Foreword: First, you will quickly see why this post is titled as it is. Phil was dead on in his comments. What I want people to understand is that Phil is among those who is dismissed as of no consequence by the present "regime" and their supporters/managers.
Second, this post has now been proofread. When I posted it, there was just time to keyboard it and get out the door to an appointment.
First in Public Comment, Carole Pollard, Allyn Road, Mark Hall and Matt Parsons having left..
CP: This got lost in the flurry at the last meeting. The members of the Mantua Restoration Society appreciated the fact that all three trustees came to the annual meeting and had a chance to hear Steve Coon first hand. We have gotten videos of the presentation which are available for download so more people can [get that information].
Continuing: The next thing I have at first does not sound like township business, but it is. I got a phone call yesterday afternoon from Dawn Pechman wanting to talk about the state of the township. I stonewalled that and refused to do anything that could be construed as an alliance with me [on her part]. If I want to discuss township business I will continue to bring it to meetings and put it in my blog. I am not connected with her in any way and I do not support what she does. I want that on record that there is no connection there.
Finally, Jason, this meeting sounds hopeful. Some time ago I told you that I would be a champion if you kept the public statements you made in your first election campaign. The first was to work to get us into the school and the second was to hold yourself accountable. If you do that, I can tell you I will support you and I think after all this time it is clear that I am better as a supporter than a challenger. It would certainly be more comfortable for both of us.
Phil Derthick, S.R. 82: Phil began by apologizing to John Festa for losing his patience at the last meeting.
I thought I addressed Todd Peetz when he answered the question.
The other question I have is, after I got home I got a call wanting to know about the change in the zoning for agricultural buildings. When I investigated and got hold of the paperwork, one of the first questions I have is if I want to put up a building, do I need to apply and live by those guidelines? You are telling me, either from you folks or the zoning inspector, the paper you asked people to sign for putting up an agricultural building [tells me] I can't put a load of hay on a truck and put it into the building. And someone who is taking stuff to a farm market can't put his truck into the building and lock it to protect it.
[Blogger: I will get a copy of that paper, which John Dickey brought to a previous trustees' meeting and which Vic described as outside of our zoning resolution and also not within the O.R.C.]
Jason: Jason tried to put it on the zoning commission.
PD: Where does it say this in the ORC? In the paper that one person signed, it says that if someone did that, the township can come and bulldoze down t he building. From being on the zoning commission, it states that I am exempt. [For anyone outside the township or unfamiliar, Phil and his family have farmed on the same land for over 200 years now.]
John Vechery [past zoning inspector for 30 years] always said that it was [exempt?] to him, so he knew.
I took this to my attorney. He has been a trustee with experience in zoning. He called the prosecutor. Chris Meduri said, "I told him it wouldn't work" --that it wouldn't hold water." Do I have to get a letter to [from?] Chris Meduri explaining? Do I need to have an attorney come and explain that to you?
Jason: I don't know any of the specifics. If I were putting up an agricultural building and tell him I am exempt, if he has questions and you don't agree, ask him to put it in writing. Put your interpretation in writing.
PD: The person I talked to said he had to sign the paper. You better know what your employees are doing. What I got from Chad and Chris Meduri is that it is not legal. Read the ORC and your own code. [Blogger's boldface.]
I will go to Chris Meduri and get a letter stating that John Dickey's opinion of it is not legal. The people of this township have voted twice to remain with a rural base and scenic views. If you are going to step on everybody's toes who is trying to produce food locally. . . .
Jason: You have said yes.
Phil: You are the chairman.
Jason: This is the first time I have heard of it.
Phil: This isn't the first time.
Jason: This is something I haven't heard about. I have no idea what you are talking about.
[Blogger: That statement was met with quite a bit of laughter from everyone who had been at the meeting when this was introduced and discussed.]
John Festa to Phil: I don't think the agricultural problem is with you. I don't think his letter had anything to do with the legitimate ___. There was an incident where someone wanted this into the township because they owned a piece of property, but is not a farmer.
He explained further and said, Obviously there is a misinterpretation of the code.
[Blogger: Here is my inference from this remark: Codes will not be enforced uniformly. Some people will get a wink and a nod, and others will get papers served on them.]
Phil: Someone needs to explain to John Dickey that the paper he is asking people to sign . . . .
Blogger: Both Jason and John Festa claimed no knowledge of the paper in question.
Phil: I will check with Chris Meduri myself and will get a copy of this from John Dickey.
John Festa: To be fair to John Dickey, he and I met with Chris Meduri and Chris said John had a pretty good grasp of it.
Phil Derthick and Dave Pollard both objected to that statement.
[Blogger: So, after claiming stoutly that they knew nothing about this matter, Jason delivered a small disquisition (see below) on the reasoning behind it, and John Festa stated that he and John Dickey had actually discussed the issue with Chris Meduri. So much for Jason being accountable. The word sounds nice in a campaign pamphlet.]
Phil: We have lived in this township for a good many years and we have not had a problem.
Jason: The issue becomes the people who are blocking [?] the spirit of agriculture. That is where those guidelines have to come in. [Suddenly, Jason regained an understanding of the situation.] John Dickey handled the situation. This has been a problem in the county for a long time. People have been claiming agriculture without actually doing agriculture.
Phil: The person who wants to put up the building has a daughter who is involved in agriculture. He wanted the building so he can repair the equipment she is going to use in that building rather than drive clear down there. [The daughter lives some distance from here.] It has not been a problem, and if you enforce that paper the way it is written, I can not put up a building and put a vehicle in it that is licensed. You either have to get a paper straightened out so it is legal, because if it is not legal and you go to court, at the next election, people may take a dim view of the people who are working for the trustees.
Vic: I think it comes down to having to look at the ORC. They have it specific that if it is over 5 acres, they don't have much control. If it is under 5 acres, then there is some control.
Marie Stehli to the trustees: John Dickey gave you the paperwork, but you never approved it.
Phil: So it is worthless.
Marie: Yes.
Dave Pollard, S.R. 82: On my property at Old Frost there is almost a double fence row. You can see a row of post stumps. I always figured that the west fence row marks the west side of the right of way. Most of the widening is going to have to go to the west so you will have a good road base, among other things.
On the explosive targets: There should not be a shock wave going clear to Jim Aldrich's. If you talk to them you should be able to get them to locate the targets against a cut bank and if it is facing north, the shock wave should not reach Quail Crest. When I hear someone on Chamberlin Road firing full automatic I have no idea what their back stop is. You would be amazed at how many of those rounds go clear through the woods. I am basically downrange.
I sat upon the zoning commission at the meeting when your zoning inspector was informed about this. Section 600 [of the zoning resolution] says that agriculture is exempt. Mr. Festa, you mow your lawn with a farm tractor. Farm tractors have larger tires, a PTO shaft, and 3-point hitch. Same as your big White or Minneapolis Moline, Jason. There is more horsepower used to mow lawns than to produce food in World War II. You can put a loader on them. They are little farm tractors. A lot of successful farm operations are on 5 acres or less. Going forward, you need to keep these things in mind and tell your zoning inspector again that agricultural buildings are exempt. He can not tell people they can not have electricity [in those buildings.]
Jason: He is going by the book. [And does Jason know that, or is this an act of faith?]
Dave: He is picking and choosing: I watched him.
Steve Zelinski, S.R. 82: For advertising for rentals, the newsletter and website. Some flyers might help. Going back to the school--now we are going to the school--what would it be like over there? [This was a reference to heat in the summer, I believe.]
Marie: It is nice and cool.
Steve: It won't be cool at 90 degrees. I think you should have a cost analysis. It is going to cost $1.2 million [for air conditioning.]
[Blogger: No, Steve, that was approximately the total cost of bringing the whole building up to current code for use as a school building. John Festa cited that repeatedly until he got browbeaten by your faithful blogger that (a) the building is no longer being used as a school building and (b) that analysis is therefore out of date and irrelevant. But that's the way Larry's boys work: keep bringing up awful sounding things whether they apply or not. And people believe the horror stories instead of learning anything factual.]
Vic: That is why the groups are being set up.
Motion to pay the bills.
[Blogger: One more thing on the groups: On one side of his mouth, John Festa supports them. On the other side, he wants the trustees to set them up. Now why do you think he wants to do that? Look at his record on the issue, and look at who gives him his marching orders. Does any sane person want a fox guarding his chickens? Or Bernie Madoff handling his money?]
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.
