A Message From Mayor Koons
Dear New Resident of South Russell Village,
Welcome to the neighborhood!
The Village of South Russell was established in 1922 when residents of the southern area of Russell Township separated from the township and created The Village of South Russell in order to have their children attend the Chagrin Falls Schools.
The Village of South Russell consists of four square miles extending from eastern Chagrin Falls Village to Newbury Township and from southern Russell Township to Bainbridge Township. We have over 3,800 residents living in 1,400 homes; many near or on one of the twenty-one lakes or ponds located within the village.
The village is governed by a Mayor and six members of Council, all serving four-year terms. We have seventeen full-time employees and a three million dollar budget. An earned income tax of 1.25% brings in $1.75 million and real estate taxes bring in over $1.1 million.
Regionalism enables the village to receive fire and ambulance service from Chagrin Falls Suburban Fire Department, and police dispatch service from the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office.
The village holds a yearly trash day, a paper shredding day and a Fall Festival on our 100-acre park on Bell Road. The South Russell Village Park pavilion is available on a first come, first serve basis or can be reserved in advance for $50 for residents and $100 for non-residents (reservation forms can be found online at southrussell.com). In 2015 the village opened the new South Russell Village Cemetery which is located on Chillicothe Road. The village also allows the Geauga Farmers’ Market use of the Village Hall parking lot on Saturdays from May to October.
Though the village is primarily a bedroom community, there are many businesses including doctors, restaurants, exercise studios, and much more located on East Washington Street as well as on Chillicothe Road.
We welcome you to South Russell Village – the 2015 #1 ranked suburb of Cleveland (according to a poll done by WKYC-TV3)!
Mayor William G. Koons, Ph. D.
NEW RESIDENT INFORMATION
Welcome! You now live in the Village of South Russell…not Russell…and not Chagrin Falls…and you won’t regret your choice! South Russell is a wonderful 4-square mile village in Geauga County with the perfect balance offered by a semi-rural local. The Village campus is located at 5205 Chillicothe Rd. and includes the Administrative/Finance Department in Village Hall, the Building Department, Service Department, and Police Department. To help you get settled, we hope the following information is useful.
GOVERNMENT
Council meetings are held the first and third Mondays of January – May and September – November and on the third Monday of the month in June, July, August, and December at 7:00 p.m. in Village Hall. Meetings are also streamed on YouTube. Meetings of the Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals, and the Architectural Review Board as well as Village committee meetings can be found on the calendar on the homepage of southrussell.com.
ELECTED OFFICIALS
Mayor William Koons mayor@southrussell.com
440-338-6700 ext. 224
Christopher Berger cberger@southrussell.com
Christopher Bell cbell@southrussell.com
Gerald Canton gcanton@southrussell.com
Ruth Cavanagh rcavanagh@southrussell.com
Mark Porter mporter@southrussell.com
Mary Rensel mrensel@southrussell.com
Council council@southrussell.com
440-338-6700 ext. 221
NEWS AND INFORMATION
For timely notifications of upcoming Village events, delays, storm warnings, road closures, power outages, etc., sign up for text alerts through TextMyGov:
The TextMyGov service is utilized by the Village to communicate important information. The first step is to opt in to TextMyGov by texting “South Russell” to 91896.
The Village primarily communicates through its website, southrussell.com. Important time sensitive news is posted on the homepage. Additionally, the Village can be found on Facebook (Village of South Russell).
UTILITIES
Residents are encouraged to know their utility providers and contact them in the event of service interruption. The following are a few of the main service providers in South Russell:
WATER SERVICE: The west end of the Village (including Fairview Road, Mapleridge Road, Fernwood Road, Laurel Road, Hazelwood Drive), Bell Road from the South Russell/Chagrin Falls Corporation line eastward to Laurel Road, and the business/commercial area on East Washington Street are all serviced for water by the Village of Chagrin Falls. To report issues, contact Chagrin Falls Water Department: 440-247-5050 during regular business hours, or the after-hours duty employee at the Utilities Department: 440-247-5051. Several Village developments such as Whitetail and Paw Paw Lake have their own water systems and residents should contact their HOA or Management Company if issues arise. The remainder of homes in South Russell are on private wells. Homeowners should contact their service providers in the event of well or pump failure.
SANITARY SEWERS/WASTEWATER: Most Village residents are on the Geauga County Sanitary Sewer System, which is maintained and operated by Geauga County. This system includes all homes and developments west of Bellwood Lakes to the Chagrin Falls Corporation line on Bell Road and those on Chillicothe Road. Sanitary Sewer System issues should be directed to the Geauga County Department of Water Resources 440-279-1970.
NOPEC: The Village of South Russell is a member community of NOPEC, which serves as its governmental aggregator for electricity and gas. NOPEC can be reached at 855-667-3201. If a resident does not wish to participate, it is necessary to opt out of the program. A rate comparison for both electrical and gas suppliers can be found at https://www.energychoice.ohio.gov/ApplestoApples.aspx
FIRST ENERGY: First Energy is the utility company that serves the Village of South Russell. To report a power outage, call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877) or report your outage online. In the event of a power outage, contact First Energy at the number listed above. Don’t presume it has been reported! Affected areas are prioritized by the reported number of outages. DO NOT attempt to remove downed lines because they may still be energized. Even if it is a downed phone or cable line, do not touch the wire because it may be in contact with electrical lines in another area.
ENBRIDGE GAS: Enbridge Gas is the utility company that serves the Village of South Russell. Customer service is available 7 a.m. – 7 p.m., Monday – Friday—1-800-362-7557 For emergency service, 24 hours a day—1-877-542-2630. The gas company put an additive into the natural gas that smells like rotten eggs. This is for your safety. In the event you have an appliance failure (furnace, hot water tank, dryer, fireplace gas logs) and you smell the rotten egg odor, DO NOT turn any switches on or off. Leave the premises immediately and call 911. In the event of a broken service line while doing earth excavation, contact 911 and evacuate the area.
TRASH/RECYCLING COLLECTION: It is the responsibility of the individual resident to choose and contract with a trash collection service. If you have an HOA, check to see if there is already a group rate negotiated with a particular provider. Additionally, the Geauga Trumbull Solid Waste Management District offers special trash collection events for hazardous household waste, electronics, etc. Visit startrecycling.com or call 330-675-2673 for more information.
Typically, in the spring the Village of South Russell sponsors a community Trash Day for disposal of a variety of items to include furniture, appliances, and even tires (but no yard waste, household hazardous waste, or garbage). For the Village’s senior citizens, the Geauga County Department on Aging coordinates a senior trash pick-up. Registration with the department is required (440) 279- 2130. The Village also holds a shredding day in October for disposal of sensitive documents.
SERVICES / EVENTS
BUILDING DEPARTMENT: Permits are required for many home projects in the Village. This includes, but is not limited to additions, decks, fences, garages, patios, pools, porches, and sheds. When hiring a contractor, be sure the contractor is registered with the Building Department and permits are pulled for the job. These steps serve as safeguards against potentially questionable contractors and unsatisfactory work. Lastly, don’t forget the final inspections on the permitted work! The Building Department is open Monday – Thursday from 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. and Friday 8:00 – noon. The department can be reached at 440-338-1312 or building@southrussell.com.
FINANCE DEPARTMENT: Municipal income tax is handled by the Central Collection Agency (CCA) and not RITA. All residents 18 years of age and older are required to file an annual return with CCA. Local income tax withheld by your employer does NOT fulfill your obligation to file a tax return. Retired residents are required to file the Annual Exemption Certificate each year. This form is available online through ccatax.ci.cleveland.oh.us as well as at South Russell Village Hall. Need assistance with your South Russell Municipal Tax Return? Utilize CCA’s “Prepare my Return” program by completing the “Taxpayer Assistance Form” online at ccatax.ci.cleveland.oh.us – Tax Forms. See the website for more information, forms, and electronic filing. CCA – Division of Taxation can also be reached for assistance at 216-664-2070 ext.6714.
POLICE DEPARTMENT: If you see blue lights patrolling your neighborhood, this would be the South Russell Police keeping our community safe. Through southrussell.com, residents can register pets, at-risk family members, or sign up for a vacation watch, which are all services offered by the department. The non-emergency number is 440-338-7611.
SERVICE DEPARTMENT: The Service Department maintains over 47 lane miles of roadway which includes minor road repairs, roadside berming, roadside mowing, snow and ice removal, traffic and street signage, ditches, storm sewer, and catch basin repairs. Major repairs or improvements to roadways are scheduled on a priority basis and performed annually in a yearly road program. Residents are encouraged to call with questions or concerns involving storm drainage or issues that may affect the public such as road conditions, sinkholes within the right-of-way, damaged or missing signs, streetlight outage, or questions regarding general policies. The South Russell Service Department can be reached at (440) 338-3891.
FIRE/EMS SERVICE: Fire and EMS services are provided through a contract with Chagrin Valley Fire Department. In addition to South Russell, CVFD serves Bentleyville, Chagrin Falls, Chagrin Falls Township, Hunting Valley, and Moreland Hills. Dial 911 for an emergency, or 440-247-8281 (non-emergency).
PAVILION RENTALS: For family gatherings, birthday parties, etc., the Village offers pavilion reservations in the South Russell Village Park. The pavilion rental application is available on the Parks page of southrussell.com. There is a $50 non-refundable deposit required for residents and $100 for non-residents. These reservations are handled by the Building Department 440-338-1312 or building@southrussell.com.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools, 400 East Washington St., Chagrin Falls (440) 247-5500.
VOTER REGISTRATION: South Russell is located in Geauga County. You may register to vote at the following locations:
- At any county board of elections or the Secretary of State’s Office. Geauga County Board of Elections is located at 12611 Ravenwood Dr., Suite 004, Chardon, OH 44024. Phone: (440) 279-2030. Email geauga@ohiosos.gov. Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- At any public high school or vocational school.
- At the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
- At offices of designated agencies which provide public assistance or disability programs.
- Public libraries.
- County treasurer’s office.
- Online: https://olvr.ohiosos.gov/