Mayor recognizes community care worker hero
New Philadelphia Mayor Joel Day presented a commendation to Paula Lancaster at the Jan. 22 meeting of city council. Lancaster is a community care worker hired in 2020 to launch the fire department’s CARES program, which stands for Community Access, Resources, Education and Solutions.
The commendation recognized Lancaster for helping an elderly resident receive help after her primary caregiver passed away suddenly. The resident is now doing well in an assisted living facility.
Lancaster had given a presentation on the program to council just prior to receiving the recognition. In it she outlined how the program works and the services it provides. According to Lancaster, the program was initiated as a way to reduce nonemergency 911 calls to the fire department, which it has successfully done.
Lancaster said she has provided 3,000 face-to-face visits with residents and performed 300 fall assessments, having received certification in fall assessment and prevention.
She also is certified in car seat safety. Residents who want to be sure they are installing car seats correctly can call the fire department to schedule an assessment with Lancaster.
Request for DORA
Local business owner Jim Knisely addressed council as a representative of a community action committee called Impact. Knisely asked council to consider approving a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area that would allow patrons purchasing alcoholic beverages from businesses holding DORA permits to consume the beverage in an open container at outdoor locations within the DORA.
Knisely said DORA was created by 2015 state law. The area the committee is recommending runs from Fair Avenue to Front Street on the west and from Second Street to First Drive on the east. Patrons would be given specially designated containers that can only be used once.
Knisely said he spoke with a number of other cities that have DORAs in place, and none of them expressed having any problems. He said most spoke of how having a DORA has helped revitalize the business community by attracting more visitors. He also reported all but two of the businesses he spoke with in New Philadelphia would favor having a DORA, which can be discontinued at any time if problems do occur.
Reports to council
Service Director Ron McAbier said the restrooms on the Al Maloney Midway near Tuscora Park are being refurbished, and work should be complete within the next couple of weeks. He also said an inspection showed that a section of bleachers at Woody Hayes Quaker Stadium needs to be rebuilt.
“Early numbers that were thrown out there were pretty substantial,” McAbier said, and he said the section in question has been severely compromised by moisture damage.
Safety Director Greg Popham said the police department has received a nearly $40,000 grant from the state for the purchase of bodycams. Popham further reported that in the first 22 days of January, the police department received 570 calls and the fire department received 211.
Council member Tom Simmelink reported on the recent health board meeting, saying the board voted to increase the charge for vaccinations, effective March 1. According to Simmelink, this is the first time charges have been raised since the health board began administering vaccines eight years ago. The charge was raised from $15-$20, with additional shots during the same visit increasing from $10-$15.
Finance committee chair Steve Rippeth brought a resolution out of committee for emergency passage that would allow the purchase of three new police cruisers. Popham told the committee earlier that the cruisers are available at Montrose Ford and said the price is less than the state purchase price. Popham also expressed concern about difficulty finding cruisers later as Ford is scheduled to produce only about 2,000 units this year.
Council passed the emergency resolution authorizing the purchase of three 2023 Ford Explorer police cruisers and necessary equipment from Montrose Ford at a price not to exceed $42,039 each or $126,117 in total.
