ROSSFORD — The police department is getting closer to full strength with the swearing in of two new
officers, but concerns remain that the city has become a training ground for other departments.
At Monday’s council meeting, two new recently hired full time police officers were sworn in by Mayor Neil
MacKinnon III.
Keon Domanski and Derek Fillmore will start to fill in the employment gaps left in the department.
“The department is working through some manpower issues. Two officers have left to go to Oregon for more
money. One has been deployed. We are becoming a training ground for other departments because we have
fallen so far behind other agencies,” Councilwoman Caroline Zuchowski-Eckel, who is chair of the safety
committee, said.
The department is still down two officers from the 13 that Zuchowski-Eckel said it should be at.
“I think we’ve just had trouble keeping a full roster. We’ve had a hard time keeping that full roster
because of turnaround,” she said.
Eckel also addressed concerns she has with getting police officers vaccinated.
She said that there will be a meeting with local area police chiefs and the Wood County Health Department
today.
“As far as I know, they have not opened up vaccination to police,” Zuchowski-Eckel said. “Police are
first responders as much as EMS, so it’s putting our police at terrible risk. We want our officers
vaccinated ASAP and we’re concerned about getting that done.”
In other business, the public safety committee has recommended that the city purchase three new Ford
Explorer police vehicles on a lease-to-own program.
The ordinance had a first reading Monday. Zuchowski-Eckel asked to suspend a second and third reading,
but it did not get the required five votes. She, Larry Oberdorf Sr., Jerry Staczek and Greg Marquette
voted for it.
Bob Densic, who voted against the motion, had asked about the possible impact on the city’s debt
capacity.
Finance Director Gina Schell said she had not yet done an analysis.
Councilman Robert Ruse also voted against.
The city currently has budgeted $60,000 annually for vehicle replacement. A policy that has been in place
for five years. That has allowed for the purchase of one police vehicle, usually a Chevrolet Tahoe, per
year that is kept for up to eight years.
Police Chief Todd Kitzler and Administrator Allyson Murray investigated leasing options and found an
opportunity with the Reineke dealership in Findlay. They would purchase three Ford Explorers at $18,558
per year with a $1 purchase price at the end of three years.
Murray said she is in favor of the lease concept.
There are currently nine vehicles in the fleet. Six of those vehicles are in constant use, shared by the
officers on patrol. They are out of warranty after three years.
“We are spending a ton of money repairing these older vehicles, sometimes $18,000 per vehicle.
Maintenance has been a killer,” Zuchowski-Eckel said.