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<\/figure>\nThe METRICH Enforcement Unit<\/a> will receive more than $166,000 for operations \u2014 less than usual \u2014 in the 10-county region.<\/p>\n Mansfield City Council<\/a> approved funding from the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services at its meeting Tuesday night.<\/p>\n “It (amount) is much smaller than it usually is,” Councilman Alomar Davenport<\/a> noted.<\/p>\n Mansfield police Chief Keith Porch<\/a> talked about the difference. He said METRICH has been eligible for $250,000 in funding as a Tier 1 task force.<\/p>\n A portion of each moving violation, $3.50, goes to the funding source.<\/p>\n “The drug fund was not performing well due to the pandemic,” Porch said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Last year, METRICH received $118,000.<\/p>\n “We were cut in half,” Porch said.<\/p>\n While he appreciated the uptick in this year’s funding, he said it doesn’t go very far when spread among 10 counties. He said METRICH will explore other funding sources.<\/p>\n\n Much of Monday’s meeting dealt with police issues. Council honored Capt. Shari Robertson, who retired on July 7.<\/p>\n Robertson wore many hats in her 28-year career. As the department’s primary grant writer, she brought in about $11 million in funding.<\/p>\n “I can’t express to you how much of a privilege it’s been to serve this city for the past 28 years,” Robertson told council.<\/p>\n She lauded members for approving pay raises for officers in early March, calling this council the most supportive of police that she has seen in her tenure.<\/p>\n Each council member addressed Robertson, with some noting her ability to balance discipline with compassion.<\/p>\n “Twenty-eight years is a long time,” Councilman Laura Burns said. “It’s a loss that our city is going to suffer.”<\/p>\n\n In other law enforcement news, council accepted $80,000 from the state attorney general’s office to help with the Opiate Response Team Project.<\/p>\n “This is the fifth year that we’ve been awarded this grant,” Porch said, adding part of the money goes for overtime.<\/p>\n The grant covers all law enforcement agencies in Richland County.<\/p>\n Council transferred $60,200 from the personnel fund to\u00a0the safety services fund to train seven new police officers.<\/p>\n\n Porch said his department normally sends recruits to the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy, but competition is fierce.<\/p>\n “We have to act quick to secure our seats,” the chief said.<\/p>\n Porch added he doesn’t know that he will hire seven officers, but he wanted to secure costs.<\/p>\n At Porch’s request, council agreed to allot $38,537 in American Rescue Plan Act funds for a new vertical lift gate at the police compound.<\/p>\n “Within the last two years, we’ve had incidents with people coming into the compound,” Porch said. “It used to be secured with a gate. It was taken down in the mid-’90s for some reason.”<\/p>\n In other business, council:<\/p>\n \u2022 Accepted a gift from Chuck Hahn to maintain trees and shrubs on Fourth and Main streets.<\/p>\n \u2022 Agreed to sprinkle, mow, sweep and clean the grass lots or lawn strips in the middle of Glenwood and Parkwood boulevards.<\/p>\n \u2022 Appropriated $100,000 from the unappropriated parks and recreation fund to cover supplies for the remainder of the year.<\/p>\n Mark Abrams, parks and recreations superintendent, told council he did not think his department would use that much money, but he wanted to avoid making another request later.<\/p>\n \u2022 Transferred $13,854 within the water fund to remove fallen trees at Clearfork Reservoir. The trees will be cut into logs and resold.<\/p>\n \u2022 Appropriated up to $21,000 from the unappropriated downtown improvements fund for improvements to the Park Avenue and Mulberry Street parking lot.<\/p>\n \u2022 Accepted a federal grant of nearly $15,000 for healthcare-related expenses at the city fire department.<\/p>\n mcaudill@gannett.com<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n 419-521-7219<\/em><\/p>\nCouncil honors retired police captain<\/h2>\n
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Money allotted for training new police officers<\/h2>\n
Parks department receives money for supplies<\/h2>\n