Council fails to come to consensus on candidates

CHESAPEAKE — A vacancy remains on Chesapeake’s village council, following the failure of a candidate to achieve a majority of votes in an executive session to select the replacement.

The council met to consider three candidates for the seat vacated by Alex Hackney, who resigned from the position at July’s council meeting.

“We had three good candidates,” council member Kenny Wolfe said after returning from executive session. “We had tie votes, so we’re going to leave it up to the mayor.”

The council had 30 days to select a replacement, or the decision would go to Mayor Tommy Templeton.

Wolfe said the council would recommend their three candidates to the mayor for consideration.

However, he is not limited to the recommendations.

The council also discussed a matter involving the police department in the executive session.

“No action was taken, and the matter was settled,” council member Paul Hart said.

Monday’s meeting was run by Hart, who serves as mayor pro tempore. Templeton was absent.

In other business, police chief Lenny Abrams said that he has visited the men’s sober living home run by Riverside Recovery Services, which has been a contentious subject in the village since it opened.

Abrams said Riverside has provided him with a list of all residents at the home, as well as their background.

“I’m now involved in the intake process,” Abrams said, adding that Riverside was giving him the option to say no to any prospective resident he found issues with.

He said the home has provided him with a copy of floor plans, staff members’ contacts and had consented to random monthly searches with a K-9 unit.

Abrams said the staff were cooperating fully to address concerns.

“I’m pretty impressed,” he said.

The topic of medicinal marijuana came up during Monday’s meeting.

Hart advised the council to consider their stance on issue of dispensaries in the village, now that medicinal marijuana is legal in Ohio.

“We need to establish our criteria for what we’re going to allow in the village,” he said. “Are we going to allow it or not? If you ask people in the village, some people say yes, some say no.”

No action was taken on the issue, but Hart said it was worth council members’ time to begin thinking about what the village’s stance would be.

In other business, the council:

• Approved the hiring of Kim Bennett as a part-time officer with the police department. She is a returning officer, having started her career in Chesapeake.

• Approved July’s meeting minutes and paid bills for the month.

• Rescinded a motion that set a new business fee at $500. The amount was lowered to $150 in a separate ordinance, which remains in effect.

• Accepted a check from the VFW and the transfer of management for the veterans memorial brick fund.

• Set an extended meeting of council for Thursday at 7 p.m. to address business left unfinished from Monday’s meeting.