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Tallmadge mayor unveils strategic plan; city highlights staff response to cardiac arrest, hires economic developer candidate and previews public-works projects

2964666 · April 10, 2025

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Summary

Mayor Kilway used the April 10 meeting to review the new strategic plan, recognize emergency responders, and announce personnel and public-works updates.

Mayor Kilway used the April 10 Tallmadge City Council meeting to summarize the newly finalized, community-driven strategic plan and to thank staff and volunteers who participated in focus groups and town halls.

The mayor said the strategic plan was developed with broad public input — 21 interviews with officials and stakeholders, five focus groups and a town hall — and that the executive summary has been placed on councilors’ desks. He said the next steps are department-level meetings to align five-year capital expenditures with the strategic-plan priorities.

Kilway also recognized a recent successful cardiac-arrest response. He credited Talmadge Police Sergeant Stover and Officers Carlson, Cirillo and Trexler for initiating CPR and applying an AED when appropriate, and named Fire Medic Jack Bennett and Battalion Chief Steve Jurkowski for continuing advanced life-support care. The mayor said the combined response laid a critical foundation for resuscitation efforts.

The mayor announced the swearing-in of Officer Jacob Oberlin on March 29, noting Oberlin is a member of the Ohio Army National Guard and a recent Kent State University Police Academy graduate. Kilway said Oberlin brings the patrol roster to 29 officers.

Administration and economic development director Ignazito said the city has extended an offer to Samantha Poole for the position of economic developer; Poole is completing conditional offer requirements and a start date near April 21 is expected. Ignazito also updated council on a prospective Sheetz site, saying Summit County Board of Elections review found the parcel’s prior precinct assignment makes it eligible for beer and wine sales (and only beer sales on Sundays); the application is still pending approval from the Ohio Department of Liquor Control.

Director of Public Service Mr. Rohrer reviewed public-works items: the city’s salt-storage barn (capacity about 3,400 tons) is currently empty, and staff placed an order for roughly 3,300 tons from ODOT with pricing not yet finalized; he said the city will likely request a reallocation of funds to complete the purchase. Rohrer also said hydrant flushing will begin, explaining the practice ensures hydrants operate, moves stagnant water through distribution mains and contributes to the city’s ISO public-safety insurance rating. He noted the pavement-marking program will begin May 11 and reminded drivers not to drive through fresh pavement markings.

Director of Finance Ms. Gilbride noted the March financials are in line with expectations and said the annual state audit has begun. Director of Law Ms. Raber reminded residents about the semiannual prescription drug take-back on April 26, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the police department and praised the records team for rapid felony paperwork processing shared by the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office.

No formal council action was taken on the strategic plan during the meeting; those departmental capital-expenditure sessions are listed as the next implementation step.