By MARK TODD - Staff Writer - mtodd@starbeacon.com
CONNEAUT — A 35-year-old Conneaut man faces jail time for reportedly threatening City Manager Robert Schaumleffel Jr., after a City Council meeting last month.
David Baumgardner, 447 Underridge Road, has been charged with aggravated menacing, a first-degree misdemeanor, according to a Conneaut Municipal Court spokeswoman. The charge was filed Thursday afternoon, she said.
If found guilty, Baumgardner faces a maximum penalty of $1,000 and six months in jail.
Ashtabula City Solicitor Michael Franklin recommended the charge after reviewing a police investigation. Conneaut Law Director Lori Lamer asked Franklin to review the police report to avoid any conflict of interest.
At issue is a complaint Schaumleffel filed Aug. 20, alleging he was threatened with physical harm by an audience member after the Aug. 17 council work session. According to reports, Schaumleffel was confronted by an angry man in the corridor outside council chambers, shortly after Monday’s work session and threatened with bodily harm.
The man reportedly showed up at the meeting upset by comments Schaumleffel made during the televised meeting. Several people reportedly witnessed the confrontation, and an officer was summoned to the scene, police said.
Baumgardner is co-owner of Community Auto Center at Gateway Avenue and Route 7. In recent months, he and his wife have appeared at numerous public meetings to lobby their business for a spot on the police department’s tow list.
In early February, the business obtained zoning board approval to relocate from the downtown district to Gateway Avenue, a short distance from Interstate 90
A few days before the board’s action, Schaumleffel Jr. expressed displeasure with Community Auto’s new address, saying he felt towing-auto repair businesses shouldn’t sit at such a prominent location.
“We don’t need it at the main entrance to our community,” he said at the time.
A message left at Baumgardner’s business seeking comment was not immediately returned Thursday afternoon.
