City to spend $86,000 to screen first responders for cancer, provide mental health treatment

by Melissa Martin

Feb. 4 city council meeting

Brecksville City Council unanimously approved two pieces of legislation that aims to spend more than $86,000 to enable firefighters and police officers to access mental health services, physical examinations and advanced screenings for early detection of cancer.  

According to Monica Bartkiewicz, director of planning and economic development, the city will use money obtained in accordance with the American Rescue Plan Act in 2023 to pay for the services. The funding was intended to address issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as increased stress and decreased staffing levels.

Bartkiewicz said council approved $68,100 to pay Lifescan Wellness Center to provide early detection health and cancer physicals for firefighters and police officers.

The remaining money, $18,000, will go to Cleveland Psychiatry Associates to be used by Brecksville first responders to receive mental health screenings and follow-up services, as needed. 

Police Chief Stan Korinek said the police and fire departments have been trying to provide more of these services for their employees for several years.

“This is definitely something we try to incorporate, whether we get more grant funding in the future or we just figure out a way to promote it ourselves from within,” he said. “To constantly have some type of mental health screening along with physical screenings [is beneficial for all of our employees].”

Korinek said Lifescan can provide more than cancer screenings because every single organ in an individual’s body is scanned. 

“They also do a lot of blood work and a lot of behind-the-scenes trying to prevent a lot of medical issues and follow up those screenings with a physician,” Korinek said, noting that early detection is critical in effectively treating cancer,

Councilmember Mark Jantzen said he supports the use of the funding to protect the city’s safety personnel.

“I want to applaud the city for going after this grant and having this in place,” Jantzen said. “I know we do a lot for our first responders, making sure that they are safe when they respond physically, but the mental health aspect is also a huge topic for me and a great area of concern. I think this is just a great investment. I don’t look at this as an expenditure at all. Getting a grant to kind of fill in that gap, I think it’s just wonderful.”

Council also approved a motion to advertise for bids for the Sentinel Drive culvert replacement project. 

“We’ve been trying to push this project forward so it could go out to bid and get constructed prior to the road program, which is going to be replacing pavement on this street this summer,” said City Engineer Gerry Wise. “We felt it was advantageous to get it in here to have another two-week jump and bid this project out simultaneously with the Highland Drive culvert project.”

As part of the Sentinel Drive project, the city will replace the twin corrugated culverts. 

“If anyone remembers the resident discussion on this topic, there were some issues with flooding [in the neighborhood],” Wise said. “We cannot resolve [the flooding], however, we’ve lowered the 100-year flood elevation by about a foot. It will have a big impact. They will still have water in their rear yards on occasion, but it is definitely advantageous to them.”

The project’s only unusual element will be traffic control, Wise said. 

“There is no way around it, we will have to maintain one lane while they start the culvert but then we will have to [install] some temporary pavement which will put traffic up on the tree lawn on one side until they can get the culvert [installed] across the street,” he said. “It will have to be sufficient to get fire trucks, school buses, [delivery] trucks and all the cars through there, but it’s not going to be like riding on the regular road. It’s going to have to jump the curb a little bit onto the tree lawn area and go past the culvert for a matter of a week or two until they can get them back on the road.”

Cost of the project is estimated at $395,000, Wise said.

“It makes sense to get [the work] underneath completed before we fix the top of the road,” councilmember A.J. Ganim said.

In other action, council:

• Approved the $20,000 purchase of annual flowers that will be planted throughout the community this spring.
• Authorized the administration to apply for the 2025 NOPEC Energize Communities Grant in the amount of $46,979. The administration said it plans to use the funding for LED lighting upgrades in the service department’s vehicle storage building; replace the heating and cooling wall unit or installing lighting upgrades in the community center; and/or replace windows and doors in the city auditorium.

Entered into a memorandum of understanding with Cuyahoga County on child abuse procedures. The MOU outlines which agency is responsible for what processes and what actions are to be taken to protect children. Korinek said the city updates the agreement every two years to illustrate how child abuse and neglect cases are reported and investigated in an attempt to minimize trauma to the child.