Commissioners clarify window-film rule, prepare for Emergency Services Appreciation Day

Commissioners addressed social media comments and the upcoming Emergency Services Appreciation Day at the Nov. 24 meeting.

Commissioner Chris Modranski took time during the meeting to thoroughly address comments made on social media regarding the required security window film for the Board of Elections office at the Annex building. He explained that his remark Nov. 30 calling the requirement a “stupid rule” was directed solely at the mandate itself, not at employee safety.

Modranski emphasized that the directive originated with the Ohio Secretary of State, not with the county, and that the rule requires the installation of a protective film on exterior windows of Board of Elections facilities statewide. He clarified that the film’s purpose is limited: It does not prevent break-ins nor does it stop bullets or projectiles. Instead, its role is to keep shattered glass from falling, functioning essentially as a containment layer.

He further noted that no voting machines, workstations or employees sit near the relevant windows and employees are separated from the area by an interior wall, reducing risk even further. Modranski said installation is expected to begin within the next few weeks now that a reasonable bid has been obtained and construction in the area has settled.

In an unrelated matter, Commissioner Robert Wirkner provided updates on Emergency Services Appreciation Day, which will take place Dec. 8 at 1:30 p.m. He explained that because there were no individual inductees after 2021, the county began issuing an appreciation coin in 2024 to recognize all emergency responders. The courthouse recognition board will be updated with brass tags reflecting the years without inductees and the years when all emergency personnel were honored collectively.

In other business, commissioners: 

— Modranski clarified public confusion about the proposed Chestnut Run Energy power plant, noting that the planned location is on County Road 71 near the Tennessee Gas Pipeline and not adjacent to the county home as some believed. Two public open houses will be held Dec. 3 and Dec. 16 at Carrollton Elementary from 6-8 p.m. to answer residents’ questions. 

— Approved a right-of-way request for a driveway connection on Downey Road in Augusta Township following a recommendation from the county engineer’s office. This approval allows access adjustments along the township roadway and is part of the commissioners’ routine oversight of local infrastructure changes. 

— Enacted the annual frost law, which places a 25% weight reduction on designated county roads from Dec. 1, 2025, through May 1, 2026. This seasonal restriction is implemented each winter to protect vulnerable road surfaces from damage during freeze-thaw cycles and is standard practice in Carroll County. 

— Received formal notice from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources that Rosebud Mining Company has submitted an application to renew its coal mining permit for the Reserve Mine in Union Township. The notice informs the county and public that the company intends to continue its operations and a copy of the renewal documentation is available for review in the commissioners’ office. 

— Paid the bills of $532,984.74.