Carrollton adds firefighter at year-end meeting

Carrollton Village Council hired a new firefighter and heard the annual fire report at its Dec. 22 year-end meeting.

Carrollton Fire Department Chief Shane Thomas asked council to approve the hiring of Ben Stoneman as a firefighter, which brings the department’s roster to 34 employees.

Stoneman previously served as a firefighter with the Fox Township Fire Department for about a year, where he completed 36 hours of required training. Professionally, Stoneman works for Murphy Equipment in Canton and is furthering his skills by attending Caterpillar heavy-equipment school.

“He had a desire to move in here and get a little more involved with what we do in the fire world,” said Thomas.

He is the son of Neil and Lori Stoneman. Council unanimously approved the hiring.

“We are super happy to have young guys that move better than us,” said Thomas.

Thomas presented the annual fire report to council, noting a high call volume for the year, with the department having responded to 342 calls and expecting that number to exceed 350 by year’s end, making it a record level of activity.

He said a significant portion of recent calls have been related to repeated fire alarm activations at the Candlewood Suites hotel, sometimes occurring multiple times in a single day. He explained that the alarms are largely the result of system issues, vaping and guests attempting to smoke in rooms, and said the hotel had been improperly disabling detector heads, a practice he emphasized is not approved.

Thomas reported meeting with hotel management and requiring a plan of action to correct the problem, including identifying who will service the alarm system and how the issue will be resolved.

Thomas also spoke about maintaining reliable ambulance service and exploring a working relationship with the Dellroy Community Volunteer Fire Department, led by Chief Emerson Huffman, as a secondary response option for the village. Huffman attended the meeting.

Thomas explained that Carrollton continues to have ambulance coverage through existing arrangements tied to Center Township and emphasized that there has been no lapse in service, even after the village opted out of a previous EMT contract to allow for further negotiations.

Thomas said conversations with Huffman and Dellroy representatives are centered on establishing a backup or secondary ambulance response to ensure adequate coverage during high-demand periods, noting that extended ambulance wait times are a countywide issue. While no agreement has been finalized, the village plans to continue discussions, including determining potential costs and coordination details such as radio communications, with the goal of strengthening emergency medical response for Carrollton residents without interrupting current service.

In an unrelated matter, a resident living near a recently demolished property thanked council for addressing the long-troubled site and said the area already looks much improved. The resident raised concerns about damage to nearby yards caused during demolition work, noting that frozen ground limited repairs and questioning whether the contractor would return in the spring to properly restore the affected areas.

Additional questions were raised about whether mud left on the sidewalk should have been cleaned as part of the project and who will be responsible for maintaining the vacant lot going forward, since the village does not own the property and the work was completed through a grant.

The resident also asked for follow-up on a previously discussed traffic study near the former school area, describing repeated close calls for pedestrians in crosswalks due to drivers rolling through stop signs and urged stronger enforcement or additional safety measures to improve pedestrian safety.

Village Administrator Mark Wells responded by explaining that the demolition and cleanup work was completed entirely through a CDBG grant and that the village does not own, and has never owned, the property. He said there was no probate estate or clear owner associated with the site, which has complicated responsibility for ongoing maintenance.

Wells said he would follow up with the grant administrator, Susan Moore and the contractor to address concerns about yard damage and to determine whether additional repairs can be made once ground conditions improve. He also said he would check whether sidewalk cleanup was included in the contractor’s scope of work.

Regarding traffic safety near the school area, Wells said a study conducted by OMEGA largely confirmed existing concerns about traffic volume and patterns, and he committed to speaking with the police chief about possible enforcement or safety measures.

In other business, council:

— APPROVED Resolution 2025-37, authorizing temporary appropriations for January payroll. 

— APPROVED Ordinance 2025-38, authorizing the sale of obsolete or unneeded village personal property via internet auction under Ohio law. 

— TABLED Ordinance 2025-39 related to 2026 janitorial services after debate over a price increase. Wells clarified the increase was due to the inclusion of additional cleaning areas such as the water department. Councilwoman Brittany Tangler requested the service be put out to bid and council agreed. 

— APPROVED Resolution 2025-40, amending the 2025 appropriations ordinance. 

— APPROVED payment of bills totaling $66,965.80 in vendor payments, $63,491.66 and payment of bills without prior certification totaling $2,798.41.