Chardon Fire Dept. Gets Ball Rolling on Ladder Truck Purchase

October 16, 2025 by Allison Wilson

Chardon City Council approved an ordinance Oct. 9 entering into an agreement with the Chardon Fire Department for the purchase of a new ladder truck.

The department secured a $1 million grant to cover approximately half the cost of the truck and asked the city, as well as Chardon and Claridon township officials to pitch in, as CFD includes both territories in its coverage.

While the department has applied for a second grant that could cover the remaining half, the ongoing government shutdown has delayed it, Fire Chief Justin Geiss said at the meeting.

Chardon City Council agreed to pay $784,934 to the fire department, which it will pay back in annual increments of $27,500, City Manager Ben Young said.

Geiss thanked council members for working with his department to secure funding for the ladder truck.

In June, the truck cost $2,229,772, but that price has gone down about $31,000, Geiss said, adding the department will look to sell the old vehicle, which will be about 26 years old when it is replaced.

In other business, council approved an ordinance to lease 106 Water Street, the theater annex building, to Fairmount Center for the Arts.

While the space was originally rented to the Fine Arts Association of Willoughby — which was using it as the Chardon Arts Center — they moved out of the space around May or June of this year, Young said Oct. 10.

Fairmount has been operating adult and youth programs from their current spot at 101 Main Street for about a year, FCFA Executive Director Elizabeth Bolander said at the meeting.

“It’s been a great experience being in the community and we’re seeing some momentum,” she said. “In order to grow further, we need a space that has walls and the ability to run some more programs concurrently.”

Council also voted to hire Justin Czekaj as public service director, following the departure of former Director Paul Hornyak several months ago.

Czekaj thanked city officials for their decision, recalling his first drive down state Route 44 into the city.

“That first approach into the city and seeing the square is, it really kind of takes your breath away,” he said. “I don’t know of many cities that have quite an impact like that. I’m thankful that you all want me to be here.”

According to his resume, Czekaj holds a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from the University of Akron and has a long history in civil service, having previously served as city engineer for Aurora from 2006-2021 and for Streetsboro from April 2021 to present.

Czekaj will begin working for Chardon Oct. 27.