Blogger Foreword: Well, the best-laid plans. . . . As it turns out, the previous post did not at all end the discussion about the bullpen. The trustees discussed bids for the Civic Center roof repair but did not make a decision because they had just on the spot seen the bids. The two that seemed most viable were by Scott Hollis (I believe) and LaVon Moore. Both need proof of insurance and bond. The intention is to interview them, and I think that will be before the May 3 meeting.
Mary Ann Berzinskas, who lives on Center Road on the edge of Blackbrook Conservancy district, then spoke with the trustees about a flooding situation on her property that actually makes her driveway impassable. She went to the front table with photographs and maps to explain her situation, and that conversation was not one that could be followed without the visual aids. Mary Ann is a past president of the Blackbrook Conservancy. She was advised of the people who needed to be involved--Charles Cochran, who in addition to being Building Department Head is also involved in the watershed, and Eric Long, Portage County Soil and Water.
That got things to the next part of the bullpen/sign issue, at 8:36.
Vic had a question for Amy Janca about the sign.
AJ: You said you would make the final decision.
Vic: Did you check with zoning?
AJ: We marked out the final location but it appears it does not conform to the zoning book. We are doing this for the township.
Vic: If we continue to follow zoning, there is only allowed to be one sign on this whole lot. That lot is this address too.
Jason: We could split the lots up. [!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]
AJ: We already have an investment in materials. You gave us the go ahead for a sign. An investment has been made and there will be a sign.
JF to Pete Tosi: Is that residential?
Answer: R3. The problem is that there are two intersections. You have to be 100 feet from both.
JF: [I believe quoting from the zoning book]: Shall not amend in any way or interfere with other codes. The display of official public notices. . . . flag, an official government body. . . .
Pete: Being owned by the township does not make it government property.
JF: So we're not a government? Also signs included for a park.
Pete: That is not a park.
Vic: We have been over that--it is not a park.
JF It looks like one on the land use plan. [Blogger: How is it that I get the impression that this has been prepped, if not exactly orchestrated?]
Sue Skrovan: The bull pen--that is not a park. [Sue is Zoning Commission secretary.]
JF: Here is my problem going through the BZA--why would the township have to go through the BZA?
Vic: It is not our sign.
Jason: The veterans memorial is a township thing. [Is it?] On this property we have a township building, a church, and a civic center. There is nothing residential about this property.
JF to Lynn Harvey, Zoning Commission chair: Are you guys working on this?
Lynn: We are working on a historic district. That would not be a re-zoning. It would be a district. People freak out when they hear they can not do what they want with their property. But this has some unique features. We would like to maintain its features.
We ran it past the state and heard back that it was an intriguing idea. They don't know if it belongs on the National Register but they want to check it out.
In addition, we have a historic marker and these three buildings are all on the National Register [of Historic Places]. There are not many of these left any more and that is why this is being so defended.
The other thing we know is that with some of the court cases we have going on is that it is very hard to get things reinforced even when we are right.
Jason: I don't disagree with you; that is why we are talking about the changes.
Lynn: I don't know that zoning will solve the problem.
JC: We are Mantua Township and a government. [He gave examples.] I don't know how that doesn't fit. The church has a sign--is that a violation?
Pete: No. That was put up before zoning.
JC: The historical society sign--
Vic: We moved that. It had been there.
AJ: The marker is 100 feet south of the right of way. We put it in per your request. [Blogger: I do not know what marker she is referring to.]
Vic: My request was to meet with Jim Aldrich.
AJ: He met with you.
Vic (sitting back in his chair a little): Ah. [Blogger: That one syllable is telling.]
AJ: Please make some consideration. We are doing this for the township. [Blogger: The word "gift" was used several times; I just did not include it in my notes.]
Vic: When I said it was not a township sign, I meant that we had no investment in it. It is a committee.
AJ: When I brought it up, you gave us the approval.
Vic: That was before the information was brought to me. With further research, that is when the setbacks and locations came into play.
AJ: Perhaps there is a solution, but we do object to having to pay for a variance with $425 out of our fund.
Vic: All he [Pete] is doing is going by the book.
[Blogger: The book is a public document; the committee could have--and apparently should have-- read it to be sure they were doing things correctly.
[The veterans memorial should not have been brought up. That whole escapade became an exercise in hostility as a lever. No one disagreed about a memorial being a good thing. No one to speak of voiced any criticism, because it was clear that the issue was the so-called third rail. When Dottie Summerlin, member of the historical society, voiced dismay over the location, her house was vandalized. And, yes, if a tree falls in the forest, with or without a sheriff's report, it has fallen. So Brian and Dottie Summerlin's experience was what one could expect for voicing any principled doubts.
[The memorial and the denuded bull pen are both monuments to hypocrisy, in my view. Touted as gifts to the township at no charge, in fact they cost money in lighting, if nothing else. And in the earlier post for this meeting, Amy Janca inquired about part time help and watering the plantings. So much for a gift to the township.
[As for beauty and aesthetics, I refer you to Aurora, Garrettsville, and Shalersville.]
This is all for this post. I have enjoyed as much of it as I can stand.
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.
