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<br />MINUTES OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE <br />DECEMBER 11, 2023 <br />AUDITORIUM <br />Present: Councilmembers Shachner, Bullock, Kepple (via Zoom) <br />lso Present: Councilmembers Marx, Rader, Baker, Council staff, Mayor George, Lakewood <br />A <br />Municipal Court Judge Neff, Court Administrator Maria Russo, Public Works Director Gordon, <br />City Engineer Papke, Planning Director Leininger, Assistant Planning Director Baas, City <br />consultants Lou McMahon and Joe Crea (virtually), Finance Director Rancatore, Assistant <br />Finance Directors Eddy & Schuster <br />all to Order: 6:05 p.m. <br />C <br />Approval of the minutes of the December 4, 2023 Finance Committee meeting <br />Motion made by Councilmember Bullock, seconded by Councilmember Shachner to approve the <br />minutes. Councilmember Bullock and Shachner in favor. Councilmember Kepple absent. <br />*** <br />Lakewood Municipal Court Budget Presentation <br />Judge Neff began by presenting the Court’s organizational chart. She explained that the chart has <br />been slightly adjusted from 2022. In 2024, the Court will add a part-time magistrate. There is one <br />unfilled position in the clerk’s office not represented on the chart. <br />Judge Neff pointed to a trend of steady increases in case filings from 2021 through 2023. She <br />estimated that by year end, the Court will have processed 5,000 cases. <br />Judge Neff & Ms. Russo highlighted specific 2023 accomplishments including: <br />Implementation of a new web-based probation management system linked across <br />neighboring jurisdictions. <br />Spending down surplus specialized funds on drug and alcohol treatment for those with a <br />drug/alcohol - related offense. <br />Utilizing NEOGOV for employee training <br />Digitizing old court documents and disposing of paper copies <br />Judge Neff and Ms. Russo highlighted improvements to the Court’s physical space including <br />updates to the magistrate hearing room, conference room, creation of a new breakroom, and <br />overdue improvements to the court room. She highlighted that these improvements were made <br />in-house with the help of Public Works and IT and did not expend city dollars. She noted that the <br />improvements stopped short of refinishing the court room benches because the estimate was too <br />high. <br />Judge Neff introduced the Court’s new probation kiosk in the main lobby. The kiosk allows <br />people to check in, update their information, and is linked with the Ohio Community Supervision <br />1 <br /> <br />