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The parks commission discussed pesticide applicator licensures in its January meeting.
The commission initially received a request from Parks Laborer Kaiden Blair to test for his pesticide applicator license at a cost of $35 plus mileage in its December meeting but chose to table the request for further discussion in January. New Parks Director Jacob Logan, who himself holds a pesticide applicator license, said he fully supported Blair's request, noting that he was happy to help facilitate education for department employees that wanted to pursue it.
"I like to make sure our employees understand they are an investment not just a number, and if they want to learn I'm more than happy to help them learn," said Logan.
The next available testing date for the license is set for March 14, and the commission voted unanimously to approve Blair's request.
Logan also discussed his own pesticide applicator licensure, which was issued through Pennsylvania rather than Ohio, and while typically the states have a standing reciprocity agreement for pesticide licensures, since he was an Ohio resident, and not a Pennsylvania resident the agreement would not be honored.
"I contacted our extension office in the county thinking that my license was good, because I'm a current certified pesticide applicator but my license is a Pennsylvania and there is a reciprocal agreement. However, because I didn't live in Pennsylvania, I lived in Ohio and held a Pennsylvania license they won't honor that, so I have to go and re-test, so I'm going to go and get my testing done so we're covered as a parks department in the event we have to use pesticide, hopefully we don't have to but sometimes its needed," said Logan.
The board also discussed Recreations Supervisor Kelli Pastore's similarly tabled request to attend a tourism conference which to learn about possible partnerships with other cities for collaboration on bus tours. While there were initially questions regarding the registration fee for the trip, Pastore said that the City Service Safety Director Joe Cappuzzello had been able to get the fee waved, and the commission unanimously voted to approve the request. Pastore and the commissioners also thanked Cappuzzello for his assistance.
Logan also took time to thank the commission for the opportunity to serve as the new parks director, and to thank those that had helped him acclimate to the new position including Pastore, Parks Foreman Jim Grimm, Mayor Cyndi Baronzzi Dickey, Auditor Sal Salvino, and his recently retired predecessor Shane Franks.
"I want to thank the commission for the opportunity, I've had a lot of good help between Kelli [Pastore], and Jim [Grimm], Mayor Dickey, Auditor Salvino, and of course Shane has been a great asset to contact, although I haven't been in contact with Shane in about a week and a half, which is good. I don't know where his level of involvement wants to be, but I want to make it on my own, I don't want to have somebody holding my hand as much as he's been willing to, and I truly appreciate that," said Logan.
Parks Foreman Jim Grimm, and Parks Commission President John Panezott also gave their condolences to the families of the recently passed Roger Lippiatt.
"I want to give my condolences to the family for the passing of Roger. I spent quite a few years working with him on the parks commission, and there was nothing he couldn't do; he could weld, do engines big or small, absolutely anything. So, our condolences go to the family," said Panezott.
"My condolences go to the family of Roger Lippiatt, and his wife Nancy. Roger was employed with the parks department when I came on board in 2008, he kind of mentored me and showed me around the parks. He was an ornery little squirt, but he could fix anything, and he was a perfectionist, and I could tell you all the stories about him, but I'm sorry for Nancy and the family. He was really a great guy, went on a mission trip with him in Haiti, he and I and did a building project together," said an emotional Grimm.
The parks commission will meet next at 5 p.m. Feb. 28.