Council approves plans for Antonio’s Brew Wall

by Dan Holland

Nov. 15 city council meeting

Broadview Heights City Council members unanimously approved final approval of Antonio’s Brew Wall to be built on a 1.9-acre site at 1350 W. Royalton Rd. Representatives for the company said they are hoping to break ground in mid-December and open sometime in 2022.

The city’s planning commission granted final approval for the 5,800-square foot pizza shop-restaurant-taphouse and 1,835-square foot attached patio Oct. 27. Plans call for the eatery to be constructed adjacent to the Aldi grocery store now under construction just west of Broadview Road.

The business will be the company’s second Brew Wall location in Northeast Ohio, with the first opening in Copley in 2019. In addition to offering a wide selection of pizzas and other food options at the family-owned chain, dozens of unique beers, craft ciders, margaritas and wine will be available for purchase by the ounce. The business plans to be open from 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. with extended summer hours until midnight.

Police department-related resolutions

Council also passed three resolutions, two of which involve a memorandum of understanding and a third that establishes an agreement involving the city’s police department.

The first resolution establishes an MOU with the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force for joint law enforcement operations in the city.

“It involves having one of our guys in training with the fugitive task force,” Police Chief Steven Raiff said. “He’ll put in once a month and train with other cops from other agencies and the U.S. Marshals. Then if we need to go out to make a felony arrest – a serious arrest – we would call the task force now if it’s really serious, or we might call out the SWAT team. This is with the U.S. Marshals when we need them to go out and serve a felony warrant of some type.”

“With us being a smaller agency, it gives an opportunity for another one of our guys to be involved,” he continued. “This doesn’t require me to give up the manpower; it’s more of an on-call thing. This is not a full-time assignment; it’s just part-time. So, he’ll train with them every month and, as necessary, he’ll be called out to go with them.”

Council approved another resolution for an MOU between the city and the Brecksville-Broadview Heights School District regarding the police department’s school resource officer program. Raiff said the agreement expires every three years and the language needed amending.

“We tweaked it a little bit to include some body camera language because we didn’t have body cameras three years ago,” said Raiff.

Raiff said the school resource officer is stationed inside Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School during school hours while a second police officer patrols the school’s parking lots. An additional officer will be assigned to the new elementary school when it opens next fall, he added.

Council also passed a resolution to enter into an agreement with University Hospitals relative to the Cuyahoga County OVI Task Force.

“That was a grant through University Hospitals for $4,999,” said Raiff. “They reimburse our overtime. So, when we go out, they ask for certain things: speed, OVI offenses, seatbelts and things like that. We put out a sign-up sheet, and our guys go out and work a four-hour block of overtime to do specific OVI enforcement, and then they get reimbursed at their overtime rate through University Hospitals.”

Community diversion program

Council also passed a resolution authorizing an agreement between the city and the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile Court Division for a community diversion program in the city commencing Jan. 1, 2022.

“It’s an annual program,” explained Finance Director Dave Pfaff. “Basically, it is used for juveniles between the ages of 10-17, who have broken a law, to go through an alternative program versus the normal justice system process. The county will reimburse us up to $2,400 per year for running the program. In the past, they just paid us $600 per quarter. However, a couple years ago, they stopped those payments since we have a carryover balance.  Once that balance (approximately $4,000) is depleted, we could then request reimbursement for up to $2,400 per year.”

Police and fire pay differential

Council recessed into executive session to discuss an ordinance authorizing the city’s finance director to adjust the differential in compensation between that of the police chief and police lieutenants and the fire chief and assistant fire chief.

According to Pfaff, the pay differential between both chiefs and the level just below them was set at 10%. Under the new agreement passed by council following the executive session, the differential will increase to 14% effective Jan. 1, 2022. The action results in a $4,377 per year pay increase for both chiefs, for an annual salary of $124,737. The increase is in line with the current police and fire department union contract with the city, according to Pfaff.

“There’s not only the differential but other aspects that the lieutenants are able to get that the chiefs are not,” Council President Robert Boldt said.

One of those differentials to which Boldt referred is overtime pay. While the majority of police and fire personnel can and do receive overtime, chiefs cannot.

“We did the math and decided this was the best way to compensate both chiefs in a respectful way. That’s why I voted for what I did and made sure it was economically feasible for the city. I just wanted to make sure that council supports our police and fire, and we do – this vote proves it. Both chiefs do a phenomenal job. You don’t become one of the safest cities in America without having a great police chief and fire chief.” ∞