By Paul Garrod
Staff Writer
news4garrod@gmail.com
LAWTON – A public safety millage is still under consideration by the Lawton Village Council. At the village council’s Tuesday, Jan. 14, meeting a village resident asked about the public safety millage formula.
During Citizens’ Comments, Village resident Charlene Raber asked the village council what the formula was for extra millage for public safety.
Lawton Village Council President Josh Appleby told her the village council is still review-ing a public safety millage. President Appleby said the village council is considering approximately three mills, which would generate approximately $125,000.
He said that with the village’s general budget of over $800,000, the police department’s budget is over $500,000, leaving $300,000 for everything else.
“While we wholly support the police department, we have to be able to fund them better. We have been cutting away police positions and Department of Public Works (DPW) positions in order to fund them. The amount each residence pays is dependent upon taxable value of a home, it does not begin at $30 per residence per month,” said Appleby.
According to Appleby, money from this millage would go entirely to the police department.
Lawton Village Police Chief Greg Cordes told the Lawton Village Council that the reality is the police department cannot afford another officer. “We need this special assessment in order to be able to fund that,” said Cordes.
President Appleby brought an updated quote from Booko Brothers for the village police office and garage, totaling $32,352.47 to the floor for discussion.
Lawton Village Manager Todd Hackenberg said that although the cost did increase, it was still below what was originally budgeted. Hackenberg said the quote includes some updates made to the project.
In a unanimous roll call vote, the council approved the police department office and gar-age updates.
President Appleby also brought the Midwest Electric right of way permit for fiber internet to the floor for discussion.
Village Manager Hackenberg stated that he approved of this permit, and it is on the out-skirts of the village, not yet within the village.
The village council how it could get Midwest into the village. Village Manager Hackenberg said he has spoken with Midwest, and the biggest problem that he is running into is that the village is serviced by AEP, while MEC is doing the fiber internet and cannot come into the village due to contracts.
President Appleby said that it is on the village “wish list” to get fiber within the village. Village Manager Hackenberg said he didn’t believe the village was a designated site because they are working on underserviced areas, which the village does not qualify for due to having Xfinity and Frontier as providers.
Village President Appleby would like to the village look into whether the franchise fee from Comcast is still worth it, or have the service provided by another company that would be more beneficial.
President Appleby brought potential solar and wind permitting ordinances to the floor for discussion.
The village currently has no ordinances to prevent these from going anywhere, and Appleby said village staff is starting to get questions from companies potentially interested.
Lawton Village Council member Judith Peterson suggested this issue be sent to the Lawton Village Planning Commission.
The council approved sending the issue to the planning commission.
The council also approved a motion to hire Professional Planning Services to revise cellular tower language contract language.
Lawton Village Chief of Police Greg Cordes told the village council that complaints were down for the month of December. He said all officers made it through mandated training for 2024 and are now beginning mandated officer trainings for 2025. There were 866 total reports for 2024, and does not include all calls, as some calls, such as traffic stops that do not require reports.
