School Use Committees--Your Chance

Foreword:  The following ad appeared in the Sunday, June 29, 2014 Record Courier.  The blog format does not permit me to lay it out exactly as in the paper, but the text is complete.  The editor of the Record Courier has given me permission to reprint whatever appears in the paper so long as the paper receives credit. 

Legal Notice
Mantua Township

The Mantua Township Trustees are requesting letters of  interest from community minded individuals and professionals to volunteer for committees created to define and support the continued and future use of the Mantua Administration Center (also known as the Mantua Center School).

The initial committees are:

• Building and Grounds Needs Assessment

• Funding (Grants-Foundations, etc.)

• Volunteers, Sponsors, & Resources

• Building Utilization 

Letters of interest should be postmarked no later than July 29, 2014.  Any questions pertaining to the committees, please contact 330-274-2850.

Mail letters of interest to:

Building Committees
c/o Mantua Township Trustees
11611 Mantua Center Road
Mantua, OH 44255

By Order of the Mantua Township Trustees
Victor W. Grimm, Trustee

RC 6-29, 7-9 & 20-14, #11806543 


Blogger:  This is the chance for anyone who wants us to keep and to use the school to take part in determining how the township should do that.  This is the chance to make a positive statement about the school building.
   

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Trustees 6-19-14: Public Comment; Much Snark

Public Comment began after the regular session was convened at 9:05 p.m.

Blogger Note:  I have come back to this post and made some changes that clarify the discussion between Mark Hall and John Festa.  They are in italics to be distinguished from the original post and not for any kind  of emphasis.

Mark Hall, Loris Avenue:  In reference to the camera.  If at all possible, run lower voltage to it.  [Blogger:  Mark gave the technical reasons for doing that.  I did not follow that but will check on it and if necessary or reasonable will add that information.
I asked Mark about this.  The lower voltage wire is thinner and can be contained in a smaller and therefore less obtrusive wire molding.  Mark also mentioned something about the trustees using the camera.]

John Festa:  If the Zoning Commission wants to use it, everyone else can use it.

Mark again suggested low voltage wiring.

John Festa argued with that suggestion and went into some physical details about how it would be done, arguing in part that the low voltage wire would not be long enough.

Mark  explained how that could be dealt with and also made a comment about being interested in keeping with the appearance of the building.

[Blogger:  The last sentence first.  The camera that John Festa wants to install is going to be mounted on one of the posts ("poles," in Trustee Festa's parlance) in the hall.  I am not sure exactly how that is going to be done, and apparently Mark is not either.  Since one suggestion for the outside of the building was vinyl and another was something like truck bed liner, it should not be surprising that there is concern about how carefully this camera installation might be done.
Next:  For everyone's information, Mark has a bachelor's degree in electronic  engineering technology and spends his whole workday on a computer in quality assurance/engineering applications.  He knows what he is talking about.  Trustee Festa, however, seems most to doubt the people who are best qualified.  He took issue with the asbestos report that was made when the restoration society paid to remove some incorrect pipe insulation, and I listened to him tell our insurance agent that no one buys a certain kind of policy even though the agent said--twice--that he sells exactly that type.  Who knows better what people buy?
Regardless of expertise and qualifications, anyone who says something that John Festa does not want to hear gets dismissed out of hand, usually with some degree of scorn.]

This is where the blog has to stop for this sitting--there was a planned interruption that  I expected to take five minutes that took nearly an hour, and I'm done for today.

Resuming:  

Carole Pollard, Allyn Road:  Since I wear at least 3 or 4 hats, one of them has to do with the Mantua Village Landmarks Commission, which is involved with historic preservation.  This is a building on the National Register.  No changes may be made to the exterior of the building in materials, color, design, proportions, and I think that the ability to gain grant money for certain necessary or useful things would be affected by damaging--it would be seen as damage to the building that a metal door will interfere with its authenticity.
I understand that with scraping for money the way it has been necessary to do, that metal door sounds pretty attractive.  The Mantua Historical Society and The Mantua Restoration Society, Inc., have been talking with each other about the possibility of sharing the cost of the custom wooden door with the trustees.  I wanted to mention that before you sort of box yourselves thinking that you have to do the least expensive thing.  If we shared it properly, it would be a little more than a metal door but it would be appropriate for the building.  I don't care that it is on the back of the building--people would notice it. 
It would say that you are good stewards of what is basically a treasure.

Steve Zelinski, S.R. 82:  Steve commended the road crew for patching on  Mantua Center Road.  It is not taking out the tires any more.

Dave Pollard, S.R. 82:  I would like to go back to my comments at the last meeting, which I over condensed.  When I mentioned that some attitudes lead to excesses, I did not mean to imply that you are doing that.  I was referring to the complacency that "It can't happen here."  That leads to the excesses.  Historically the excesses have always happened in places where people think it can't happen here.

 The last thing I want to say on the subject is that the whole question of who is a farmer and who can access government help was addressed in the 1970's when I was a community committeeman in the extension service.  If you had a 20' x 40' building and were raising worms in there, you were a farmer.

I also agree that I favor the wooden door which can be cut to your specs.  The [present] wooden door has stood the building in good stead for 170 years.  A steel door would not by any stretch of the imagination improve the fire proof quality of the building.
[Blogger:  Garrettsville stands as a cautionary tale about what fire does to wooden buildings.  Furthermore, the gas lines enter the building right behind the trustees, and I think that the furnace is right under them.  The building's footprint is not very big, either.   In the event of a disaster, we would all be crispy critters in a heartbeat--but, by gum, that metal door might be standing at the end of it all.]

Dawn Pechman, S.R. 82:  John, I just heard you say that if they want to use it for the video, can't you decide that everyone will use it?

John Festa:  We will record all trustees' meetings.  I can't speak for other departments.  I would ask them to consider it.

Then Dawn referred to the old zoning meeting--something like 7 years ago--when the Zoning Commission shut down the audio recording of the meeting.
[Blogger:  What she never says in such comments is the role that she played in what happened.  I have observed her for long enough to have concluded that Dawn believes that she can say or do or demand whatever she wants, as often as she wants, and the people elected to serve us have to put up with it because they were elected to serve us and because the records laws favor the requester.   That bias is exactly what keeps government cleaner here than in other places in the world--but that bias can be used to abuse and harass people who have done nothing wrong except not please an unreasonable person.]

Dawn, continuing:  As far as the door is concerned, I would suggest not partnering with any other organization because that is why your free paint job is going to cost you $15,000.

[I said, only partly under my breath, "Blatant misrepresentation," and one of the back-of- the-roomers who usually mutters and carries on shushed me.  Of course, that corner of the room also produced the same completely inaccurate reading of the repairs as painting at an earlier meeting.  Not a sign of genius, to be unable to tell the difference. 
So--let's get this straight for those of feeble reasoning powers:  Paint is paint.  That has been gotten at a discount and will be put on the building at no charge to the trustees by Coon Restoration and Sealants.  Wood is wood and is needed to repair the building in spots.  The cost to prepare the building to be painted was estimated at between $11,500 and $14,500, give or take a bit around the amount over the thousand.  Paint is not part of either of those estimates--but the hostiles keep trying to muddy the water.]

Vic then explained about the door options.  The two gentlemen are both from Middlefield.  One of them actually made our shutters.  Reuben Byler quoted us a price that is cheaper.  They both want to quote on the job and both are busy.  Cal  Brant told me that we can get a prehung door in.  This door is not 36"--it is 34-1/2".

Jason:  We went with vinyl windows instead of using the wooden windows.  If we can get the cost down with the two societies  pitching  in to get the cost down to where the metal door would be, I am OK with that.  But we have to get this building repaired and painted.  [You just noticed that?]  If a wooden door cost the same as a metal door, I would say use the wooden door.  [Blogger:  The dollar cost is not the only factor here.  I asked Vic about the life span of each type of door.  The typical metal one would last about 20 years.  The wooden one would last 75 years.]

John Festa:  Before you know it, it will be October again.  If we don't hustle, we won't get it painted again.
[Blogger:  Well, one of the main reasons, if not the main reason, for a lot of the delay just voiced his concern about time passing. quickly.  Right.]

Jason:  If you can get the pricing for the next meeting, we can discuss it.  We can have representatives from the restoration society.
He asked if there was a representative [present] of the historical society.  There was not.

Jason also commented about the metal door at the school and painting the door white to make it look good on the township hall.

During paying the bills, Dave commented to Jason about preserving what we have and not slamming the entrance doors to the hall.  They stick a little, but they do not need to be slammed.  He observed that anyone strong enough to slam the door is strong enough to close it quietly.

There was something about  the speed limit on Skinner and Sheldon roads.

Trustees 6-19-14: Priorities re $; executive session.

First:  If you have already read the previous post, I had the wrong deadline for letters of interest regarding the committees about the school.  The post said July 21.

July 20 is the deadline for filing letters of interest about being on one of the committees to study and recommend how to use the school and finance it,.  

Blogger:  I am not quite sure why the previous post broke where it did, unless I was running out of time.  There was a little more about township business before the recess for executive session.

Vic asked Brent Simon about putting the ad/notice about the committees on the official township website, and then Jason mentioned a somewhat different design for the website's front page.

Then there was some discussion about the discussions scheduled for June 23 with the EPA about recycling, among other things.
[This meeting was reported on in the Record Courier earlier in the week.]

Then there was some discussion about a modified fee schedule for zoning permits, and John Festa said he would take a look at it.  Vic said he already had.

[Blogger:  After the recent BZA hearing, it was made clear that the fees charged were too high for the actual work done or being done and that there should be a refund.  If I remember correctly, John Festa instead said that the fee schedule should be reviewed.  OK about that.  But if the fees are reviewed and changed and no refund given, which seems to be the direction here, is that the right thing to do?  Can someone be held to a law that was not in effect at the time of the event he was involved in?]

John Festa also said that he had had a conversation with a resident about the zoning information on the township website, and the resident had found it all easy to use and complete.

[The trustees have been legally advised to stay separate from zoning until something actually comes to the table.  John Festa seems not to have gotten that message.  Is he helping John Dickey, or is John Dickey an assistant to John Festa?]

John Festa reported on having begun discussions with Dave Toth, Superintendent of Crestwood Schools, about having high school students, who write for their yearbook and publish their own newspaper, do the newsletter.  Perhaps they could attend the meetings.  This is just in the beginning stages of discussion.
About  the camera:  Sony and Panasonic have similar models.  John Festa asked if the board could/would set aside about $800 for the camera and the electrical hookup.

Vic:  To Marie:  Where would we take that money from?
Marie:  We have some money in the general fund for the town hall:  $3200.
Vic:  Is that what we set aside for repairs?
Marie:  We have a $5,000 blanket purchase order and $3200 not appropriated yet, but you talked about the door.

[Blogger:  That total of $8200 was only a little more than half of the amount estimated  for the work on the building.  Remember that John Festa referred to the trustees shaking the seat cushions on the couch for change to come up with the money.  Now, for what appears like a desire merely and mostly to create a better image, he is talking about spending as much money as a door might cost--if a proper door can be had for that amount.]

Jason asked about money to come in from spring cleanup and releasing some of those funds.

Some discussion followed that, and the purport of it is that things are still up in the air about the final cost, (but not because of the township), and the blanket purchase order is going to expire at the end of this month. 
Marie projected  that by the time everything is handled, there should be about $500 left in what had been set aside for cleanup.

Jason asked for Marie's opinion on freeing up some funds from the projected leftover amount, but Marie did not expect to have the bill by the next meeting on July 3.

Jason asked John Festa if they could wait until the next meeting.  Agreed.

John Festa:  I think that will be a great addition to our website as well.
[Blogger:  What happened to John Festa's concern about the appearance of the township hall?]

Jason announced that the shredding that had been provided later in May after the township cleanup day had not had a very great response:  15 cars and about 1185 pounds.  A greater turnout had been anticipated. 
[Blogger:  I do not remember what the cost of this is--but if that money had not been spent, and the camera was not installed, that is the equivalent of a door on the east end of the township hall.  Can anyone spell priorities?]

At 8:35 Jason made a motion to recess for executive session, the lawyer having arrived.

Blogger:  What goes on in executive sessions is not to be discussed outside, but some questions about the sessions can be asked and answered.

First:  The reason for this session was Dawn Pechman's legal action against the township regarding her records requests.  According to Dawn, she is not suing the township but has filed a mandamus writ.  To me,  this is a distinction without a difference.  The township has the services of a lawyer.

Second:  This lawyer has had experience with Dawn on several occasions.

When the public meeting was recessed, we all went outside and stood around talking.  Dawn arrived, parked her truck, and came over to talk with the group around Larry Leitzow.  That was interesting, because a couple of years earlier Larry had disavowed any interest in associating with Dawn.

Then she turned and walked over to the side of the building, which I thought was rather odd.  I could not see what she did there, but others could.

During executive session when her action about the township was being discussed, she walked over to one of the windows and looked in at the trustees and the lawyer.  Eh?

Why am I wasting time on this piece of flummery?  Because Dawn Pechman has now run for trustee twice.  Given her view of reality as well as of her own skills and qualifications, she can be expected to run again.  Pay attention.

Regular session was reconvened at 9:05 p.m. and went straight to public comment.  That will be a separate post.

Trustees 6-19-14: Township Hall, School Use Committees

Blogger Foreword:  Well, as usual, I will open by saying that with luck a lot of this post will be condensed, not a complete transcript of my notes.  We'll see.

Two sets of minutes were reviewed.

Marie Stehli opened the meeting's business with an explanation of how money could be transferred out of the Road Levy fund into the Capital Equipment fund so that the capital equipment fund would have an allocation.  There was some explanation about shy to do it that way.  It would serve as a reserve valance account.It could not be spent until the year designated for its use.  Marie explained that further.

Jason asked about buying a truck next year.

Marie:  You would have to appropriate to spend it that year.  Let's go a couple of years out--buy the truck in 2016.  Transfer into capital equipment balance.  Funds set aside this way would have to be used within 5 years.  She read from the appropriate bulletin for this.
[Note:  The budget hearing is in July.  I believe that this is a review of the way things were allocated and apportioned at the previous meeting.]

Vic:  Is there a cap on what you can put in?

Marie:  You have to do that in the original resolution :  the cap to set it up and the maximum each year.

The financial report, which followed, is best gotten from the website.

Bids:  Three bids for [I believe] Chip and Seal had been sent, but one went to the wrong address and there fore was not opened.  Low bid was from Newligh [?}  Newlye [?] Construction.  There was some discussion including the observation that this was the company that had done the same work last year and it was good work.

Jason moved to award the bid for Wayne Road,  Pioneer  to Sheldon, and [I believe part of] Winchell to the above company, total $109,406.67, pending the bid review by the prosecutor's office.  John Festa, second. Unanimous.

Jason announced that there would be an executive session to discuss pending court action upon the arrival of the attorney.

Club and Committee Reports

Garden Club, Sue Skrovan:  The plant sale was a success on June 11.  Sue also publicly thanked Carle Zelesnik [sp?] for making up signs but not accepting any payment, and Bob Collins, who helped set up and take down and brought plants to donate.

Ladies Cemetery Association (LCA), Sue:  Sue thanked the ladies at the cemetery who planted perennials. She acknowledged the club president, Terri Resh, for meeting all of her commitments to the organization despite losing her mother (Phyllis Fedor) the week before.  Phyllis had continued toparticipate in the  LCA she lived in Ravenna Township. [Blogger:  I gave her maiden name above.]

The Mantua Restoration Society, Inc.,  Mark Hall:  At the last meeting the challenge grant was announced, and we are already getting feedback [donations] from that and will be in a better position to help the trustees.

Chamber of Commerce, John Festa:  He could not find his notes but mentioned two of the students who had received Chamber of Commerce scholarships and proclamations from the State of Ohio Treasurer's Office.

Also under Chamber of Commerce, Marie thanked the chamber for their donation of $200 towards hanging baskets.  The Chamber makes these donations to Mantua Township, Mantua Village, and Shalersville Township every year.

Jason mentioned the Chamber golf outing on June 20, saying that it is never about the golf and that there were so many raffle items and prizes that there were more donations than tickets. [Note:  It isn't about the golf:  This is a major fund raiser for the Chamber and makes possible many donations to worthy causes and the scholarships.]

[Blogger:  Those homely, modest little reports are about the human activities that the legal government stuff makes possible.  Or should make possible. Those little reports, to me, are full of the charm of living in a small place instead of a huge one. We are blessed in this country.]

No sexton's report tonight.

Trustee Reports and Announcements

Vic had two items from Brian Tayerle, road supervisor.
First, Brian had gotten a quote for new gutters and fascia wrap on the township garage for $1046.
There was discussion about this quote, which was seen as a reasonable one.
Vic made the motion to put new gutters on the garage at a cost of $1046.00.  John Festa seconded.  Passed.  [Blogger:  I did not get the name of the contractor.]

Second:  Todd Lamb came and looked at the Maynard driveway on Skinner Road and does not believe the repairs will require removing any cement.  He quoted a total cost of $580.00.
Jason:  Made the motion to accept the proposal from Todd Lamb.  Vic seconded.  Unanimous.
[Blogger:  So, after something like two years of John Festa's '"lead" on this, with all kinds of waffling and backing and filling, the job came back to Vic and a motion has finally been made and passed to do the work.  And if it wasn't two years to the minute, it was a long time for what, given the estimate, does not look like a big job.]

Jason had thank you letters to be signed by the trustees to the people who had worked on getting the West Lawn Cemetery signs refurbished and put back up:  Dan Palmenter, Steve Zelinski, and Larry Leitzow, with a nod as well to Jim Aldrich.

John Festa commented on the OPEC health  care proposal, which he had sent to Chris Meduri and was waiting for a reply.  It appears that this will save about $1200 per year and is due July 1.
Vic:  Brian Savage said they had postponed those meetings [and I assume, the deadline--blogger].

Vic:  There is another broken window in the Civic Center.  I do not have a price on it, but I want to get it fixed.  The company [we have dealt with before] has always been reasonable.


 Township Hall  [Blogger:  Most of what follows about the Township Hall is all of my notes, not a summary.]

Jason announced that in prior meetings the trustees set aside some money to repair the back of the Town Hall and that Vic had been working with Cal Brant.

Vic:  Cal has been working on it and will let me know when we need to remove the fire escape to have it sandblasted and repaired.
The problem is the door.  I can not get a good firm price yet.  The door is 2-1/4" thick.  There are three different types of wood  [that could be used]:  Fir, mahogany, or Spanish cedar.  [One of them rots less readily and the other one moves more:  I did not get straight on which is which.]  The Spanish cedar is the best wood.  The cost of that door would be $1500 to $2,000.  One of the people Vic had talked with two years ago about this door had mentioned a pre-hung Spanish cedar door. 

Another would be a metal door, which was quoted at about $300.  We need to think about what we want to do. That door is 83-1/2" tall.  We can make a decision about it later.  It will take about 6 weeks to get the door.

Vic, continuing:  The advertising for the citizens' committees about the school.  If we run the ad that we talked about for the committees for three days with the Record Courier it would come to [between] $63.00 and $66.00.  I figured we would run it one Wednesday and  two Sundays.
In the Villager today there was an article and the ad is in there.  For the first ad, there has been a pledge to pay for it.

John Festa:  Were we going to get something in The Community Journal?  

Vic:  Yes.  The other ad to run in the Villager will skip a week.  If we can get someone to write an article for The Community Journal, we can run that.  I have that for June 29 and then twice in July.

John Festa:  That is what we agreed on last time.  Where are the applications being mailed to?

Vic:  To the mailbox down there [at his shop; it is a lockable stainless steel box] and then to Todd Peetz. I showed him the ads.

John Festa:  How are we going to handle the professionals?

Vic:  The ads will take care of that.

John Festa:  No, no, I mean the professionals.

Jason:  I would recommend that if you have people in mind, encourage them to talk to Todd Peetz.
[Blogger:  First, the ads were phrased to include both regular citizens and professionals.  That was discussed among the trustees at the last meeting.  Second, both citizens and professionals alike should follow the same procedure.  Jason's suggestion sounds as if he is encouraging John Festa to urge his professionals to lobby Todd Peetz.]

John Festa:  The building committee is the one we want building professionals to sit on.  Experience in the trades.

This paragraph and what follows in boldface are from your faithful blogger.  We no longer have barn raising parties, but communities are built by cooperation of many kinds.  These committees are a chance to build something together, something that will last--for another hundred years and beyond.  A family can die out in one generation.  But this building will outlive us all, and serve us well, unless someone with a hostile agenda does something really stupid.  This is a huge positive step for us in the township and the school building--but we're not home free yet. 

Note:  July 20 is the deadline to respond with a letter of interest describing one's interest and qualifications, whether in architecture or as a community volunteer who organizes activities.

Probably the most important qualification is not a degree of some kind or construction experience--the building is sound, after all--but a deep commitment to the township and the school building as its face.  

And then, a problem solving approach:  How do we do this within our means?  Someone who is good at getting the most bang for the buck would be a real asset to that committee.

The committees are building and grounds, building utilization (who uses it and how), sponsors and volunteers (to carry out much of the work), and funding, which means possibly donations, but also going after grants.  The obvious thing about grants is the writing--but finding the right grant to apply for is crucial, and for that, a person just needs to be tenacious and resourceful in following leads.  A small crew of researchers would be invaluable, in my opinion.

Go for it.  Remember:  If you don't ask, the answer is always no.
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June 5 Trustees; Last of Public Comment

Just in time to start on the next meeting's posts.  Aargh.

Dawn Pechman, S.R. 82:  Do you have a date to record meetings.?
John Festa:  Explained the work to be done so that the recordings could be made.

Dawn:  Do you have a time of installation?
JF:  It should be in the next couple of weeks.  I just want to get the camera sorted out.

Dave Pollard, S.R. 82:  I gave Brian Tayerle permission that if he or Dan, to locate the right of way stakes on Old Frost,  need to [get onto my place] I will make sure the fence is not hot.  I will probably have to pull that fence up and brushhog a swath.  I will put new ribbon on the stakes I have found.  Even though I know they are there, I have trouble finding them.

I could not quite hear what Mark Hall said, but I assume the focus ad will run after the newspaper stories.  I would think you would want to run the ads after the stories.

Mining [this refers to the discussion about the property on Timber Point] involves more than just taking topsoil.  Every time we put a plow in the ground, we can be accused of mining.  If the soil that has been stripped off to make the foundation of a building can be sold, I see nothing wrong with that.
[Dave also mentioned that, after all, the soil belonged to the property owner; he was not bringing in soil to sell.] 
[Dave mentioned the way the State of Ohio defines mining, and that was part of his argument about plowing being something that could be considered mining.  And FYI, Dave was a member of the original Land Use Plan committee and also served on the Zoning Commission as an alternate until the trustees decided that alternates, or at least Dave as an alternate, were not necessary.  My point is that he is stating information here.]

Dave, continuing:  Two last things:  A lot of us have been targeted anonymously.  But what Frank Horack talked about was not done anonymously.  There is a public source that is known.

One thing that has been bothering me since the last meeting is that the man at the center of the agricultural building controversy has not farmed and does not know much about it.  But as I pointed out before,  when you begin to define farming as something defined by the acreage, you overlook the fact that for instance in Streetsboro on about 12 acres a woman is making a net profit on a specialty crop--completely legal--that is 10 times what a  tractor farmer is getting.  It is on a side hill and there is no erosion.  How many times have you seen soybean fields on a grade that wash over the winter?  Who is the farmer?  Her, a steward, or a tractor farmer?

There are many people who think that someone can not be called a farmer because the acreage is too small and they listen to a so-called authority.  That kind of thinking because people believe an elected office holder is dangerous.  Historically that kind of thinking leads to excesses and in extreme cases, Nazi Germany.  With that attitude, if it were pushed, and I am not accusing you (to Jason) of pushing, then it becomes the attitude that someone with 5 acres can't farm it.

Steve Zelinski, S.R. 82:  Thanked the trustees for permission to put up the memorial.  Thanked Matt Parsons, the American Legion Auxiliary, and Father Garvey, Mr. Hamilton, and Bud Foster.  It was a great honor to be able to work with Frank Horack on this committee.   

A clarification, maybe

After making the previous post about Frank's public comment, I went back to the ones from the previous meeting.

In the post from the May 2 meeting, done on May 13 and titled "Pointed Public Comment," the part that Frank was upset about follows.  It was the last part of the post, and I am putting it in exactly as it appears in the earlier blog post.  You can check.  I am not using quotation marks for the whole excerpt.
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Dawn:  The light on the flagpole [in the bullpen]:  Isn't that a bootleg connection from the Civic Center?

Vic:  I have no comment on that, Dawn.
[I have not tried to find out where that idea came from, but no matter what Dawn calls it, Frank Horack probably did the installation, and for a fact, the township pays a bill for the electricity used there--so the insinuation that "bootleg" means getting it for nothing is baseless.]


OK.  Let me go through the bracketed comment above, piece by piece.

I have not tried to find out where that idea came from. . . .  That indicates that I don't know, having not investigated.  That should have reminded me to make no assumptions.

Frank Horack probably  did the installation . . . .  This is not an accusation, but a guess based on the amount of work that Frank has done for the township for all the years he has been in business.  I don't see it as an accusation, but obviously it stung Frank, for which I am sorry.  Probably  does not indicate certainty, and I was not certain.

Those are the pieces that have to do with Frank.  John Festa was right:  The people who know Frank do not need someone else to evaluate his reputation.  They can do that for themselves and should.

.The real issue here is Dawn's question, which I heard as an  insinuation that something was not legitimate.

no matter what Dawn calls it  partly dismisses the insinuation.   . . . .for a fact, the township pays a bill for the electricity used there is a certainty.  The rest of that sentence is the heart of what I considered important.

Trustees 6-5-14, Public Comment Pt. 2: Frank Horack

Blogger Foreword:  This post, as all, is NOT a court reporter's transcript.  That is why there are no quotation marks around people's remarks.  When comments go too fast for me to get everything, or when I want to check accuracy, I listen to a recording--and taking notes from that takes three times as long as sitting in the meetings, because the recording is harder to follow than live remarks.  So I play a section and take notes as fast as I can, stop the recording when it gets ahead of my hand, back up, and go forward again.  This post was one of those.  In the first part of it, I was trying to insert notes from the recording into my notes in the meeting.  The result is a little ragged, but true to the substance of the remarks. 


Frank Horack, Winchell Road:  I've just got a couple of items tonight.  I want to apologize to John Festa for not sticking around at the last meeting.

I have been accused of backstaging.   I don't appreciate that.

My other thing is I need to ask the trustees a question on the electric in the bullpen.  I see that it was repaired and I would like to ask who did it or if anyone knows anything about it.

Vic:  On the pole?  I made the plastic part to put that up.  I put it up and Carney connected it.  Ohio Edison came out and cut it down.  They may have hooked it back up.

FH:  It was put in 25-30 years ago by a trustee who was a part time electrician.  He went from the Civic Center to Ohio Edison's pole with no permit or anything else and I am sure there was no permit on the makeup, either.  Incidentally, the GFI in there is not to standard for the 2013 code.  It is a GFI, but not  the right one.  The cover is not the proper one, and the conduit is not right for the first eight feet.

The reason I am bringing this up is as chairman of the Veterans Memorial I have been misquoted and backstabbed/backstaged three times on it already..  I wish you would tell the person, this blogger, what is correct.  It is strictly township business.  Now in this last issue I have  been accused  of bootlegging the connection.  I had nothing to do with it.  It is bothering me.

I have been a professional for 40-50 years, an electrical and general [contractor], and this is the fourth time in township business I have been accused of something, misquoted or something.

People don't want to come to meetings or work for you--it will be interesting to see how many people will sign up for your committees.

Jason:  If you were misquoted, just understand that I can't speak for the other trustees  but I mean no harm.  What other residents say is freedom of speech.

Frank:  I agree with you 100%.  That is what the veterans died for, for the freedom of speech.  But I have  been  singled out privately and personally and have been chastised and it has all  been over township business. In all the work I  have done for the township and being accused it is bad for my reputation.  My reputation has been ruined because of the blogging and I don't appreciate it.

[Frank also mentioned his years on the zoning commission and his having been a trustee.]

Jason: We appreciate your chairing that committee out there and I have nothing but good things to say about the work that you and the committee have done on the bullpen area.  Your work speaks for itself.  From the township standpoint, I have nothing but good things to say.  Your charge back to the township was
zero dollars.  

Frank:  I think you fellows need to do something with the people in the township if you want to get them to these meetings.  They have to come with the satisfaction that they will not be picked on or snarled at or whatever.

[Blogger:  I agree wholeheartedly.  A person who walks in a little late--or even on time--has to practically run a gauntlet to sign in, because the table is taken up with people who have moved chairs from the regular seating area to go sit at the table to be close to a friend.  If someone wants to post something on the little bulletin board, it may not be possible because someone is sitting in front of that area.  So the atmosphere at the threshhold of the meeting room is not even neutral, let alone welcoming.  Frank should take a good look at who is back there.
 As for being snarled at, I have heard curses of impatience and disdain from the back corner of the room, and at more than one meeting it sounds as if there is a separate meeting back there. People have been audibly mocked, also from the same corner of the room.  And then there is the coughing, which may be a health issue, but which seems to increase when certain people talk.]

John Festa:  You make a good point.  Coming from the township,  I have no problems with you. You have been honest and when you start talking about things on the Internet, a lot of that is opinionated, contrived, and one sided.  Those are amateur writers.  Even the professional writers make mistakes.  When they realize it, they print retractions.  You are never going to get that from an opinionated piece.
But be proud to be an American  and you have the right to freedom of speech.  YHou have been honest and have given a lot to this township, more than the people who write stories.  It is what it is, and you are not going to hear any of that from me.

Vic:  Frank, the term you are using, bootleg, that came from a meeting.  I remember that.

Frank:  That came off the blog.

Vic:  It was spoken in a meeting.  It came up in a meeting.  

Frank: I was accused of doing work without the facts being known  even though I never did anything over there.

Vic:  I know exactly what you are talking about.

Frank:  There is more to come because it ain't going to stop.

Vic:  I know that.

Frank:  Wait until you are next.

Vic:  I am not next, I have always been a target.

Frank:  It is going to continue.

Vic: I don't know how to stop it.

Jason:  It is all part of being in the public eye.

John Festa:  It is all opinionated, Frank, which is why it is so important to get a newsletter out.  Because that is the official statement.  Everything else out there is just hearsay and opinions.

Frank:  What does that do for your reputations?

John Festa:  It is all the opinion of the writer.  Hardly anything is true on the internet.  You have to tell yourself you are a proud American  and we have freedom of speech.  But a lot of people who read things on the internet know that it is opinionated and if they know you, they will never believe it.

Frank:  I have talked to the younger teachers and they call it cyberbullying.  That is exactly where we are at and now it is the older generation.
[Blogger:  I gather that Frank has never looked at the comments on the privately funded website on which John Festa is listed as a supporter.]

Vic:  I have heard this a number of times over the last 6-8 months.

Frank:  Thank you for your time.

Jason:  Thank you for your service.


One more thing:  Dave and I both heard a threat aimed at me in the above remarks because of the complaints about the blog.  Vic heard a threat aimed at him partly because of the criticism of the electrical connection in the bullpen and partly because of the "Wait until you're next."  And those quotes are because I am restating exactly what was stated above.

This long post has not been proofread except in the process of keyboarding it. 

Trustees 6-5-14: Public Comment, Mark Hall, C. Pollard

Public Comment began at 9:33.

Mark Hall, Loris Avenue (Drive?):  The ad for the committees--a legal ad?  My personal belief is that articles in the paper will get more action for the cause.  They can go into detail there.

Wi-Fi at the school--Is that hard ware coming into the building and broadcast wi-fi, and then rebroadcast? 
[There was more technical detail on this issue.]

Jason:  That is a question for John Festa.

[John Festa described the arrangement.  Actually, there is no real wi-fi.]

Carole Pollard, Allyn Road:  My remarks have already been posted:  the announcement of the $10,000 matching challenge grant.  There was a little more than is in the earlier post, but it is conversational, a remark about being able to put the information on facebook and other web pages, and a request to the trustees to post it on the township website.  I have not yet looked to see if that happened.

That is all for this post.  The next one, Frank Horack's remarks, is long and deserves to stand alone both because of its length and its content. 

Trustees 6-5-14: Vic on School Use Committees, Township Hall

Vic began by announcing that one of the roads had to be dropped from the chip and seal list.  He also asked if Marie had received a phone call from Bill Stiner, Portage County Recycling, about a June 23 meeting regarding solid waste.

Vic, continuing:  I have two drafts for ads.  This is for the focus groups/study committees for the school.  [The ads] request letters of interest from people who want to be part of the process for restoring the school.
The committees:  Building and grounds
                           Funding
                           Volunteers/sponsors/resources
                            Building utilization

Mainly the letter of interest about the building committees, to the trustees.  Vic gave the address for the letters to be sent to.

The other draft requested letters of interest to volunteer  for committees to define and support the continued and future use of the Mantua [Township] Administration Center.  The committees listed were the same.

Vic:  What I thought is that I wanted to run the ads in the legal section.  I have spoken with Terri Vechery and Stacy Turner--maybe they could do a story on these to direct people to the ads.

Jason suggested also getting a story into the Record Courier and posting something on the website.

Marie asked if there was a deadline, and Vic said he had left that open.

Jason asked John Festa for his thoughts.

John Festa:  I was looking at the committees.  I thought the trustees were going to initiate a cost analysis committee that would use professional people to staff that committee.  I don't have any problem with the committees here, but I want to make sure we get a  cost assessment on the building.  Staff with builders and contractors so we can get an honest appraisal.
[Blogger:  The builders and contractors usually come in after the client/customer has defined wants and needs and set other criteria.  Also, since builders and contractors stand to make money on the project, consider this:  First, by any objective measure, a conflict of interest..  Second, if someone on a committee stands to make money on the implementation phase, how frugal is a cost estimate going to be?  Once the committees have defined wants and needs, then the contractors and builders come in to define what the costs would be.  Then priorities get set.] 

Jason:  What I had in odd Peetz/s recommendation was the needs assessment committee--very similar to what Vic has here.

Vic pointed out the way the ad met that need.

John Festa:  I wanted to stock it with professional people who can give an honest estimate.

Jason:  What if we still advertised for it and we were talking about having Todd Peetz do . . . .

Vic:  This is why I was going to send them to this address sealed so Todd Peetz could get them and open them.

Jason:  If we still advertised for it we can give Todd Peetz [the criteria].  Todd is going to make the recommendation for the best group.

Vic:  We can put in architects and estimators.  I wanted to bullet it so we could add if we needed to.

Jason:  Put a phone number in so people can ask questions about the time needed, etc.

John Festa:  There are some things that professionals have a better understanding of.. We need to get the cost right.  I am glad we are moving forward.  It is getting to be too long a process.
[Blogger:  Every time this particular trustee complains about the time and delays, I have to grit my teeth.  Essentially, progress was stonewalled as soon as he took office.  And remember that the delay could only have happened if another trustee was voting with John Festa.  There was--and it wasn't Vic.]

Then there was discussions about deadlines and due dates.  In addition, Stacy Turner, who was attending to report on the meeting for The Weekly Villager, was  asked about publication schedules and deadlines.

 Vic asked which version was preferable.  Jason suggested putting a number in to call for more information, and John Festa suggested adding "and professionals" after community minded individuals. 
Vic suggested running the ad three times.  [It is not in my notes, but basically Jason was OK with just having Vic go ahead and submit the ad.  Vic said he would send the finished copy to Jason and John Festa.

Vic then gave a township hall update:  He submitted a bill for siding that Cal Brant had purchased to begin  the work on the east end of the building.  The lumber for the siding was being milled on the day the meeting, and it was to be delivered the next day.

John Festa had a paper copy of a photograph of either "a rodent" [his word] or the signs that a rodent had been doing something at the building. 
Vic observed that it was a chipmunk, and something could be put out for it.

Next to be considered was the proposed work on roads.  Because the original resolution(s) named the roads to be done, and one had to be dropped from the list, various resolutions had to be rescinded and re-made, which was done.

Vic made a motion to submit St. James, Vincent, Samuel, and John Edward Drive(s) for Round 29.  Jason seconded.  Unanimous.

Having a project manager for the paving projects had been mentioned earkuer, and Marie suggested wording for naming the project manager.  It was Vic.  Jason made the motion, seconded by John Festa.  Passed.

Salt:  Salt will cost $40/ton.

Spring Cleanup:  nothing final yet.  The dumpsters that have been on the premises since the event have been getting used by residents, enough so that another one for the extra will probably have to be sent.  Vic said we were not going to p ay for an extra one.

Marie mentioned something about reviewing the risk insurance, either tonight or at the next meeting.  Jason suggested doing it at the next meeting.

John Festa asked if we had settled up with the Bogden rental.  Marie has to write a check for the overage that he had submitted in cash via John Festa at an earlier meeting.

End of this post.  Public comment came next.  This post has not been proofread, except for what your faithful blogger could catch in progress.

Trustees' Reports: John Festa 6-5-14

Jason, to John Festa:  Jason reported that in regard to the Civic Center, he had contacted Christine Pitsinger, Community Journal, to put together an ad about renting the Community Center and the annex at the school building.  He had a sample ad.  The township website or 274-2850 could be contacted for rates and availability.

Vic had photos of both buildings in use and thought that those could be put onto the website, possibly with a split screen to show the rates and the buildings with events in them.  He thought that it would be good to show photographs before running ads.

The ad Jason had had drafted would cost $27.00, which he thought was a good rate to get the message out.

Marie:  We are about half way through our advertising gudget and we are going to have to run display ads.

John Festa reported on having a meeting with William Foster, who purchased a building close to the end of Timber Point and whom John Dickey has cited for violations of outdoor storage of machinery.  The equipment is quite large--an excavating/soil sifting machine--and the owner thought he would need to use it to develop the property.  He wants to ad a second floor on the office part of the building and wants to do some landscaping.

[There was discussion about all of that, including something that I did not put into my notes about stripping off the topsoil from the area to be excavated and selling it.  I believe that Jason considered that mining, and there would be a problem with that.]

There was also discussion about whether to give the owner more time, but Jason thought that the trustees should get a statement in writing about the intended completion date.  It has been a year since things were set into motion.

John Dickey reported that there had been no word from the owner until he received a court notice.
Jason pointed out that stopping everything now meant having to start over if the work was not done to bring the property into compliance.

Vic asked if the plans that John Festa gave the trustees and zoning inspector were new--had John Dickey seen them before?  Answer:  No, they are new.

John Dickey:  What is the use of the building?

John Festa:  I don't know.

[Blogger:  OK, here's my question:  The trustees have been advised by our legal counsel, Chris Meduri, that they should remain separate from the operation of  zoning.  Their role is to decide on resolutions and the recommendations of the BZA.  So why is John Festa meeting with a property owner whom the zoning inspector has been dealing with, and why is John Festa bringing plans from the owner to the trustees that the zoning inspector has never seen? Who is really the zoning inspector here?]

John Festa continued with a statement that Internet service at the school is up and running.  He gave details.  He also talked about the need to have all the wiring in the building for the computers to be 100% safe.
He wants to do more research and has more questions for Verizon

Vic:  There is something already in there, not like the other ones, but the wiring that is there can be used now.

John Festa:  The internet is up and running and is pretty fast.

Then John Festa reported on having Frank Horack,  Jr., come in and give him a price for running an outlet on one of the poles in the township hall to connect the [video] camera to.  I am not finished with the research on it yet.  We can record our own meetings.  We can hook it into a smart phone or a laptop on the website.

The price is $325.00.  I want to get a a demonstration for the camera.  Anyone then can record their own meetings.

[Blogger: The camera was mentioned as costing about $350.00, and somewhere in my notes is a note about $400.00.  Now there is another $325.00, for a total of at least $700.00.  That would do a lot of work on the east wall of the township hall.  I wonder exactly what the deal is about this camera and recording business.  Meetings are already being recorded, and those recordings really are not costing the township anything.  Why spend $700.00 just to set things up, not to mention ongoing costs?  Those, of course, have not been mentioned--a little like the Oh, by the way, we need a trailer for several thousand dollars for the mini excavator.]

This is the end of John Festa's report.  It is not a transcript of my notes, but it is the jist of what was said.

Mantua Twp. Trustees 6-5-14, Vets' Memorial

Frank Horack:  Jason, this may be one of the last times for an update for the veterans' memorial.  We had our dedication of course on Memorial Day.  I want to publicly thank the people who came to support us and the volunteers.  I am happy for them and proud of how it turned out.  Special thanks to Matt Parsons for being the M.C.

I also have one more thing that we would like to talk to you about.  We want to put up five more glags--one behind each of the services that is recognized.  The time dcapsule is just about done.  We want to go ahead with that project and are trying to get money for that. 

Jason:  How tall? 

Frank:  The original is 30 feet, and we are looking at 20-25 feet depending on the cost.  The size of the pole will determine the size of the flag.  We have donations for two and possibly a third one.  We have a chairman--Steve Zielinski.  He is in the back [of the room].  We would like to do it unless there is ourside opposition or you decide not to do it. 
[Blogger:  There was outside opposition to putting the memorial on the green.]

John Festa:  Are those going to be the service flags?  Answer:  Yes.

Frank:  Hopefully, they will fly 24/7 and the lighting that is there will hopefully be sufficient to light them up.  Another point--we had a call from Marie  Stehli regarding replacement cost for insurance purposes.  The club can not decide on the total amount until we make a decision about the flage.
Are there other quest ions?

Jason:  Your committee paid for the video taken of the ceremony and the pictures?

Frank:  The committee agreed to pay for that.

John Festa:  Will you give permission to link to that video?

Frank:  We agreed to do that.

John Festa asked for a couple of nice still photos as well.  He said that one or two would be fine for display.

Frank:  Quite a few will be going into the time capsule.

Jason:  I would like to thank everyone that was involved.  The dedication was well planned--short and to the point but meaningful.  It is a nice piece that I will call almost of art that is out there.  I think it was well received by the good turnout for the dedication.

Frank:  Well, it was for our veterans.

Blogger:  This is all for this post.  I thought the topic and the conversation about it warranted a post just for that.

Mantua Twp. Trustees 6-05-14

Foreword #1:  There will be a budget workshop meeting at 7 p. m. Tuesday, May 10, at the Township Hall.

Foreword #2:  This one is like New Year's resolutions:  I am going to try to dust off this meeting by giving high points instead of every single word.  Except for Public Comment.  Well, and a couple of other places that seem to warrant the detail in order to keep rumor and misinterpretation to a minimum.

During the review of the minutes, John Festa pointed out that he had stated that the Civic Center had lost the Township $5200 in 2013. 

Vic corrected the amount that crack seal was calculated at in the last meeting:  $48,670, not 38,000+/-.  The township must stay under $45,000 for this.

There was a second set of minutes, this one for the Issue 2 meeting and the insurance.  [I did not go to that meeting.  As I understand it, Jason and John Festa voted to change our insurance carrier (if that is the right word), and Vic voted no.  His reason was that the agent/carrier we have had for years has lawyers who work with the townships when necessary.  The new carrier/agent has legal advisors.  There are other points as well.  The minutes of that meeting should be consulted if a person wants accurate information.]

Fiscal Officer: [Blogger:  Those figures are best gotten from the minutes after they have been approved and posted on the township website following the next meeting. ]

Zoning Inspector::  John Dickey gave various figures, also best gotten from the township website.  Three cases are awaiting legal action/are in legal process.  He said that he has received many calls from realtors.  He did, however, for the first time in my memory of his tenure, say that he was working to bring people into compliance and wanted to avoid court at all costs.  I believe my memory of both those points is accurate.

Board of Zoning Appeals, Bob Stehli, Chair:  The BZA had heard an appeal for an area variance.  By the time it was all examined and worked out, it became clear that the proposed building would be an accessory building, not a main one, and would have no frontage but would be landlocked.  Therefore, the fee would be less. 

 Vic asked about refunding some of the money for the fee.  Bob thought a refund seemed in order but that it was up to the Zoning Inspector.

John Dickey wanted the trustees and BZA to look at the fee schedule based on size and mentioned the square footage.
Vic:  But this is an accessory building now.

Jim Aldrich, cemetery:  May fees for foundations:  $435.00.  Burials, $495.00.  Jim thanked the road crew for their help getting ready for Memorial Day.

Brian Tayerle, Road Crew:  Patching is being done as asphalt is available.  It seems that getting asphalt for small jobs like patching is more complicated and chancy than most of us would think.

Then there was considerable discussion about the transition from Skinner Road into Donna Maynard's driveway.  This issue was first raised, I believe, in 2012.
Jason thought that fixing it would cost a lot of time and money.

Vic:  Going to the original idea of cutting it [to remove some material in order to repave there at a gentler angle] it would have been $300 and we were not going to go as far as they wanted.  We were just going to put asphalt in. We promised them to do it.

There was more discussion.  I can't tell from my notes what the final decision was, or whether there was one.  John Festa wanted to write a letter stating that there would be no further action.

Brian is going to meet with Todd Lamb, and Vic suggested taking him to look at the situation on the chance that he would have a better suggestion.

Road Projects:  Your blogger's suggestion is that you check the minutes for these details, which at this point  are more proposals than fact, if I understand correctly.  Bid books are available now and are at the township garage.  Brian said that all of this would be sometime in July.

However, I am going to include the discussion about Old Frost Road, since that is a separate kind of situation.

Jason said he had contacted the county about surveying it for cutting trees and berms and widening the road.

Brian:  The county did survey it about 4 years ago.  Vic confirmed that.  [Does anybody talk to anybody about stuff like this, or are we in a perpetual state of reinventing the wheel?]

Jason asked if the stakes and flags were still there. 

Vic:  If it was done on a computer survey, it might be possible to pick itup from that. 

Brian: The bid books have been dropped off.  Vic wanted to look at them.

Jason:  Culvert listing:   The goal is to be finished by the end of the year on the outstanding ones.  [This is a reference, I believe, to the township installing culverts in various places in the township.  There was considerable discussion about this in a previous post, also involving keeping our promises, among other things.]

The road crew is going to try working four 10-hour days instead of five 8-hour ones.  Handling cemetery obligations for burials will complicate this.  It would probably be just for the summer and revert to the 5-day schedule when the light diminishes.

Jason made the motion; seconded and passed.

Then there was discussion about extra pay for the time spent on equipment maintenance, which amounts to $30-$40 per pay.  Brian already gets that, and Dan does a fair amount of this kind of work as well.
After more discussion, Marie suggested going over things later and making an adjustment to the hourly pay.

[This is all the time available for this sitting, and it is a logical stopping point.  The next topic/report is about the veterans' memorial dedication.]   
 
 

$10,000 Challenge Matching Grant!

This post is the announcement that I read as secretary of The Mantua Restoration Society, Inc., at the June 5, 2014, Mantua Township Trustees meeting.  For whatever reason, I became the person who was asked to be the lead on this by someone close to the donor. I can assure you that the offer is valid and will not be welshed on. 

What I read at the meeting did not have the instructions about how to make donations, so I have put that information in brackets.

Date:  June [5], 2014  [Your faithful blogger neglected to put the date into the original memo.]

From:  The Mantua Restoration Society, Inc.

To:  Mantua Township Trustees:  Jason Carlton, John Festa, Victor Grimm, and Mantua Township Fiscal Officer Marie Stehli

A donor who wishes to remain anonymous has made a $10,000 challenge grant to The Mantua Restoration Society, Inc.  The intention is to honor the value of numerous small donations and to encourage them.  The grant will match dollar for dollar the first $50.00 of any donation, from $1.00 up to $50.00.  A $10.00 donation will become $20.00; a $50.00 donation will become $100.00; a $100.00 donation will become $150.00.  The challenge will thus produce a minimum of $20,000, and the hope is that there will be donations over the $50.00 match point.

In this way The Mantua Restoration Society, Inc., will be able to provide part of the matching funds required by most granting agencies.  Many grants are 60% from the grantor and 40% from the recipient; so for a $10,000 grant, the restoration society could put up half of the required $4,000.

The combination of the grant writing skills of several restoration society members and the challenge match can help the trustees significantly in fitting the Mantua Center school building for use.  We are looking forward to renewing the spirit of cooperation that marked the contributions of the original Mantua Restoration Society when it was chartered in 1977.

This announcement and details of how to make contributions will be posted on mantuarestorationsociety.org, on virtualtorch.blogspot.com, on various Facebook pages, and in the local newspapers.  We would appreciate the trustees posting this information on the Mantua Township website also.  [Note to readers:  The website and blog addresses in this post are not "live" links.  To reach them, you will have to keyboard them in.] 

The timing of this challenge in conjunction with the prospective citizens' committees to develop a plan to move ahead with the school building is particularly fortunate.

    [ Please make checks out to
           The Mantua Restoration Society, Inc.
            P.O. Box 665
            Mantua, OH 44255-0665

Please put "Challenge" on the memo line of your check.  Thank you for your contribution to preserving our past and investing in our future.]

Note #1:  The bracketed information above was not part of the announcement read at the meeting, but it is necessary for donors and for the "MaRSI" treasurer. 

Note #2:  We already have received one cash donation of $50.00 and one pledge for the same amount.