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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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.
