When the meeting was reconvened after the recess for cake, Vic asked if the trustees were going to send a letter of thanks to Steve Coon for his help with the Township Hall.
Jason said yes, but "we should send a letter" has come up before, and I have not yet seen letters signed at the next meeting.
There was some discussion about working in rights of way, and eventually Vic made it clear that permits and fees, and various other things, applied to the gas and electric utility companies doing work.
Vic: We only require a permit for driveways.
John Festa raised a question about the health insurance.
Marie: It was in the first meeting in October.
John Festa: I was not paying attention. [!!!!] I did not approve anything for that so I want to stand my ground on this. There is a real savings spike on the alternate plan: If we go with Anthem we will save about $25,000.
There was discussion about this. Jason asked if John Festa knew the difference in coverage. He said that last year's had just a slightly lower deductible but everything else seemed about the same.
Marie thought there was a large difference in the deductible, but John Festa thought it was small compared to the $25,000 savings.
Then there was some discussion about whether Brian Savage should be called, but John Festa said that Brian had not called him back.
Vic: I remember Marie bringing it up and that Brian Savage said it was a 9% increase and that we would stay with it by consensus.
John Festa: I didn't agree.
[Blogger: I find no motion to act on this in my notes. Here's my question: How is it that John Festa thinks that he alone, apparently, can have the say on this? And he said he wasn't paying attention. So how does he know what was going on, let alone apparently expect to be able to rule the roost?
[That's one thing. Another is that I was told that the change--was it made?--would increase Dan's cost by quite a bit. And, with Brian Tayerle now having a child, I would assume that his cost would increase as well.]
Township Hall Updates:
Cal Brant reported that all 36 window shutters are OK. They have all been painted. [Blogger: And by now some of them have been installed, and the building is looking more and more handsome.]
Cal, continuing: None of the old cupola shutters were painted, but the two new ones were. The older ones actually are not usable at this stage, but they can be repaired for about $450, in contrast to $1200 for six new shutters.
There was an open purchase for work on the Township Hall which Jason thought should probably be left open. It was for $534, and Cal thought it may not take that much. By consensus, the trustees agreed to leave that purchase order open and standing.
Then there was discussion about speed studies and the jake brake use on Center Road between Mennonite and SR 82.
A letter from a resident who had been badly injured at SR 82 and Center Road has been forwarded to the proper person at ODOT, and Jason has acquired the OHP crash reports. [Apparently another study is going to be done, comparing the Chamberlin Road and Center Road intersections for sight lines, among other things. They are backed up by about a month.
Regarding the jake brake, Jason thought that another speed study might result in reducing the speed limit on Center Road, in which case the need to deal with the jake brake might be eliminated.
Jason read the resolution requesting a speed evaluation between Mennonite Road and SR 82. Vic seconded. Unanimous, by roll call.
John Festa reported that he had not heard from Crestwood Schools superintendent Dave Toth about having students do the township newsletter and was going to concentrate on another avenue.
Discussion of changes to the cemetery regulations was tabled until next year.
A section for legal ads has been added to the website.
Brian Tayerle reported that in their spare time the road crew was working on Frost Road towards Pioneer Trail to cut back trees. The salt shed is full, and a mild December will help get us through the year in good shape.
Brian thanked the trustees for the boots, lights, and wrenches.
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.
