Foreword: Since the blog is not a transcript (I am not a court/conference reporter with a nifty little machine) and since my goal is to put the pieces together, this is the second set of posts juxtaposing Trustees' commentary and business with related Public Comment. The official record of any meeting is in the minutes, available on request from the Township Fiscal Officer. The Township is moving towards an official .gov website, but at present, despite appearances, there is NO official Mantua Township website.
The meeting began with a presentation from the OTCO representative, Cecil, showing the GIS mapping of various features of the township: culverts, road signs, catch basins, and the Township's one manhole. Since an intern was used for much of the work, the cost was minimal, compared with what an engineering firm would have charged. The benefit of having this done is that it should save the road department time in locating where work may have to be done; the computer map can be accessed to determine locations of items.
After some questions and answers, Jason recessed the meeting for long enough for Cecil to pack the equipment and take his leave. The meeting resumed at 8:07.
Marie gave the financial report and correspondence regarding Round 27, grant applications for paving.
Marie also gave the Trustees a letter requesting a change in venue and read the letter into the public record. Its complete text follows.
April 19, 2012
Mantua Township Trustees
Jason Carlton
John Festa
Victor Grimm
Dear Trustees,
For several years I have worked out of my house, providing space, electricity, and security for Mantua Township records. The space used has been housed in my personal business office, and is taking up increasingly more space. I am also concerned because the copier and several boxes of records are stored within 1-2 fee of a space heater. There is no more space in this office for these records.
Because I need to make repairs in my office, and because my own space needs are becoming increasingly more difficult to fill, I am requesting that the township provide me office space in the Mantua Center School. This building was purchased years ago to serve the township as an administration building, and I would like to see this happen, beginning with moving my office to that facility.
I would like to have this move completed before July 1, 2012.
Marie Stehli
Fiscal Officer
With neither acknowledgment nor comment, Jason announced that, also as part of the correspondence, they had the annual bridge report.
Next was discussion about finances--the cemetery operating supplies were getting tight, and Jason wanted to move $1,000 from operating costs into the cemetery [fund].
Vic asked what fund the money could come out of. Answer: Contracted services.
Marie said that because the rubber mats to protect the cemetery lawn during grave digging had come out of the operating supplies, that account/fund was now down to $193. [Note: Approximately $2500 had been approved by the trustees for those mats.] Marie continued, saying that most of what had been used out of that fund was for lawn care. The motion to move the money was made, seconded, and passed.
Zoning came next. Lynn Harvey, Chairperson of the Zoning Commission, reported that the Zoning Commission and the Land Use Committee had met the previous week (April 12) for an update on what had been done with the re-write of the zoning book. It will be a while before we get back with everyone.
Lynn: Are we still having an All Boards meeting? [Blogger: The reason for this question will become clear later in this group of posts.]
Marie: I have letters in the car and will give them to people who are here and then mail them.
Note: That meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 26, at 7 p.m. in the Township Hall.
Lynn, continuing: Since the office space issue came up, if that works for Marie, could we do the same thing for Zoning? We have been promised that. Maybe the computer and files could be there. We would like to get in on that deal if that could be accomplished as well.
Jason (I believe--blogger): Anything else?
Vic: There was a letter we received about the All Boards meeting and the Land Use Committee.
To the other trustees: Do you want to discuss that at this time?
Jason: It's up to you. We all received the same e-mail. I did not have it as a discussion topic, but if you want to discuss it we can.
Vic: Sorted through his packet and then said, I will have to locate it. Maybe we will discuss it under new business.
About This Blog
The purpose of this blog is to give an accurate account of what is said during Public Comment at Mantua Township Trustees meetings.
Trustees' decisions are in the official minutes, available on request from the Mantua Township Fiscal Officer, Jodi Thompson, at 330-274-8443. The Township charges 10 cents per page. FAX, 330-274-8447. E-mail, fiscalofficer@mantuatownshipohio.gov. The minutes are also posted on the website after they have been approved. That means that there is usually a two-week lag between a given meeting and the minutes being available to read on the website.
Since meetings are the first and third Thursdays of the month, there is a three-week wait during months with five Thursdays.
Other items of interest or the writer's opinions will be included from time to time, clearly identified.
This is not a forum or chat room, but a source of information, so it is closed to outside input.
During the time I have been doing the blog, the posts have expanded to become very detailed accounts of the meetings. Doing that is time consuming, to say the least, and I am going to try to return to the public comment focus, with background and perspective (and the occasional pointed editorial comment). Such additions are usually enclosed in brackets. However, since some extended accounts of the meetings reveal significant things--and character--better than I could by commenting, there will probably still be a fair amount of semi-transcript. (Sigh.)
My thanks to the readers who have found the blog, and to the ones who from time to time tell me that they value it. You have encouraged me when the tedious work of keyboarding has made me wonder why I am doing this. Then you have reminded me, and I am grateful.
Trustees' decisions are in the official minutes, available on request from the Mantua Township Fiscal Officer, Jodi Thompson, at 330-274-8443. The Township charges 10 cents per page. FAX, 330-274-8447. E-mail, fiscalofficer@mantuatownshipohio.gov. The minutes are also posted on the website after they have been approved. That means that there is usually a two-week lag between a given meeting and the minutes being available to read on the website.
Since meetings are the first and third Thursdays of the month, there is a three-week wait during months with five Thursdays.
Other items of interest or the writer's opinions will be included from time to time, clearly identified.
This is not a forum or chat room, but a source of information, so it is closed to outside input.
During the time I have been doing the blog, the posts have expanded to become very detailed accounts of the meetings. Doing that is time consuming, to say the least, and I am going to try to return to the public comment focus, with background and perspective (and the occasional pointed editorial comment). Such additions are usually enclosed in brackets. However, since some extended accounts of the meetings reveal significant things--and character--better than I could by commenting, there will probably still be a fair amount of semi-transcript. (Sigh.)
My thanks to the readers who have found the blog, and to the ones who from time to time tell me that they value it. You have encouraged me when the tedious work of keyboarding has made me wonder why I am doing this. Then you have reminded me, and I am grateful.
Principles
Two ideas guide and support me:
The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.
______Attributed to Edmund Burke
GOOD PREVAILS.
Those ideas are also the reason I have been doing the blog since late February 2011.
I have discovered that a transcript is almost impossible to do and that verbatim accounts are usually not absolutely necessary. When in doubt, I check against a recording.
The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.
______Attributed to Edmund Burke
GOOD PREVAILS.
Those ideas are also the reason I have been doing the blog since late February 2011.
I have discovered that a transcript is almost impossible to do and that verbatim accounts are usually not absolutely necessary. When in doubt, I check against a recording.
