to expand walking options.

On economic development and zoning, Eastwood said the township should encourage appropriate business where current zoning allows and resist changing zoning solely to fit a single business. "We want to encourage business where the zoning is appropriate, but we don't want to change zoning just to fit a business," he said, adding that zoning is a "living, breathing thing" and that the township is open to reviewing it for a new generation of residents.

Eastwood described efforts to restore fiscal credibility in the township after earlier problems with payroll and internal operations. He credited former fiscal officer Bridget Painter for improving credibility and said his current fiscal officer, Ralph Simmons, brings finance experience that has stabilized payroll and operations. "If you miss payroll, it's a big deal for our staff. That's not a problem now," he said.

Asked how he handles disagreements among trustees, Eastwood referenced his school board experience and said trustees focus on community goals and accept decisions made by the board. He described meetings as shorter and less contentious than earlier in his term, noting current meetings often last about an hour.

Eastwood closed by urging voters to support continuity while pursuing the projects he described. At the start of the forum, moderator Jacqueline Ringxmire of the Greater Medina Chamber of Commerce told viewers, "Vote early at the board of elections or in person on November 4."