This was still under old business.
Jason to Vic: The Center school.
Vic: At the last meeting we had quite a bit of discussion about working in the west room. I have talked to Cal Brant and Ronnie Stamm to get an estimate of what it would take for that room. All three bids did not break it down room by room.
Step one would be clean up. In June a letter was faxed to us regarding that office. [The intended office of the fiscal officer.] Randy Roberts (Portage Co. Building Department head) said we do not need a change of occupancy. All we need is a $50 permit just for putting up the wall, which has no electricity in it. It is a permit to work in the building. [Blogger: The wall is to separate records storage from the rest of the office and will be on the north end of the room.]
Vic, continuing: As I followed through on it it states that it refers to various drawings. [Blogger: I do not know for sure what the "it" refers to.] Randy Roberts said they only need basic information--where the door is, which way it swings, and the fittings on it.
I would like to go ahead and proceed with that--get the drawings. I will probably have to talk with you, Jason, about the spec sheet. We need specifics. I want to proceed with the $50 permit. Do we need a motion?
Jason: I don't think so.
Vic: That is our first step. We had discussion on the tile floor and the mastic. I called HEPA about the quote given in September. I wanted to see about removing the tile and mastic in the hall because his quote included the pipe in the basement. He will hold his price for the tile and mastic.
I talked with Ronnie Stamm and Cal Brant to see if they can come up with an idea for the kind of money to do it. I will have to sit down with both of them. They came up with $8,000 to $9,000. I will have to see if we can hold the price down working with volunteers.
{Blogger: When Vic gave the price, a voice behind me muttered audibly, "Jesus Christ." The comment came from the same corner of the room as exhortations at a previous meeting to "Do it right."]
Vic, continuing: The quote from Bob Gatto [for light fixtures] is from August and was based on a certain quantity, but he will hold his price for 8-9 fixtures.
You [to Jason] asked if I would oversee it. I will need some clarification from the two of you. I think we should move forward and the first thing would be the permit and the next thing is to remove that tile. That way it is out of there and the floor would be clean.
I talked to Ronnie Stamm about his disclaimer about paperwork for the area. The environmental report should be fine for him to look at but if the tile and glue is removed he is OK. All three quotes are merely asking to know that the materials have been removed. Everybody is willing to maintain their prices for us.
[Blogger: At a previous meeting--maybe the one for 3-7-13--John Festa read through a whole list of contractors' disclaimers as if each was refusing to do any work in the building. The bold-faced sentence above addresses that objection.]
Jason: I would just say, speaking only for myself, that if we move forward it will show the residents that we really do need this building. I think we need to get the room stabilized and get the documents in there as a permanent location and get an office in there that Marie can be satisfied with. It is handy to have the copy room there. The guys go there to copy things. It is handy to have a centralized place to do business. We will see value right away at small cost.
[Blogger: I honestly do not understand why this was not obvious three years ago on a walk through to "try on" the building's use. However, it has apparently become clear, for which many people will be glad. Certainly Marie is.]
Vic: He can get on to removing the tile and mastic in two weeks.
Jason: This is just the west room?
Vic: The west room and the main hallway.
Jason: I would like to see the cost before I can personally approve it and would like to see it by next week [meeting?].
Vic: That is why I want to see the spec sheet. Cal Brant did not actually get a walk through and that is why his quote was stated the way it was. And I need some clarification on it.
Jason: Why not move forward with the permit and if you have figures for us and we stay within that range . . . .
Vic: There are some areas I want to follow up on. Lead paint in commercial areas is very vague. [The word Vic actually used was "gray."] All references to lead are to home owners and children. I would like to get some sketches and the permit and proceed.
Do you want to approve the money for the mastic?
Jason agreed.
Vic: Let me get the actual quote. Then: Permit, $50 plus 3%; the work is termed minor repair.
Tile, $1170 plus $765 to remove the mastic. Total: $1935. [The quote is from HEPA Environmental Services.]
Jason: If they hold those prices . . . .
Vic: I would like to make a motion to hire HEPA to remove the main floor hallway tile and mastic, not to exceed $2.000.
Jason: Second.
Vote: John Festa: Not ready to accept it right now. Abstain.
Jason: Yes.
Vic: Yes.
Town Hall Updates
John Festa: Nothing yet. Still working on it. I should have something next time.
Vic: At the last meeting I said I had a phone number. This is a business from Lakewood--Marco Zoek.
I explained about the problem with the pain on the Town Hall. He asked a bunch of questions and basically described our building.
How old is the paint? Applied 2000-2001.
Reply: 8 years out of latex is pretty good.
Vic: It is peeling the old paint right to the wood.
MZ : Do you have a crawl space? A: Dirt.
Q: Is it under the whole building? A: No, half.
Vic: I asked him what he is certified in. He asked all kinds of questions. [Blogger: Mr. Zoek is apparently certified in everything relevant to our building.] I asked what he would charge for an evaluation. It would take 5 hours and cost $395. Writing the report would come to between $100 and $150. He would want to be in the attic and basement to take moisture readings.
Jason: What does he think he will be able to provide us?
Vic: To make recommendations about what is causing the problem.
Jason: What is his expertise?
Vic: He is certified for all kinds of things: Moisture control. Lead paint. Asbestos. HVAC consultant.
Vic gave Jason and John Festa the number.
Jason asked if there was any other old business.
John Festa: Kelly from Frank Gates (about Workers Comp) can not make it on the 15th. The revised date is May 2. She would like to receive any questions in advance. I myself asked her to give us some pointers on what we have going here for Workers Comp. Let me know a couple of weeks before then and she will bring that information to the meeting with her. She will be here at 7:30.
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.
