WEATHERSFIELD - Beginning next year, anyone wanting a copy of a police report here may have to pay a lot more.
Township trustees voted unanimously Tuesday to charge $4 for a police report.
Police Chief Joseph Consiglio said the Ohio State Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies with Ohio Department of Public Safety charge $4. He said the cost is for a report regardless of number of pages.
Sgt. Jason Bonar with the local OSP barracks confirmed that crash, accident and other reports, regardless of number of pages, are $4.
According to the Ohio Revised Code, a public office or person responsible for public records must make copies of the request available at cost and in a reasonable period of time.
Trustee Marvin McBride said after the meeting that he has no problem with the matter being studied. He said if the proposed amount is found to be ''unfair'' he would revote on the issue.
''We want to make it fair. We get many people coming to the police department from out of the area for traffic and other incidents by the truck stop and highway needing police reports right then, which places a lot of work for our office staff,'' he said.
McBride said he is aware other agencies such as OSP charge $4, and he believes Niles has also been looking into this amount.
In other action, voters in the township could be asked to support two fire levies next spring.
Trustee Chairman Steven Gerberry said plans are to take a .70-mill levy originally passed in 1983 and a 1-mill levy originally passed in 1986 and combine and reduce it to 1.5 mills. They also plan to replace a 1-mill levy originally passed in 1984 and make it a continuous levy.
Trustees are in the process of getting the replacements on the ballot but no official action was taken because the wording is being reviewed by township legal counsel.
Gerberry said a special meeting will be called soon since the motions require several readings before being submitted to the county auditor by the February deadline for the May 6 primary ballot. He said the auditor will determine the final millages.
Also, trustees recognized Township Administrator David Pugh for his more than 30 years working for the township as firefighter, trustee, trustee chairman, zoning inspector and administrator.
Tuesday was Pugh's last regular meeting and his last day is Dec. 31.
Trustee Gil Blair said Pugh ''has worn a lot of different hats in the community'' during his many years of service.
Former fiscal officer David Rouan was named the new administrator effective Jan. 1.