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South Bloomfield police report drug seizures; council hears infrastructure updates and mayor renews satellite fire-station push
Summary
Chief Michael Maynard reported traffic-stop seizures of fentanyl and meth and said OCJS approved $10,862.73 toward Motorola radios; Village Administrator Joe Allen updated construction and staffing matters, and Mayor Aaron Thomas renewed calls for a $5 million satellite fire station amid rail expansion concerns.
Chief Michael Maynard told the Village of South Bloomfield council on Sept. 15 that several traffic stops recently resulted in the seizure of large amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine and that the department will conduct a nighttime firearms training exercise using flashing emergency lights to simulate operational conditions.
Chief Maynard said the Office of Criminal Justice Services approved $10,862.73 to help purchase Motorola radios for the police department; RedHelm will be on-site to complete Windows 11 updates on police MDTs and may update office laptops if time allows. He also explained that recent disciplinary action involving an officer required other officers to cover shifts, contributing to higher overtime for the pay period.
Village Administrator Joe Allen briefed council on US‑23 work, saying Boss Excavating is optimistic the curb, gutter, signal work and patching will be completed by Pumpkin Show but noted utility poles in conflict must be removed and replaced. Allen said trees for the new walking path are scheduled to arrive Sept. 18 and be planted the following week. He also reported that the newly hired utility operator resigned effective Sept. 11 and that Go‑HR has resumed the search; Matt Schall will serve in a floating capacity to cover the plant in the interim.
Mayor Aaron Thomas used his updates to renew a push for a satellite fire station, citing an estimated $5 million cost for a station compared with an estimated $20 million cost for an ODOT grade separation; he said he plans to seek funding support from Rep. Brian Stewart and Sen. Michele Reynolds. The mayor also mentioned Norfolk Southern plans to expand rail service near SR 762 and Duvall Road and said that expansion could worsen fire department response times.
During public feedback, resident Irina Winter Arboleda reported a toilet leak that produced a roughly $1,000 water bill; Administrator Joe Allen responded that the village could not credit the sewer portion because the leaked water entered the sewer system, and staff offered a payment-plan option.
Council recorded no motion to change policy on mailbox conversions; Mayor Thomas reiterated that cluster-mailbox conversion requires either agreement from 100% of affected residents or an HOA decision, and that the post office prefers to convert entire streets and has funding available for installations through September 2025.
The meeting concluded with routine event reminders and unanimous votes to pay bills and adjourn at 6:36 p.m.
