Your faithful blogger arrived about 7:30 and discovered that a special meeting regarding records retention had been held at 7, with the regular meeting beginning right after that. When I arrived, there was discussion about the cell tower and the registered letter regarding it. From what I gathered, things are up in the air about all of that.
There was an announcement that we are getting a $13,000 grant from NOPEC. I believe that this had been brought up at an earlier meeting and that NOPEC was working on how to deal with extra money that had accumulated. I believe that this was it, but I'm less certain of that than that it is bleeping cold on this first day of 2018.
Jason announced that the township has hired a new zoning inspector, Mr. Tosi, who lives on Wayne Road. [He and his wife came to the informal township lunch the day before the meeting and met zoning commission members and members of the restoration society. Mr. Tosi seems willing and eager to avail himself of the many years of experience that the members of the zoning commission and board of zoning appeals have acquired.]
Terrie Nielsen (TN), chairperson of the Grants and Funding Committee, came to talk with the trustees regarding the new fund request from the state capital fund.
TN: These requests occur every 2 years. In the next fiscal year, 2018, they will award more. We received $140,000, a good portion of which went to finishing the elevator.
The next request is due January 3. The Grants and Funding Committee and the task force have been working to collect a list of the projects proposed. The only two dollar mounts I am fairly confident in are for the windows and the lighting study. The rest on the list [which Terrie gave the trustees] are guesses. I hope between now and January 3 to get additional quotes. Marvin Windows was at the school on Tuesday. I got an e-mail from Ken Parker, who had talked to Anderson Windows.
The last time I got your approval to request money. The total of the projects listed is a bit over $400,000. We won't get that, but we [hope to get] an award. The State Secretary General has asked for over $1 million for new election equipment.
My purpose here is to request the trustees' permission to request the money. The final request will look much different [it will be a formal request; what the trustees had was essentially a list of projects and their costs, totaling $417,000.]
Jason suggested prioritizing the list--we will not get the whole amount, so what will yuou identify as what to do?
TN: In the last grant, $83,000 went to the elevator, and the rest went to the bell tower. I think it would be premature to prioritize now, but before, Senator Eklund encouraged us to ask for the moon and the sky. Some things are higher priority, like the roof. I have a quote for the windows, but if it were up to me, I would fix the roof first.
Vic: The windows were a subject, but that was separate. The roof was one of the priority topics along with the rehabilitation of the front. I would say the windows and roof would be really important. Once they know how much money we have put into this, it may help us.
The work on the community center, whatever the title, would make it easier to get the funds.
[Blogger: I did not note whether Terrie or Vic said that.
Vic: This last storm, at the last LAPC meeting, Ryan Shackleford said that Aurora was looking for places to house people and he wanted to be able to use the school, but we were not set up yet.
TN: I had talked with him and gave him contact information. It is run out of the Red Cross in Akron, and I have left messages but have not heard back. There are many requirements for emergency shelters.
Vic: The Red Cross did an audit several years ago.
[Terrie made another comment here, but I cannot decipher my note. It did not seem crucial, but more conversational.]
Vic: We meet every two months and she is usually at them. [This is a woman who works at the Red Cross. I did not get her name, but Terrie's comment that I couldn't make out was referring to the same woman.
TN: We are potentially going to be working with some KSU students from the architecture department who can develop a comprehensive plan for the building--what should be done. For example, is it a good idea to air condition a building constructed like this one. I have read arguments on both sides. This would be a good opportunity to have a comprehensive plan.
All of this will help me with the priority list. The roof is obvious. AC sounds like a good idea, but it may not be--the building was not constructed with that technology available.
I am here for permission to ask for about $420,000 through the State capital fund.
Vic: I am for that. If you don't ask for it, your chances are pretty slim.
John Festa: I appreciate all your hard work.
Jason made several more or less conversational remarks.
TN: It is my understanding that there may vbe a video taken by a drone . . . .
Vic: It was done by Davey Tree. We have the video.
TN: We were thinking that maybe Coon Restoration would give us a second quote.
Jason: Feel free to e-mail us.
John Festa: You brought up the task force people--has anyone heard anything?
Jason: I can read you the e-mail from Jay Schabel.
TN: My understanding is that it is a lawyer thing.
John Festa: They were supposed to come two months ago.
Jason: The Jayu Schabel e-mail was November 30.
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.
