Despite rising costs, Painesville Township Trustee Gabe Cicconetti said that community officials worked in 2022 to support local projects, public safety and community services while limiting the financial burden to the township and its residents.
“Our top achievements all carry the same theme; working to do more for our community via outside funding, both private and public,” he said. “We work hard to find ways to fund needed projects through outside sources rather than burdening our residents with the costs while still providing the benefits of the projects.”
Township officials held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Sept. 18 for Angelo Cicconetti Memorial Park, located at 115 Bowhall Road, which was one of the projects that benefitted from external funding. The park is named after Gabe’s grandfather, the late Painesville Township trustee and Lake County Dog Warden who died in 2011.
The township worked over the summer to add to the park a paved walking path, a paved parking lot, a fence and landscaping, Cicconetti said in August. These items joined a playground, a grill, a pavilion, picnic tables and benches that were already available to visitors.
As previously reported by the News-Herald, financial or in-kind contributions came from a county Community Development Block Grant, Lubrizol, Gabe Cicconetti, retired judge and Gabe’s father Michael Cicconetti, the Sidley Family, Scott Rothfuss of Classic Buick GMC, Marie McConnell of Lake County Nursery and Tyler Falvey of Deck Rescue.
Angelo’s wife Jackie donated a Little Free Library.
Trustee Cicconetti said over the summer that there are further additions planned to the park in 2023. His grandfather played bocce ball, and in his honor, work on two courts was slated to begin in the spring.
The township was also awarded a $248,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation that he said it will use to build a sidewalk, running along Bowhall Road from Dorothea Drive to Madison Avenue. He noted that “Painesville Township was the only Township in Lake County awarded this grant.”
Cicconetti said that the township used a $44,345 Federal Emergency Management Agency Assistance to Firefighters Grant to purchase a breathing air compressor and other equipment. Meanwhile, it also received a $285,000 grant from the Ohio Public Works Commission for 2023 road projects.
One road that was unexpectedly impacted by construction in 2022 was Madison Avenue, which was closed where it becomes East Main Street in Painesville City. The retaining wall failure led the Lake County Engineer’s Office to close the road in May.
Township officials announced the road’s reopening on a Jan. 4, 2023, Facebook post.
Other achievements that Cicconetti highlighted from 2022 were the township’s Family Fun Day and Christmas Party, regular services such as brush and leaf pickup and the fire department’s free hands-only CPR classes in June and October.
Painesville Township officials also searched for two new township administrators in 2022. In May, former Mentor Assistant City Manager Anthony Zampedro was hired to replace retiring administrator Michael Manary.
When Zampedro was confirmed by Painesville City as its next assistant city manager in October, the township hired former Mentor-on-the-Lake Director of Administration and Finance Hollie Bartone in November.
Cicconetti said that one challenge in 2022 was the need for more law enforcement.
“We see an unfortunate and consistent rise in calls for service from the Sheriff’s Office,” he explained.
Citing the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office, he said that 47 percent of crimes in Lake County “are committed by people residing outside Lake County.”
“So, we have a growing problem out of our control that needs a response,” Cicconetti said.
In order to address the need for additional law enforcement, he noted that Painesville Township has used American Rescue Plan Act funding in recent years to hire deputies to patrol the community.
“We are very lucky to be protected by what we believe to be the best police agency in Lake County in the Lake County Sheriff’s Office,” Cicconetti said. “However, the LCSO doesn’t have the number of deputies they need.”
Additionally, Painesville Township officials were part of a delegation from the Lake County Township Association that met with County Commissioner John Hamercheck and Sheriff Frank Leonbruno to discuss funding additional sheriff’s deputies in the fall.
“As a result of this work, the Lake County Commissioners were able to find resources and have committed to adding more deputies on the road at the County’s expense,” Cicconetti said. “We are thrilled this came to fruition and believe our Township will be a safer place because of the work between the Townships, the Sheriff, and the Lake County Commissioners.”
LCTA president and Concord Township Trustee Morgan McIntosh said in November that further discussions are expected.
Painesville Township also faced inflation and rising healthcare costs in 2022. Cicconetti said that officials sought grants for township purchases and changed the healthcare broker for township employees.
He expects inflation to continue to be a challenge in 2023, noting that the township will continue to look for external funding.
“The greatest challenge we face is combating a rise in costs and expenses,” Cicconetti said. “We have a limited budget with no income tax revenue so we have to work hard to combat increases while ensuring our residents receive the services they know and deserve.”
Additionally, he noted that the township will “continue to face ongoing stormwater issues.”
“While solutions to some are underway, we are still working to find solutions for some of our long standing issues, but see some resolutions on the horizon,” Cicconetti said.
Painesville Township’s 2023 preliminary budget will be $11,504,686, which he said is an increase from the passed budget of $10,912,537. He cited inflation and grants as the reasons for the increase.
In addition to applying for grants, Cicconetti said that township officials will “continue working with business to continue our economic development and growth.”
“Residents will see some investments in our community by some large corporations that will develop vacant land in our retail areas, increase offerings to our residents and visitors, and add more jobs in our community,” he said.
Additionally, Cicconetti said that township officials want “to continue to identify ways to limit increases in spending as much as possible while doing the same or more” as well as look for funding for additional park amenities, which could include courts for bocce ball and pickleball.
“We are very thankful to have such great residents that support the work we do and our Township,” he said. “Painesville Township operates on a very small staff compared to other communities and we are very pleased with the work our Service Department, Fire Department, Zoning and office staff do for our community.
“We couldn’t be happier with the way 2022 worked out and couldn’t be more thrilled with the efforts of all the work our employees did this year, they are what really made 2022 great for Painesville Township.”