Medina County commissioners approve University of Akron purchase, multiple contracts and personnel actions; economic development reports $83 million in projects

The Medina County Board of Commissioners on April 15 approved a purchase agreement for the University of Akron’s University Center at 6300 Technology Lane and unanimously passed a slate of resolutions that included labor and vendor contracts, project bids, personnel changes and a small-business revolving loan.

The purchase agreement with the University of Akron — approved after an executive session on a property matter — will be finalized to include existing furniture that the parties said was intended to be part of the original deal. Commissioners said staff will make a final contract revision and circulate the updated document.

The vote was one of roughly 20 formal actions taken during the meeting. Commissioners also approved highway- and sanitary-engineer items (including a three-year labor contract for highway maintenance workers and bids for road and water-system work), authorized participation in an ODOT salt contract, extended a biosolids-hauling contract, approved a one-year elevator replacement procurement for the Human Services Center and issued an RFP for a radio-tower construction project. A revolving loan from CDBG funds to VCS Salon and Spa was approved, and HR and finance items — including personnel hires, rate changes and the county’s weekly bills — were adopted.

Why it matters: The University Center purchase changes county property ownership and carries near-term implementation tasks (the contract revision and furniture inclusion). The engineering and sanitary contracts affect county infrastructure procurement, and the economic development updates point to continuing private investment in Medina County.

Most significant actions and context

- University Center purchase: After an executive session on real property, commissioners approved a purchase agreement with the University of Akron for the county’s University Center at 6300 Technology Lane. The board directed staff to amend the contract to include existing furniture that had been intended as part of the original sale; commissioners said the final document should be available later the same day. (Motion approved; roll call: Sweatick — yes; Hambley — yes; Harrison — yes.)

- Highway engineer resolutions: Dan Becker, county highway engineer, introduced four resolutions approved by the board: a new three-year contract with Teamsters Local representing highway maintenance employees; acceptance and award of an ODOT thin-overlay parking-lot project (ODOT item 2441 thin overlay — text in transcript); authorization to participate in the ODOT winter salt contract; and support for submitting a FY26 Community Project Funding application for a bridge. Commissioners approved the four resolutions on a single motion. (Roll call: Sweatick — yes; Hambley — yes; Harrison — yes.)

- Sanitary engineer resolutions: Jeremy Cinco presented three sanitary-engineer resolutions the board approved: award of the Back to Own Branch water-main improvement bid; authorization of a one-year contract extension for hauling and disposal of cake biosolids, DAF float and liquid waste activated sludge; and a declaration of necessity to advertise availability of construction-manager-at-risk services for the Westfield Water Treatment Plant project. (Roll call: Sweatick — yes; Hambley — yes; Harrison — yes.)

- Revolving loan: A revolving loan fund loan to VCS Salon and Spa was approved; county staff said the loan is federal Community Development Block Grant money administered through the state and loaned by the county to businesses for renovations and improvements. (Roll call: Sweatick — yes; Hambley — yes; Harrison — yes.)

- HR, finance and procurement items: The board approved HR resolutions that included two new hires, one promotion, five rate adjustments, two leaves of absence and two resignations; an amendment to the table of organization for the Medina County Dog Shelter; a transfer from the County Home levy fund for quarterly expenses (amount in transcript unclear); the purchase of 6,600 gallons of gasoline (Ports Petroleum the low bidder at $1.985 per gallon), out-of-town travel for sheriff and jail staff training, and weekly county bills totaling $6,705,687.14 (the large bills total reflected a recent sales-tax distribution). (Roll calls: each item approved unanimously.)

- County administrator and capital items: County Administrator Matt Spreier introduced a change order for demolition work at the County Home Foundation project to allow architects to prepare detailed plans; authorization to purchase and replace the Kone elevator at the Human Service Center via a cooperative purchasing agreement; and authorization to issue an RFP for Hubbard Valley radio-tower construction. All three passed unanimously.

- Appointment: The board reappointed Joan Weigel (Township Association member No. 4) to the Medina County Advisory Council on Aging and Disability for another term. (Roll call: Sweatick — yes; Hambley — yes; Harrison — yes.)

Economic development and county reports

Bethany Dentler, executive director of economic development, told commissioners the county is tracking $83,000,000 in capital investments committed so far this year and said those projects are associated with about 240 new jobs and an estimated $8,000,000 in additional annual payroll. “We’re tracking $83,000,000 of new capital investments committed year to date,” Dentler said. She described manufacturing and mixed-use projects across several townships and noted a large redevelopment (329,000 square feet of flexible space) at the former Lodi outlet site. Dentler also reported that the Lorraine Medina Rural Electric Cooperative recently celebrated a new Spencer headquarters that will bring about 40 jobs and that an anticipated Japanese-owned office in Greendale Township is expected to add roughly 100 jobs.

Building department director Richard Nelson reported March construction values remain below last year (about 28% lower year over year for March), with 32 new home starts in March and commercial construction of roughly $3.5 million for the month. Nelson said review times remain roughly three weeks or less for commercial permits and three days or less for residential.

Public comment and historical society updates

A public commenter identified as a representative of the local historical society thanked commissioners for support and described recent museum activity, a preservation award for the War Bond building, and plans to relocate a small interurban station to a different McDowell-Phillips House property location in Medina. The commenter also described a forthcoming local publication documenting Revolutionary War soldiers buried in Medina County.

Executive sessions and pending litigation

The board moved twice into executive session: first to consider purchase of property (the Technology Lane property) and later to discuss pending litigation; the second executive session was adjourned without returning to open session. The property purchase was approved after the first executive session and before the second.

Votes at a glance (selected formal items — all votes recorded as unanimous on the transcript)

- Commendation: Russell Edgerton, retirement from Medina County Sanitary Engineering Department after 31 years — approved (Sweatick — yes; Hambley — yes; Harrison — yes). - Highway engineer: four resolutions (Teamsters contract; ODOT parking-lot overlay award; ODOT winter salt contract participation; FY26 community project funding application support for a bridge) — approved (Sweatick — yes; Hambley — yes; Harrison — yes). - Sanitary engineer: three resolutions (water-main improvement bid award; one-year biosolids hauling/disposal contract extension; CMAR procurement notice authorization for Westfield WTP) — approved (Sweatick — yes; Hambley — yes; Harrison — yes). - Planning: fair housing professional service agreement with the City of Medina — approved (Sweatick — yes; Hambley — yes; Harrison — yes). - Economic development: revolving loan fund loan to VCS Salon and Spa (CDBG funds) — approved (Sweatick — yes; Hambley — yes; Harrison — yes). - HR: personnel changes and Dog Shelter table-of-organization amendment — approved (Sweatick — yes; Hambley — yes; Harrison — yes). - Finance: County Home levy transfer (amount in transcript unclear), fuel purchase (6,600 gal), travel approvals, and weekly bills $6,705,687.14 — approved (Sweatick — yes; Hambley — yes; Harrison — yes). - County administrator: change order for County Home demolition work; purchase/replacement of Kone elevator; RFP for Hubbard Valley radio tower — approved (Sweatick — yes; Hambley — yes; Harrison — yes). - Commissioners: reappointment of Joan Weigel to Advisory Council on Aging and Disability — approved (Sweatick — yes; Hambley — yes; Harrison — yes). - Property purchase: purchase agreement with the University of Akron for 6300 Technology Lane (to be amended to include furniture) — approved (Sweatick — yes; Hambley — yes; Harrison — yes).

What the transcript does not specify

- Several motions were introduced and seconded on the record, but the transcript does not identify the mover/second by full name for each motion; where names were not provided in the record, the motions are reported in this article without naming a mover or seconder. One transfer amount referenced in finance remarks was transcribed unclearly and is therefore reported as not specified in this article.

Next steps and follow-up

- County staff will finalize and circulate the revised University Center purchase agreement to include furniture as discussed. - Departments will proceed with awarded contracts, the advertised CMAR process for the Westfield Water Treatment Plant, and the RFP for the Hubbard Valley radio tower.

Ending

Commissioners said they expect the finalized University Center contract to be available later the same day and flagged possible future discussions about how any state-level recorder fee changes (described in the House budget) could affect local housing trust funding if the provision becomes law and is implemented at the county level.