The Medina County Board of Commissioners voted Dec. 31, 2024, to adopt organizational rules and meeting dates for 2025, elect a board president and vice president, and approve a slate of resolutions that included infrastructure contracts, grant agreements, personnel actions and year-end finance adjustments. The measures passed by roll call during the board’s final meeting of the year.

The board elected Aaron Harrison president of the board for 2025 and named Commissioner Colleen Swedeck vice president; Harrison was not present at the meeting. The organizational resolution also set rules related to meeting conduct and notice and fixed session dates for 2025. Commissioners then approved appointments of commissioners to committee assignments and authorized the county administrator to act with limited authority in some circumstances (for example, during holidays or emergencies).

The county engineer, Dan Becker, presented two items the board approved: acceptance and award for the 2024 replacement of bridge No. 22 on Kennard Road in Westfield Township, and a determination that certain county engineer equipment is excess and may be disposed of. Becker introduced the items to the board for consideration.

Barb Bolton, solid waste district director, asked the board to authorize district-sponsored meeting expenditures and to enter into an agreement with GT Environmental for assistance preparing the five-year solid waste management plan update; the board approved both resolutions after the district’s waste policy committee reviewed and modified the contract.

Denise Testa, planning services director, presented a resolution authorizing signature on the Program Year 2024 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) agreement; the board approved that resolution.

Human resources director Holly Murren presented five personnel-related resolutions, which the board approved. Those included a package of rate increases and personnel changes across multiple departments and four three-year collective bargaining agreements and wage increases: with Service Employees International Union Local 1 (Sanitary Engineers/wastewater treatment plant personnel) and multiple Teamsters units representing sanitary engineering staff and water distribution employees.

County Administrator Matt Springer presented six administrative items that the board approved, including: authorization to engage legal services to draft a HIPAA policy (cost not to exceed $2,000 as stated at the meeting); an agreement with Perspectus Architects for design services tied to a second phase of jail security platform work that would use part of a state capital grant of $300,000; approval of change orders 10–15 for the administration second-floor restroom project totaling $10,600; authorization to purchase a hazardous materials trailer for EMA enabled by a U.S. Department of Transportation grant (amount stated in the meeting transcript as "51 $1,000" and recorded below as uncertain); authorization to transfer a vehicle from veteran services to the county home; and approval to proceed with advertising the sale of properties at 120–124 W. Washington (the Professional Building).

The board also approved a package of 12 finance resolutions, covering year-end appropriations amendments, transfers and revenue and expenditure adjustments. Highlights the board discussed included recognizing $2,760 in revenue from sale of surplus county property; authorizing a $281,728 cash transfer for the county home levy fund; reducing a planned transfer into the reserve fund to $2,300,000 (a change made in coordination with county staff); certifying revenue available to the Community Improvement Board to assist local school districts with capital improvements; and authorizing purchase of 68,100 gallons of unleaded fuel at the county engineering center (low bid: Ports Petroleum at $1.99 per gallon, as stated at the meeting). The board continued work toward a final 2025 budget, with temporary appropriations adopted to carry operations until final adoption.

All resolutions and motions on the agenda were approved by roll call. The roll-call exchanges recorded in the meeting transcript named Commissioner Colleen Swedeck and Commissioner Hambley, both recorded as voting yes on the items cited in the transcript. The meeting closed after brief public comment and adjournment motions.

Votes at a glance

- Organizational resolution establishing meeting rules, 2025 dates and election of board officers: approved (recorded yes votes: Commissioner Colleen Swedeck; Commissioner Hambley). Aaron Harrison elected board president (not present).
- Appointment of commissioners to committees and areas of responsibility for 2025: approved (Swedeck; Hambley yes).
- Resolution granting authority to county administrator for limited actions when needed: approved (Swedeck; Hambley yes).
- Appointment to Medina County Management Agency Executive Committee: approved (Swedeck; Hambley yes).
- Petition for boundary line adjustment for Brunswick Hills Township related to recent annexation: approved (Swedeck; Hambley yes).
- Notice of a new liquor permit filing for C and JS Diner LLC, d/b/a C&J S Diner, 2341 Pearl Road, Brunswick Hills (D-5 permit class): received as record (no hearing requested).
- Bridge No. 22 replacement (Kennard Road) — acceptance/award: approved (Swedeck; Hambley yes).
- County engineer equipment declared excess and disposal authorized: approved (Swedeck; Hambley yes).
- Solid Waste District expenditures authorization: approved (Swedeck; Hambley yes).
- Solid Waste District agreement with GT Environmental for five-year plan update: approved (Swedeck; Hambley yes).
- Program Year 2024 CDBG grant agreement (signature authorization): approved (Swedeck; Hambley yes).
- Five HR/personnel resolutions including rate changes and personnel actions plus four collective bargaining agreements (SEIU Local 1; Teamsters Local 436 units and the unit described as in the transcript): approved (Swedeck; Hambley yes).
- Administrator requests (six items): approved (Swedeck; Hambley yes).
- Sale of county properties at 120–124 W. Washington — authorization to advertise sale: approved (Swedeck; Hambley yes).
- Finance package (12 resolutions covering appropriations amendments, transfers, revenue/expenditure adjustments, fuel purchase, weekly bills and temporary appropriations): approved (Swedeck; Hambley yes).

Context and why it matters

The organizational resolutions set leadership and meeting rules for 2025 and delegate limited administrative authority for exigent circumstances, giving the board and county staff a governance framework for the coming year. The approvals of design services for jail security work, the bridge replacement award and the solid-waste planning contract create procurement and contracting pathways for infrastructure and service planning. The personnel and collective bargaining approvals set multi-year labor contracts and wage adjustments for county operations, while the finance actions finalize year-end accounting and transfers that affect reserve and levy funds and maintain operations until the final 2025 budget is adopted.

What the record shows (process and limits)

- Several items referenced state or federal grants (for example, the Perspectus Architects work tied to a state capital grant of $300,000 and a U.S. Department of Transportation grant enabling the hazardous materials trailer purchase). The meeting transcript contains the stated grant amounts or references as noted above; where the transcript wording was unclear the article flags that uncertainty in the clarifying details below.
- The board recorded roll-call votes naming Commissioner Colleen Swedeck and Commissioner Hambley; the transcript did not consistently provide full first names for all roll-call participants or identify all individual motion makers by name.

Next steps

Many approved items require follow-up action by county staff: executing contracts, advertising property for sale, preparing specifications or change-order documentation, and incorporating approved transfers into year-end accounting. The board indicated work on the final 2025 budget will continue into February with hearings planned before final adoption.

Ending

After the votes and a short public-comment period, the board adjourned, wishing the community a happy new year.