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Resident raises tree-safety complaint; officials report storm damage, wastewater updates and cybersecurity adoption
Summary
A resident urged action over dangerous trees after storm damage; police and administration reported a foreclosure/violation notice at the Anchor Inn, four recent water-main breaks, a $70,000 estimated paving cost for Austin Road, and steps toward principal loan forgiveness for the East End Sewer project.
Geneva-on-the-Lake — At the June 15 village council meeting, resident Gary Cilli asked officials to intervene after branches from trees on neighboring Lot 76 fell onto his roof during a recent storm, raising concerns about an imminent threat to his home.
Cilli said the problem has recurred and asked whether council or the administrator could contact the neighbor. Mayor Dwayne M. Bennett Sr. and Solicitor Newcomb told Cilli the matter is a civil dispute and that, as the mayor explained, a property owner may trim branches that overhang their property at the vertical property line; no council enforcement action was directed during the meeting.
Police Chief John Roberts presented the May 2026 police report and said he had served the current Anchor Inn owner a letter prepared by Administrator Alex Iarocci listing violations that must be addressed within seven days. Mayor Bennett told the council the foreclosure process on the property is complete and said the owners could ask the bank to hold a public auction to speed cleanup.
Assistant Fire Chief Alex Pope gave the May fire report: 28 calls for service total (2 fires, 21 EMS/rescue, 1 hazardous condition with no fire, and 3 false alarms). Pope said the department is assisting Officer Ryel with a Bike Safety event, coordinated with Ashtabula County EMA and neighboring departments on July 4 safety plans, and will staff a fireworks event at Sun Retreats. Pope also said hotels inspected by the State Fire Marshal passed their inspections and that rental inspections are ongoing.
Administrator Alex Iarocci briefed council on infrastructure items: four recent water-main breaks tied to a pressure spike from an incident in Saybrook; an estimated village share of roughly $70,000 for paving Austin Road; and an update on the East End Sewer capital project, noting the village will collect tap-in fees that could make the project eligible for principal loan forgiveness and potentially reduce or eliminate tap-in fees for future connections. Iarocci also said shoreline erosion work at Township Park will begin in-water after July 4 and is expected to take about 8–9 weeks.
The meeting included routine approvals (minutes and payment of bills) and adjourned at about 7:31 p.m. Council scheduled a work session July 13 and regular meetings July 13 and July 20.
What remains open: the tree dispute raised by Cilli was described as a civil matter with trimming rights explained; the Anchor Inn compliance timeline is ongoing and depends on the owner and bank actions. No formal order or additional enforcement was recorded on either issue during the meeting.
