[Blogger foreword: If you already read this post before about noon on January 10, it has been added to and proofread. For the first time ever, when I was keyboarding this and rattling right along, in the blur of flying fingers I hit a wrong key and then another one and lost the whole thing, which was almost complete. So I started over, ran out of time for that session, and simply posted what had been done--which was to the point where Jason commented that Mr. Kirkpatrick had recommended the cover coat. Some of the most significant comments of this meeting were made in that later addition.]
Jason began Old Business with a request for Town Hall updates.
Vic reported that the gutters have been installed along with some extra straps without charging us, and the work came in for less than the estimate: $1,005, total.
Marie is still waiting for a check from the Force account for the Pioneer Trail project.
Jason reported that he and Vic had gone through the first floor with a representative from Hummel Construction; they will give us a ___ book. [Bid book?]
Another gentleman received the packet and was trying to get together with his contractors to take a look. The holidays have affected that. I have followed up with him about doing the walk-through. I will contact one other contractor tomorrow and hope to have more next week.
Vic: We had talked a couple of meetings ago about security. I have talked with a couple of people recommended by local businesses and the police department. [Vic presented photos to the other trustees.] One gentleman is proposing two different systems. One has 8 channels with 6 cameras, and then the installation cost. He also proposed the same cameras with a 16-channel system. The amounts are there: $5189 and $5403. The cameras are fairly good, with about 550 [pixel?] resolution. He also recommends a 7th camera in one area for another $150.
Both companies recommend that we get our own monitor because we can probably get it cheaper. It needs the right kind of port.
The second one has been revised as I talked with the gentleman. The pictures show where he proposes to install the cameras. Vic showed Jason various items on the bid package.
Continuing: There is quite a difference in price--one is about half as high as the other. This is in spite of both probably quoting the same cameras. Installation cost and markup.
Both seemed to know what they were talking about, but the price difference is quite a bit.
Vic, going on: Another thins is that I met with some people for pricing on the asbestos pipe in the basement and the tile on the first floor. Jason asked what Vic meant by that.
Answer: What it would cost to remove it rather than filling in with the leveling compound A lot of that [tile] is going to have to be picked up and removed, and we can not do that. It is asbestos and requires a licensed contractor. As we looked at it for the floor tile, we will probably have quite a bit in it for time and leveling compound and then how well will it adhere, or come up later? It may pay us just to remove it instead of patch over it and cover it up.
Vic passed out estimates/bids for the above work and said there is a 5% discount if we pay up front.
Jason: This is not very cheap.
Vic: If you follow through the environmental report, this is why Keith recommended removing the pipe. The cost may go up later. There are filing and other fees.
Jason: I think a while ago, Littleton Kirkpatrick recommended the cover coat. Maybe he can take a look at it and tell us whether it is bad enough to be done.
Vic: It is under $3,000--$2925. There is a savings between the two of $1700.
Vic, continuing: I think in the long run it would pay us to remove it. That way if you want to put something down in the main hallway you could, we would not be just covering something up. [Blogger: I believe the amount quoted was from EnviroTech.]
Vic: I would like to see us put money away for these two items if we can, this year.
Jason: I think there is $15,000 plus or minus a few hundred in the school fund.
Vic: When you look at their website [EPA? Not sure--blogger], only two people come up. EnviroTech is very big in this and especially in New York state. There it would probably cost us five times this much.
The gentleman from Heppa (sp?) was recommended by Keith. In the basement it would be about 500+ square feet. I would like to see us do that and we would have a very clean building.
Jason: As far as the pipe is concerned, I think we should do that. [Blogger: But no motion was made.] But for the tile, when Littleton Kirkpatrick looked at it he recommended just the skim/filler coat. If he feels it would hold OK, it would save us almost $2,000.
Vic: I am not worried about the skim coat, but just how much will come up later.
John Festa: I am more interested in seeing everything put into a larger package.
Vic: Why would we want to pay someone to hire these companies like a general contractor when we can hire this for ourselves?
John Festa: I was under the impression that we were going to do this as a total package--I thought that was the whole idea. [Blogger: If I remember previous meetings correctly, the total package was John's idea, and Jason's consistent approach was not to piecemeal the project but to determine what the whole thing looks like and then to do it in stages. Well, I hope that's his approach. He did mention "stages" or "phases" in one meeting.]
Vic: Are we going to do a total package on this building [the Township Hall]? We have been doing this [one] part by part.
John Festa: I still am putting together my figures. I would like to see our whole package, not something here and something there.
Jason: I can not vote on this until I hear what contractors say about the tile removal. As far as the pipe is concerned, Keith recommended that and I am willing to go along with it. I don't know how bad it is.
The $990 to remove that is the only part I can see approving.
Vic: You have the figures.
Continuing: Do you want to do anything on the security system?
Jason: I think we should. I don't know the correct order of business on that. We can put this in the larger package and see what we come up with. $700 seems like a pretty good quote. [Blogger: I did not see any of the papers Vic gave the other two trustees, so I do not know what all the numbers are or where they came from. This number is what is in my notes.]
Vic: He would be willing to come out and talk with us.
Jason asked for other old business.
John Festa: A couple of things. Concerning the [school] building, I spoke with Windstream and they informed me there is no problem with moving the 995 [Township] phone line to that building and another agent who said the same thing.
Marie: The service guy told me flat out that they do not service the building. I wanted to keep that number at home so I can get calls at home when I am not in the office at the school.
John Festa: We can keep the old number if we so decide.
Marie: They did say they would service the building?
Answer: Yes.
Jason: I think that the preferable scenario is to have the 995 number ring at your office and set up call forwarding to another number.
Marie: I had that set up and the guy was ready to come out and he called me and said they did not service the building.
John Festa: The second thing is, Marie, you have the two offices [the ones used by the Fiscal Officer] locked. Is there any way I can get a set of keys?
Marie: Not to my office.
John Festa: I don't have a key for either of them.
Marie: I can give you a key for the copy room.
John Festa then asked Vic about having asked for a pin # for the heat control 8 weeks ago.
Vic corrected that time frame (it wasn't 8 weeks) and said he would give the number to John Festa.
At this point, it was 8:40 and Public Comment could begin. That will be a separate post--but I recommend that you read the above account of the meeting attentively. The footwork both in this post and in the one to come is telling, especially regarding the keys to the Fiscal Officer's office..
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.
