Sandusky City Commission approves contract for policing at Cedar Point, sets date for Parks Charter Amendment election

SANDUSKY – The Sandusky Police Department will be taking over for the Cedar Point Police Department for policing at the amusement park next season, and March 14 will be the day Sandusky voters will be able to vote on the Parks Charter Amendment.

At Monday’s Sandusky City Commission meeting, the Commission voted to approve a contract with Cedar Point to provide law enforcement and police services for Cedar Point and their properties starting April 1. According to the contract, Cedar Point will pay the City an amount equal to twelve month’s salary and benefits for five police officers. For 2023, Cedar Point will pay $529,185.58. In exchange, the City will provide two police officers to Cedar Point during all operating hours in the 2023 season.

When the City and Cedar Point announced the partnership in June, the press release stated that Cedar Point began evaluating its security operation in 2019 and that led to the partnership .

Sandusky Police Chief Jared Oliver said at the meeting that the Sandusky Police Department already provides at least one officer to Cedar Point during operating hours and Cedar Point has compensated the City for the cost of the officer’s hourly overtime rate.

The City Commission also voted to set March 14 as the date for a special election. In the election, voters will be able to vote for or against an amendment that would require all proposals by the City Manager that recommends the sale, lease or private development of a historic park to be voted on by Sandusky residents.

In October, the Ohio Supreme Court sided with a group of citizens called “Citizens for Sandusky,” after the City did not forward signatures to the Erie County Board of Elections to have the Parks Charter Amendment placed on the ballot for the November general election. The City originally declared the petition “flawed due to improper and insufficient wording.” In response, Sanduskians for Sandusky filed a lawsuit against the City in the Ohio Supreme Court.

Before voting on setting the date for the special election, Vice President Dennis Murray said that he only voted for it because the City was ordered to have a special election and his vote should “be read in no way as an endorsement.” He called several of the claims made against the City “nonsense.”

Also at the meeting:

Omni Fiber Bryant McAfee gave a presentation on the internet provider’s expansion into Sandusky. McAfee said that the company is completely privately funded and will be investing $17 million into the city to deploy “a world-class network infrastructure.” He said that the company expects to start construction in January and for it to be completed by May. He added that the company has several steps that will make the construction process “aesthetically more appealing.” He stated that feedback on construction can be sent to the company by going to omnifiber.com/construction.

In October, Omni Fiber announced that they would be expanding to Bellevue, Huron and Sandusky. According to the Cincinnati-based company’s website, internet plans will start at $55 per month for 500 Mbps and $95 per month for 2 Gbps. McAfee said that Sandusky customers can expect to save around 25% to 50% of what they currently pay now. Currently, Buckeye Broadband is the primary internet service provider in Sandusky.

The City Commission voted to receive the dead of 1228 Osborne Street from the Erie County Land Reutilization Corporation. Director Of Public Works Aaron Klein said that the City will demolish the building on the property to help relieve flooding that regularly occurs in the nearby area.

This article was written by Nate Hinners. Contact Nate at nhinners@huroninsider.com.

PHOTO CREDIT: City of Sandusky via YouTube