Contract with G-TV Unanimously Approved
I think I can bring a fresh perspective and unbiased commentary to the council. – Nick Tromba
After half an hour of interviews in executive session Jan. 23, Burton Village Council unanimously elected Nick Tromba to fill the position of Charles Blair on council.
Tromba was one of three men who applied and interviewed for the seat vacated last month.
A graduate of Berkshire High School, Tromba said he and his wife, Heather, also a life-long resident of Burton, live on Shannon Court.
He attended The Ohio State University, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree in 2003 and earned a master’s degree in business administration from Tiffin University in 2009.
He has been a bookkeeper for Burton Health Care Center, cost accountant for Kinetico Inc. in Newbury Township, and is currently a financial analyst for Goodrich Landing Gear of Cleveland and a finance manager for United Technologies (which acquired Goodrich), according to his resume.
Tromba told council he is a volunteer at Century Village Museum and coaches baseball. His first experience with council occurred when he attended a meeting because he was concerned about snow removal.
“That first council meeting really sparked my interest in local government,” he said, adding when he saw the notice of an opening, he felt it was a chance to become more involved.
“I think I can bring a fresh perspective and unbiased commentary to the council,” Tromba said before the interviews.
In other business, council discussed limiting the number of overtime hours employees can bank.
Fiscal Officer Chris Paquette said the state allows village employees to save up their overtime hours and ask for them to be paid out upon retirement, but it is not required the village do so. It helps the village even out the regular payroll.
Several employees already have more than 200 hours banked. When an employee cashes out, it is at the rate he or she is being paid at that time, he said.
He suggested reducing the amount of overtime a person can bank, adding council would have to increase the payroll budget to $3,500 in the general fund, $34,000 for the police department, $2,500 for water and sewer workers and $100 for street workers.
An amended budget will be prepared for the next meeting, Paquette said.
“We just think it is the right way to go,” said Mayor Jim Koster.
“If someone retires with 400 hours banked in comp time, that’s a big threat to your budget,” said Councilman Charles “Skip” Boehnlein. “It adds up very quickly.”
Council also voted unanimously to authorize the mayor and fiscal officer to enter into an agreement with Geauga Cable Access Corporation (Geauga TV) to provide local cable television programming through 2018.
