Lots o' Levies, Welcoming Barack Obama & More: Week in Review

Catch up on what levies you'll see on your ballot as a North Canton and Stark County resident, and see photos of our country's leader touching down at the Akron-Canton Airport this week

1. What's that noise?: Residents near the Hoover District — more specifically, around where Commercial Fluid Power is — have been hearing a loud, eerie noise for years, they say. The city of North Canton is now working with the company to quiet the noise, which is from honing metal pipes. 2. Welcoming President Barack Obama: The Akron-Canton Airport employees got a glimpse of President Barack Obama as he was exiting Air Force One Wednesday. And Matt Fredmonsky of Kent Patch kept our readers up to date with what was happening that day at the Obama rally at Kent State University. 3. Stark Parks goes to the voters to pass levy: Stark Parks hopes you'll consider voting "yes" on Issue 55 — a 1-mill, eight-year property tax levy that will be …

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City's Hiring of Law Director Doesn't Pass the 'Sniff Test,' Resident Says

North Canton resident Joe Concatto says the city created suspicion and distrust when it hired its first full-time law director this month

One North Canton resident isn't too impressed with the way North Canton chose its first full-time law director. Joe Concatto, whose son-in-law Rodney Baca had applied for the law director position, brought up a few issues with how the city hired its new law director (former Ward 3 Councilman Tim Fox) when he spoke before North Canton City Council in Council Chambers Monday night. "I'm not here to dispute who you chose; I'm here to dispute the way you went about choosing that person," Concatto said, adding the hiring of Fox created suspicion and distrust of city council. Council received 16 applications for the law director position, left open when Hans Nilges resigned in July. Those 16 applicants had adhered to the application deadline in …

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Tim Fox: Law Director Position Allows Him to Serve City on Full-Time Basis

Fox, who resigned from his Ward 3 council seat to pursue the city's law director position, addressed those who voted him onto council in November 2011

Tim Fox took his oath of office Wednesday morning and begins his first day as North Canton's law director today. Fox had served as an attorney at Black, McCuskey, Souers & Arbaugh while holding the Ward 3 council seat, which he won in November 2011. He resigned from council this month to pursue the city's law director position. On Wednesday, he addressed those constituents who voted him onto council. "I'm just really excited and deeply appreciative of not only the residents but city council and the administration who put their faith in me to do this job," he said. "I'm thankful for those at Black, McCuskey because I know I learned a great deal from them. This opportunity wouldn't be available but for being able to serve at a prestigious …

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On the Agenda: Appointment of Tim Fox to Law Director

Fox's resignation as Ward 3 councilman was effective Sept. 6 as he pursued the position of city law director

Tonight North Canton City Council will take a voice vote to appoint Tim Fox to the position of city law director. The possible appointment comes after Fox resigned from his North Canton City Council seat to pursue the law director job, left vacant when Hans Nilges resigned. Council will meet at 6:45 p.m. in Council Chambers for the voice vote and then proceed with its regular meeting at 7 p.m. Also on the agenda for tonight is a presentation from Councilman Mark Cerreta about Master Plan signage. Interested in what else is happening? We've got the full agenda for you in the PDFs section of this update.

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Tim Fox Resigns From Council Seat to Pursue Law Director Position

Fox's resignation is effective immediately

Ward 3 Councilman Tim Fox has resigned from his North Canton City Council seat to pursue the city's vacant law director position, the city announced today. "He is now thinking about applying to be in law director's position and in order to do that he cannot be a sitting council person," Council President Jon Snyder said. "He's a great candidate for the law director position. He's got an MBA, he's a practicing attorney. He's a very bright young man. The part I'm sad about is we lose a fabulous councilman." Fox — an attorney at Black, McCuskey, Souers & Arbaugh — was elected to the Ward 3 council seat in November 2011. He had won the seat over incumbent Jeff Davies. He told the Canton Repository Thursday that it was a tough decision …

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Appointment of City Law Director Still Up in the Air

The Personnel and Safety Committee will meet in executive session tonight to discuss the appointment of North Canton's next law director

After a round of interviews last Wednesday and Thursday, members of the city's Personnel and Safety Committee are now ready to present their thoughts about who should be the next North Canton law director. But for now, they'll do that behind closed doors. Jeff Peters, Ward 2 councilman and chairman of the Personnel and Safety Committee, said the committee will make a presentation tonight to the rest of North Canton City Council, and that meeting will be at 6 p.m. in executive session. The committee had narrowed a pool of 16 applicants down to five. "It could go pretty quick. We may ask for another round of interviews. We may make an appointment. It’s possible we may add another name," Peters said. The five in the running are: • Stephan …

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City Council Hires Former Law Director on Temporary Basis

Roy Batista appointed as interim director; council committee to begin interviews of 16 applicants for new, full-time post.

A former North Canton law director has been appointed to serve in that position again – but only on a temporary basis until the city hires its first-ever full-time law director. During a special City Council meeting Wednesday, Roy H. Batista was appointed to serve as interim law director for up to 61 days. He will be paid $120 per hour for daytime work and $90 an hour for evening meeting attendance. Council President Jon Snyder said city officials reached out to Batista to fill the gap between the resignation of part-time law director Hans Nilges, whose last day on the job was July 31, and the hiring of the city’s first full-time attorney. Batista, a North Canton resident since 1968, served as the city’s law director for more than 25 years…

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Chuck Osborne

9:38 pm on Thursday, August 2, 2012

I am glad to see that city leaders have come to the same conclusion I came to nearly two years ago. At that time, city council was re-creating an assistant Director of Law position and I urged city council to make the position of Director of Law a full-time position. I addressed this issue at two successive city council meetings (September 13 & September 27, 2010). On January 30, 2012, I argued …   more ›

City Law Director Says Goodbye at Final Council Meeting

Hans Nilges, who's been the city's law director since December 2009, attended his last North Canton City Council meeting as a city employee Monday night

Law Director Hans Nilges attended his final meeting as a North Canton city employee Monday night. Nilges, who's been law director for about two and a half years, said his goodbyes as he prepares for his final day on the job July 31. The employment attorney filed his letter of resignation June 29. "It has been a privilege and an honor to have worked with each of you. This was never something I thought, in my career, that I would end up doing. I'm still trying to figure out exactly how it happened," Nilges said with a smile. "It was a great privilege to serve the city of North Canton and I thank you for that opportunity." Council President Jon Snyder had announced Nilges' resignation at the July 2 council meeting, according to the Canton …

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North Canton Law Director Resigns

Hans Nilges stepped down as the city's law director. It was a position he's had since December 2009.

City Hires Law Firm to Handle Legal Matters

North Canton City Council met Monday night and agreed to hire Morrow & Meyer LLC to assume the duties of the city's law director, Hans Nilges. Nilges, a member of that firm, will remain law director.