About minutes on the Township website: I do not know whether this problem has been fixed yet, but I was in the Fiscal Officer's office in the Administrative Building when Marie tried to post a set of minutes. She tried two or three times with no success: everything looked like "Go" until she clicked on the last command, and then something refused to work. So right now, anyone who wants the official minutes will still have to request them (unless somehow the problem has been fixed..
Toner for the copier having run out, there was no correspondence book to view. Jason announced that the 2012 Annual Report from Regional Planning had arrived.
Jason also announced that Brenda Wieclaw, manager of Robin Park, had requested that those properties be removed from the land bank list.
Zoning: Vic reported on a BZA hearing, Tierney Bryant's first as Zoning Inspector. The hearing was about a variance. Tierney presented the denials on the requested split. After much discussion, the split was approved. There will be another hearing.
Jason then announced that Frank Horack had asked if he could do a bit of presentation on the veterans' memorial, and Frank introduced himself as the spokesperson for a group called the Mantua Veterans' Memorial Association.
Frank: A couple of years ago, the trustees wanted to put a memorial in the bull pen by the flagpole. [Blogger: I am not sure that the trustees wanted to do this, or at least I am not sure that they initiated it--and I could be remembering it wrong--but it got a fair amount of discussion at the beginning of Jason's term.]
There was a safety issue with people parking at the Civic Center having to cross the [Center] road. Furthermore, people in wheel chairs face a safety issue.
The Veterans' Memorial Association looked at another site for where they would like to put it. They came up with a plot on Mantua Center Road and SR 82. It is approximately south of the cannon and southeast of the water pump. There would be a little angled sidewalk so that two wheel chairs could pass all the way to the parking lot.
I have some information on that
The proposal is for 6 memorials, one for each branch of service and a bigger one for the MIA.
We need approval from the trustees and no cost to the township. We will take donations and have some verbal commitments. Another site was picked ten feet off the parking lot, but we thought no one would see it from the road. We have one little problem--one tree is in the way. There is about a two-foot hole in the top and bottom and a small one in the middle. No sap buckets are on this tree.
There is presently a driveway marker in the ground that would show the location. If there are any questions, I would be happy to answer them. We were planning to put up a flagpole and would need lights as well. We would need permission to trench for this.
We have someone on the committee looking for grants. There is a grant available for township parks. [Frank gave a handout to the trustees showing the grants that had been awarded in Portage County.]
There are matching funds required, of course. [Blogger's italics. Frank's said just above that there was no cost to the township.]
Continuing, Frank said that the deadline is May 1 and that it is a big project.
Vic: I have some information on that. When we had that surveyed, the driveway [of the house on the west side of the bullpen] is township property. There is electrical service over there already. One of the issues was parking here and crossing and that is when we had it surveyed for access. That area at the bullpen has been surveyed.
Frank: That information was not available to the group. [Blogger: Maybe. This was a serious enough topic for enough meetings that it seems as if anyone interested would have learned all of it at the time.]
Vic: It has been surveyed and the old part of that road is township property.
Frank: Bud Foster was involved with that years ago and the project was dropped with a problem with the Historical Society.
Vic: There is electric running from that pole and the area has been surveyed.
Frank: That is a bigger issue now because the township is growing.
Vic: That is when we found out that they can park there.
Frank announced that there is a meeting set up at 4568 Winchell Road (Frank's place).
Vic: Part of that old barn [across from the bull pen area] is actually on township property.
Frank: Thank you. I will bring it to the committee on Tuesday. I would like it if the trustees or someone would let me know. [Blogger: OK, this is what my notes have. I am not sure now what Frank wanted to be let know about.]
John Festa: I am all in favor of a memorial for soldiers and hope it goes well if the plan is what the trustees accept. I think it is a great idea, and thank you.
Frank: We should have a lazyon or however you say it. [I think it was Jason who supplied "liaison.".] We are looking into a non profit number which is a 6-8 month deal. Or go through another organization that has one or go through the trustees.
Jason: It sounds like the Veterans' Memorial Association has thought about this for quite a while. When I was first elected it was presented to the board and [I(?)] thought the township could benefit from honoring different groups and veterans. I think it would be great to pick something like this back up. Do you have a timeline?
Frank: Our group is pretty mixed on the timeline. They think they could begin and get it done this year, but that is not going to happen. The biggest thing against it of course is money.
To Marie: Can a fund be set up for this to accept donations?
Marie: It can be done.
Frank: It is their decision, not mine. I will relay the message to them. There is another non profit which has agreed for us to piggy back on them. We will need more volunteers and money. We do not want volunteers that just sit and give advice. [Blogger: This is just a suggestion: Follow the word "money" through this discussion of the Veterans' Memorial.]
Jason: Hopefully we can take a look at that. We have access to Regional Planning. If we can use hours that are paid for from Regional Planning, we can use it as an extension of our office. I might be able to ask them if we can apply for this, and work with them to see if it is a possibility.
To Vic: Any other comment?
Vic: I will try to follow up on this. You are looking to light the area?
Frank: We are looking for four bulbs.
Vic: Cost?
Frank: $15,000-$20,000. That is a turnkey if we hire everything out. We have a lot of volunteers who have said various things but we are at a standstill now.
Roads, Brian Tayerle: Cutting things on Pioneer Trail. We started on the roadside mower, taking the boom [?]off to get it ready to have the clutch put in.
The mini excavator: There has been talk about it and I have 6 quotes. That is what it is and it can only go up from there. It would be nice to demo a machine before we look at it, but we are going to have to look at a trailer before we get it.
The two that stuck out were the Bobcat and the Case.
Jason: You have looked at these?
Brian: The rep said he would come up and talk at a meeting. [Blogger: Somewhere in here, Brian took all of the paperwork up front to Jason.]
Jason: State bid is really a huge discount.
Brian: 20%-25% off.
Jason: We are looking at $50,000-$60,000 at state bid price?
Brian: That is with all the options we would like to have.
Jason: Which machine would you like to demo?
Brian: The Bobcat. It is a little cheaper.
Jason: Is it something they would be willing to demo out?
Brian: They would drop it off and we would have to leave it in someone's yard.
Jason: Maybe we can rent the trailer for the duration of the demo.
John Festa; Brian, have you talked to the Bobcat rep? Would he be willing to come too? Would you ask him?
Brian: Of all the machines, those two stick out. The Komatsu is nice but is big money. Even with the government discount, one of those other machines is $66,000.
John Festa: Thanks for doing the legwork.
Jason: Also if you think of the ditching projects and lined up a couple of projects it would be possible to try it out.
Brian: We thought we could use it on Old Frost to widen it. Work needs to be done to keep the road nice. You can grade it all you want but the berms need to be cut to keep the water off.
Club and Committee Reports
Sue Skrovan, Garden Club: We met on Wednesday in the Town Hall and amended the by-laws and constitution. We discussed classes attended at Lakeland Community College and also discussed beginning to separate plants in a plot to prepare for our sale in June. Sue asked for donations from other members or residents who are thinning their gardens.
LCA: Nothing to report.
Chamber of Commerce, John Festa: A couple of things. Mantua Village is looking forward to being released from fiscal watch by the state. Their sidewalk and sewer project is moving forward. Shalersville is doing spring cleanup the first Friday and Saturday in March. Then he was corrected: It is the first Friday and Saturday in May.
Trustees' Reports and New Business came next. They will be in a subsequent post.
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.
