Blogger Foreword: A LOT has gone on since May 17, and for those things, time was of the essence.. The blog could be caught up on. So here goes. I am going to try to summarize and condense, since there is a special meeting to transcribe from May 30 plus the June 7 Trustees meeting--both of which, in my opinion, are very significant.
Jason gave a road report, beginning with this remark: I work for the people, so my job is to get experts in roads to do evaluations. [Blogger: People working for various paving and other road service companies may well have expert knowledge--but they also are interested in selling. Follow the money.]
Jason explained how the roads could be evaluated, graded from 1-5, and worked on according to a program that would eventually upgrade all of the roads.
Jason thought that a good place to start on the roads was with crack sealing, and he gave a list of roads to be considered or to do.
The first batch totaled 5.97 miles and would cost $16,000
The second batch was .86 mi. and totaled $4,150.
The list was reviewed and some roads dropped off.
Note: For details, the official minutes from May 17 would be the best source.
Vic raised the topic of Huntington Way, which is in sad shape. It has taken several rather serious repairs and needs more. It is one of the roads [in a subdivision] that must go through a year of maintenance and then they are turned over to the Township. This one needs something more than crack seal.
John Festa clarified that the county engineer actually passed on the project, which is now full of problems for the Township.
A motion was made to crack seal the listed roads, was seconded, and passed unanimously.
Jason continued: He had also looked at microsurfacing, which costs $24,000 per mile. The roads and their lengths were given, and the total for microsurfacing came to $33,600. A bid from the Portage County Engineer for chip and seal, for one mile of eighteen-foot-wide road, came to $18,321.
There is a $45 per ton cap.
Vic: It is $15,000 per mile or $45,000 per project. Vic explained how projects are defined.
Jason made a motion to accept the county's estimate of $18,321 to single seal Bowen Road for a total mileage of 1.15. Seconded and passed.
Jason also said he would get better numbers on the microseal.
Then Loris and Pioneer Trail were considered. The core sampling would cover 1/2 mile of road and would cost about $50,000. Our project is at $672,000, with a contingency on Pioneer trail of $49,500.
Jason commented that we know that the contractors are bidding lower than the county's estimate by a "decent amount" but saw the contingency money as a fallback. He asked for the other trustees' thoughts.
Vic: We did the whole [hole?] depth analysis on several other roads and put the cement [stabilization] into those. We did not have very good luck with the stabilization. Auburn Township has experienced a lot of cement stabilization, but during the first year, there is a lot of cracking and problems. The other thing Auburn has noticed is the area along the berm, which softened considerably. Vic concluded by saying that he is not a fan of this approach, but thought a leveling course and ditching really well would work better.
Jason mentioned Coldbrook, which was widened.
Vic: It was never widened that much. We had problems in 3-4 months. Jason tried to determine whether the cracking was because of the widening and not the stabilization.
Vic: We did everything according to specifications, and we still had trouble. They took samples as we went and kept changing the specifications. We had to add over 100 tons of cement.
Jason thought we needed to take core samples.
John Festa said he does not know much about the project there but would not mind talking to a few people.
Vic said Ronyak got the job and contracted with a business in Twinsburg. We had the county out and a state inspector. At first they said it was a drainage problem, but when Vic told them about the 300 feet of 12-inch pipe, they said it was because of the berm. The Township did not cut back on anything on that project.
Jason: We have to get it in. Even though the prosecutor frowns on bidding and then not doing the work, let's put out the bid books with this option. He asked for any other old business.
John Festa: Referred to a purchasing policy he had forwarded to Chris Meduri without much response. He wants to develop a purchasing policy for the township and asked for the trustees to get one in place so that everyone can see how "we spend the people's money."
[Blogger: I wasn't aware that we had been concealing that. And, considering that Frank Horack walked away with boxes of records several times, if a person can't see where the money is being spent by making a records request, will anything else make any more sense?]
Vic to Marie: Didn't we have that?
Marie: We issue purchase orders, not purchase requisitions. A purchase must be within the budget and approved.
Vic: We have not had any problem in the past. We have all tried to stay within the budget.
John Festa: So there is not going to be much to do.
Vic: I don't see that we need any[thing]. We can take a look, but we are pretty much governed by the Ohio Revised Code in our spending.
Jason asked again if there was any more old business.
John Festa: One more thing. I may have jumped the gun on records. I want to read something I was given, a synopsis of what Chris Meduri gave me.
Blogger: This is a logical stopping place so that what John Festa read will get proper attention at the front of a post, not at the end.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Ice Cream! Cookies! Raffles! More!
The Mantua Restoration Society, Inc., is having its first fund raiser to help renovate the Mantua Center School building.
What: An Old-fashioned Ice Cream and Cookie Social
When: Sunday, June 24, 2012, from 1-4p.m.
Where: Mantua Center School building gymnasium, Center Road
Country Parlor Ice Cream, Home Made Cookies, a Queen-sized Quilt by Ellie Monroe, a 50-50 raffle, t-shirts for sale (and we're working on hats for the men), bubbles for the kids and other kid stuff as we recruit people.
Ice cream and cookies: donations, please. Raffles and shirts, you know what to do.
We also want to record the stories of school days at Mantua Center School, from everyone who went there from earliest to 2004, and make a book that we can also use as a fund raiser when we have enough stories.
If you want to join The Mantua Restoration Society, Inc., we welcome anyone who supports our vision and mission to renovate and restore our historic buildings as vital centers of Township life, with an initial focus on the school building. Our dues are still $5.00, as set in 1977 when The Mantua Restoration Society, Inc., was chartered.
This is the first of many planned fund raisers. Come and enjoy this one, and give us your ideas for more to come.
Help us preserve our past; help us invest in our future.
What: An Old-fashioned Ice Cream and Cookie Social
When: Sunday, June 24, 2012, from 1-4p.m.
Where: Mantua Center School building gymnasium, Center Road
Country Parlor Ice Cream, Home Made Cookies, a Queen-sized Quilt by Ellie Monroe, a 50-50 raffle, t-shirts for sale (and we're working on hats for the men), bubbles for the kids and other kid stuff as we recruit people.
Ice cream and cookies: donations, please. Raffles and shirts, you know what to do.
We also want to record the stories of school days at Mantua Center School, from everyone who went there from earliest to 2004, and make a book that we can also use as a fund raiser when we have enough stories.
If you want to join The Mantua Restoration Society, Inc., we welcome anyone who supports our vision and mission to renovate and restore our historic buildings as vital centers of Township life, with an initial focus on the school building. Our dues are still $5.00, as set in 1977 when The Mantua Restoration Society, Inc., was chartered.
This is the first of many planned fund raisers. Come and enjoy this one, and give us your ideas for more to come.
Help us preserve our past; help us invest in our future.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
A Verse for Memorial Day
Memorial Day 2012
When veterans you meet today,
Wish them well upon their way
Let them know you'll not forget
We're all forever in their debt
For serving us in freedom's fray.
Copyright Dave Pollard, 2012
Did you know?
"Taps" was 150 years old this month, and the "echo"
that is always played in memorial ceremonies represents
the response that the Confederate buglers played when
the Union buglers played the call at the end of the day.
Fact Checker: Lucky Sand Composting
At the May 17 Trustees meeting, Vic's comment that the issue of the composting at Lucky Sand, behind Quail Crest, had come up before prompted me to check. [Blogger: A partial post of that meeting, in two segments, is below today's post.]
Here are the findings:
Contrary to a statement at the meeting, the composting operation is not new. The permit for the composting dates to October 1992. Quail Crest was not developed until 2000 or later.
A previous complaint dates from June 2009. A report from the Portage County Health Department about Lucky Sand property and composting had this finding:
"On May 28 [I] visited the property accompanied by the Ohio EPA. No foul odors, dust, or noise of public health significance" was found. "However, all surface water and leachate must be managed according to Ohio Administration code. In addition, as of the date of this letter you have not submitted an annual report to the EPA for your facility. This needs to be submitted to the EPA for review."
The person who signed the letter was Adam J. Harris, R.S.
In follow-up to the letter and discussion at the May 17, 2012, Mantua Township Trustees meeting, on Monday, May 21, at 1:45 p.m. John Vechery went to Quail Crest. When he arrived, representatives of the Portage County Health Department and the EPA were already there.
No violation was found.
The original EPA permit was for a class 3 composting facility at Lucky Sand and Gravel and was issued on October 9, 1992. The number is ID 67-3-0015.
Here are the findings:
Contrary to a statement at the meeting, the composting operation is not new. The permit for the composting dates to October 1992. Quail Crest was not developed until 2000 or later.
A previous complaint dates from June 2009. A report from the Portage County Health Department about Lucky Sand property and composting had this finding:
"On May 28 [I] visited the property accompanied by the Ohio EPA. No foul odors, dust, or noise of public health significance" was found. "However, all surface water and leachate must be managed according to Ohio Administration code. In addition, as of the date of this letter you have not submitted an annual report to the EPA for your facility. This needs to be submitted to the EPA for review."
The person who signed the letter was Adam J. Harris, R.S.
In follow-up to the letter and discussion at the May 17, 2012, Mantua Township Trustees meeting, on Monday, May 21, at 1:45 p.m. John Vechery went to Quail Crest. When he arrived, representatives of the Portage County Health Department and the EPA were already there.
No violation was found.
The original EPA permit was for a class 3 composting facility at Lucky Sand and Gravel and was issued on October 9, 1992. The number is ID 67-3-0015.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
5-17-12: Ordinary things plus Asbestos. Again.
Foreword: The section of the meeting posted here will be summarized. My notes ran to 23 pages, and every word is not something on which the fate of the nation hangs.
After the presentation of the letter about the Mantua Restoration Society, Inc., there was discussion about roads and materials.
Vic pointed out that the Township must comply with the section of the Ohio Revised Code that limits us to a certain amount of asphalt per mile.
Jason made a resolution to use Strausser Construction. This is to [let us] participate in ODOT's co-operative purchasing plan. John Festa seconded; unanimous.
Vic: We need to get a letter back saying we have been accepted.
Jason: The new zoning resolution has been transferred to CD. It has three different sizes of the new zoning map. Marie Stehli has two copies.
Lynn Harvey: Did you have any idea what to charge for those? Can we give them to the Land Use Plan [committee]?
Marie said there was some question about how to deal with that.
Jason: CD costs = .75; we can donate CDs to the Land Use Committee and the Zoning Commission.
There is to be a special meeting to interview candidates for road crew worker.
Jason: Old business. Talked about the last special meeting.
John Festa brought two letters from residents. One was about a request for the trustees to replace the survey stakes on a property on Sheldon Road, removed about 10 years ago when ditching was done.
Vic: This is the first I have heard of this. It was an Issue 2 project that involved some reconstruction on the berm. It may have been a county project. Vic said he would call the county surveyor about it It should be only the two pins on the corners at the road.
Jason had talked to Scott Miller about the cul de sac on Loris Avenue; the person who deals with it has been out due to illness. Vic will follow up.
John Festa's second letter was a petition from the residents of Quail Crest about the composting operation on the Lucky Sand and Gravel property behind that subdivision. The activity goes on 7 days a week, and it sometimes produces offensive odors. There is a lot of dust as well.
Vic said that this had come up several times over the years, and probably John Vechery could contact [them/Solon Sand] and follow up on the past history. [Apparently the composting has sometimes been blamed for odors when in fact the farmer in the same area had just spread manure.]
John Festa had been in touch with one of the residents and had gotten a whiff of the odor, which he considered not very pleasant.
Jason: Every year in Columbus they talk about how people move to the country and then complain about farm odors. Lucky/Solon Sand has been there for a long time. I don't live there and we do need to take a look at it. The resident who was at the meeting did know that there was a sand and gravel operation behind the subdivision, but there had been no notification about the new business of composting starting up. He does understand the illogic of moving in next to a railroad, for example, and then complaining about the noise.
Vic thanked everyone who had worked on spring cleanup. We filled eight 40-yard dumpsters, two with metal and one partially filled with metal. One 40-yard dumpster was filled with tires. He also mentioned the tire dropoff which by the time of this post has already occurred but had been publicized in advance along with cleanup day.
Vic: The contract for salt. Last year the predicted hard winter turned out to be very mild. Last year we ordered 750 tons and purchased 600 tons. At the end of March we had used only 500 tons. In the past we have always had cinders or sand to help out. Vic mentioned use figures for the past several years. and commented that we have about 300 tons in the salt shed. Jason asked whether if we purchased 675 tons we would have enough, with what we have on hand. John Festa asked about price.
A township can go up to 120% of its original use estimate.
Vic then reported on a request made at the previous meeting concerning asbestos. He had all of the reports at the desk with him if anyone wanted to review it. The specific issue pertained to suspected asbestos in the hallway of the gymnasium area in the school building.
Vic read the letter from Diamond Environmental. [Blogger: This issue has been raised and addressed a number of times in the past , and it will be a part of public comment for this meeting. Since it has been harped on so much even though it has been answered each time, I will get the information and put it into its own post verbatim.]
However, this information warrants being included right now: The standard is that if there is greater than 1% by weight of asbestos containing materials, then action must be taken. Three samples were taken at the school, and all three were negative. [Blogger's emphasis. It's sort of like the question "What part of 'No' do you not understand?"]
Vic continued: Paper work from the lab reports that no type of asbestos was discovered.
Vic: Along with that was the issue of how we disposed of it. On June 18 [Blogger: I did not get the year, which may not have been mentioned] we have a receipt from Waste Management in Solon [that] indicates the paperwork of everything disposed of t here. Vic also reported on Brad Pringle's inspection of the older part of the building. [Mr. Pringle is the EPA inspector in this area.] He said to continue with what was being done if he did not re-contact the trustees. He did not re-contact them, and work continued. Vic commented that a lot of this stuff was removed in the '90's, when abatement of hazardous materials, especially asbestos, was a major concern of school systems.
Dan Cozzens [who, I believe, had made the request for records]: So that was just taken to the landfill on Cochran--they did not test it? Does the landfill need to do that? [Blogger: I believe the answer is no; that is not the responsibility of the landfill. Other paperwork covers that.]
Vic also showed a flier from Maplewood JVS containing a disclaimer: The building has asbestos containing materials in it. The known fibrile asbestos is of no immediate concern to the users of the building. Vic also pointed out that such buildings and areas can be worked on so long as the area is watered down so that the asbestos fibers do not become airborne.
[Blogger: This is a logical stopping place for content and is about halfway through my notes.]
After the presentation of the letter about the Mantua Restoration Society, Inc., there was discussion about roads and materials.
Vic pointed out that the Township must comply with the section of the Ohio Revised Code that limits us to a certain amount of asphalt per mile.
Jason made a resolution to use Strausser Construction. This is to [let us] participate in ODOT's co-operative purchasing plan. John Festa seconded; unanimous.
Vic: We need to get a letter back saying we have been accepted.
Jason: The new zoning resolution has been transferred to CD. It has three different sizes of the new zoning map. Marie Stehli has two copies.
Lynn Harvey: Did you have any idea what to charge for those? Can we give them to the Land Use Plan [committee]?
Marie said there was some question about how to deal with that.
Jason: CD costs = .75; we can donate CDs to the Land Use Committee and the Zoning Commission.
There is to be a special meeting to interview candidates for road crew worker.
Jason: Old business. Talked about the last special meeting.
John Festa brought two letters from residents. One was about a request for the trustees to replace the survey stakes on a property on Sheldon Road, removed about 10 years ago when ditching was done.
Vic: This is the first I have heard of this. It was an Issue 2 project that involved some reconstruction on the berm. It may have been a county project. Vic said he would call the county surveyor about it It should be only the two pins on the corners at the road.
Jason had talked to Scott Miller about the cul de sac on Loris Avenue; the person who deals with it has been out due to illness. Vic will follow up.
John Festa's second letter was a petition from the residents of Quail Crest about the composting operation on the Lucky Sand and Gravel property behind that subdivision. The activity goes on 7 days a week, and it sometimes produces offensive odors. There is a lot of dust as well.
Vic said that this had come up several times over the years, and probably John Vechery could contact [them/Solon Sand] and follow up on the past history. [Apparently the composting has sometimes been blamed for odors when in fact the farmer in the same area had just spread manure.]
John Festa had been in touch with one of the residents and had gotten a whiff of the odor, which he considered not very pleasant.
Jason: Every year in Columbus they talk about how people move to the country and then complain about farm odors. Lucky/Solon Sand has been there for a long time. I don't live there and we do need to take a look at it. The resident who was at the meeting did know that there was a sand and gravel operation behind the subdivision, but there had been no notification about the new business of composting starting up. He does understand the illogic of moving in next to a railroad, for example, and then complaining about the noise.
Vic thanked everyone who had worked on spring cleanup. We filled eight 40-yard dumpsters, two with metal and one partially filled with metal. One 40-yard dumpster was filled with tires. He also mentioned the tire dropoff which by the time of this post has already occurred but had been publicized in advance along with cleanup day.
Vic: The contract for salt. Last year the predicted hard winter turned out to be very mild. Last year we ordered 750 tons and purchased 600 tons. At the end of March we had used only 500 tons. In the past we have always had cinders or sand to help out. Vic mentioned use figures for the past several years. and commented that we have about 300 tons in the salt shed. Jason asked whether if we purchased 675 tons we would have enough, with what we have on hand. John Festa asked about price.
A township can go up to 120% of its original use estimate.
Vic then reported on a request made at the previous meeting concerning asbestos. He had all of the reports at the desk with him if anyone wanted to review it. The specific issue pertained to suspected asbestos in the hallway of the gymnasium area in the school building.
Vic read the letter from Diamond Environmental. [Blogger: This issue has been raised and addressed a number of times in the past , and it will be a part of public comment for this meeting. Since it has been harped on so much even though it has been answered each time, I will get the information and put it into its own post verbatim.]
However, this information warrants being included right now: The standard is that if there is greater than 1% by weight of asbestos containing materials, then action must be taken. Three samples were taken at the school, and all three were negative. [Blogger's emphasis. It's sort of like the question "What part of 'No' do you not understand?"]
Vic continued: Paper work from the lab reports that no type of asbestos was discovered.
Vic: Along with that was the issue of how we disposed of it. On June 18 [Blogger: I did not get the year, which may not have been mentioned] we have a receipt from Waste Management in Solon [that] indicates the paperwork of everything disposed of t here. Vic also reported on Brad Pringle's inspection of the older part of the building. [Mr. Pringle is the EPA inspector in this area.] He said to continue with what was being done if he did not re-contact the trustees. He did not re-contact them, and work continued. Vic commented that a lot of this stuff was removed in the '90's, when abatement of hazardous materials, especially asbestos, was a major concern of school systems.
Dan Cozzens [who, I believe, had made the request for records]: So that was just taken to the landfill on Cochran--they did not test it? Does the landfill need to do that? [Blogger: I believe the answer is no; that is not the responsibility of the landfill. Other paperwork covers that.]
Vic also showed a flier from Maplewood JVS containing a disclaimer: The building has asbestos containing materials in it. The known fibrile asbestos is of no immediate concern to the users of the building. Vic also pointed out that such buildings and areas can be worked on so long as the area is watered down so that the asbestos fibers do not become airborne.
[Blogger: This is a logical stopping place for content and is about halfway through my notes.]
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Budget workshops & meetings; The Mantua Restoration Society, Inc., introduced.
This post and the next several are for the May 17, 2012, Mantua Township Trustees meeting.
I didn't count, but someone who did said 42 people were there--not quite standing room, but approaching it.
There were two sets of minutes, one from the May 3 meeting and one from a special meeting to discusss the roads. The minutes from the special meeting were read at Vic's request. Jason had taken notes in Marie's necessary absence.
Before that meeting, the paving company representative [I believe that is the right term] surveyed the roads by driving them to observe pavement condition and ride. Tending them must be spread out over a number of years. Pioneer Trail from Chamberlin to Diagonal has been deteriorating; there is a method of grinding down as much as 16" and mixing that material with Portland cement and then using it to repave.
[There will be more about the roads later.]
Marie Stehli wanted to schedule a budget workshop in preparation for the budget hearing the first week in July. She asked to move the second July meeting to the 17th or 18th. Various dates were discussed for the budget workshop, ranging from June 11 through June 14. [Frankly, your blogger lost track.] The meeting, plus the change of the regular July meeting to--I believe--July 18 will all be advertised. They may already be posted on the board outside the Township Hall. Check there or in the paper.
The insurance premium is a bit lower than last year.
Marie asked for supplemental appropriations to be approved, including $1,000 for the official Township website. The County Auditor [appropriation] was short--take that [the website appropriation, I believe] from the elections fund because that fund is done for this fiscal year.
Marie asked for a single resolution to be made to cover all of the transfers, rather than each individual ones in order to consolidate everything. The minutes are the official place to find all of that information.
The Fiscal Officer's part of the meeting continued. Audits will begin on May 29. The lead auditor wanted to come on Wednesday May 30 and would like to meet with the trustees at 9 a.m.
Jason asked about that--he had never met with the auditor before. The question was asked if they had to meet with her, and Marie said that it would be a good idea.
Marie also mentioned how things were working with the culverts and said that she needed a bit more paper work in order to know what was really out there.
She had a letter to sign to Doll Lumber thanking the company for donating 8yards of mulch.
There was a little more discussion about culverts and paper work.
Reports:
Zoning Inspector, nothing. Zoning Commission: There had been discussion with Todd Peetz, Regional Planning, about resolving the confusion that the BZA had on their interpretation of conditional businesses. . Lynn Harvey said that there were some good ideas out on the table.
Road Department: Some discussion about uniforms and the vendor supplying them. Everyone is still happy with the vendor, Spirit.
Clubs and Committees: Terri Vechery thanked Brian Tayerle for the hard work the road crew has done for the Garden Club. The plant sale is scheduled at the green for Saturday, June 2, from 9-2.
LCA: Barb Herbold also thanked the volunteers for the Violet Turner tree dedication, and thanked the road crew for all of the brush removal at the cemetery. She asked about the Blair memorial, which has toppled over. Vic said it had happened when a tree fell and that fixing it has been arranged. Barb continued: The LCA cleanup at the cemetery will begin on May 19. Barb will have her own personal perennial plant sale and will donate all proceeds to the beautification of West Lawn.
Chamber of Commerce: John Festa reported that the cleanup day went well.
Linda Ehlert asked on behalf of the Historical Society for permission to hang old prints on the walls of the Township Hall. Larry Leitzow has paid for the framing. They are old buildings from the township. The trustees agreed that it would be OK. Jason commented that they have a colored map of the zoning now, and he would like to have that in the Township Hall also.
Lynn Harvey: We have an organization that we would like to introduce to the Trustees. It is sort of complicated, we would like to read the letter. She gave each trustee a copy and said that three people would read it. She began. The full text of the letter, with who read which sections, follows.
May 16, 2012
To Trustees Jason Carlton, John Festa, and Victor Grimm
Lynn Harvey, Chair, Zoning Commission: As you are aware an open house for Mantua Center School was one year ago on July 10, 2011 with volunteers cleaning the school, preparing food, advertising, landscaping, and cleaning up after the event, which we were all extremely pleased to do.
Since that time, the gym has been approved by the Portage Co. Board of elections as a central location for township residents to vote because of the excellent location and facilities. We have had very positive feedback from the community on the convenience of this location to vote; however, people have noticed that the main portion of the school has not advanced in the plan set forth to use it for government offices and records storage.
Dottie Summerlin, President, Mantua Historical Society, continued: Since the Friends of the Mantua Center School organized the open house we have not been idle. We have gained a few more interested members and conducted research for fundraising to provide monies to repair, reorganized and maintain the historic buildings in our township. To that end, while looking through the historical archives, we discovered paperwork for The Mantua Restoration Society, Inc. which was incorporated in 1977 as a nonprofit to raise funds to dig basements and perform repairs to the Town Hall and Civic Center. This organization included community leaders and trustees coming together to rehabilitate these buildings, for future generations to enjoy and use into the next century. And residents are enjoying them. Today we see the issue of the school building to be no different than the Town Hall and Civic Center were then.
On April 19, 2012, The Mantua Historical Society submitted to the Ohio Historical Preservation Office a preliminary application to place the Mantua CenterSchol building on the National Register of Historic Places. On April 26, 2012, confirmation was received from the OHPO stating, "we believe that the property appears to be eligible for nomination to the National Register for significance under Criteria A; a property associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history, as representative of early and mid-twentieth century educational development within the community. It also appears to be eligible for nomination under Criteria C, due to its architectural distinction and high level of historic integrity." We will soon be in the process of completing the actual nomination to the National Park Service, which is the next step in the National Register of Historic Places program. If it is placed on the register by the National Park Service it would become eligible to apply for and possibly receive grant money.
Terri Vechery, one of the original Friends of the Mantua Center School, concluded: On April 5, 2012 The Friends of the Mantua Center School, in order to have a more formal structure for their activities, renewed the charter of The Mantua Restoration Society, Inc. and will continue the stated purpose of the Society: to promote the cause of preservation and restoration of all Mantua Township buildings that contribute to our historical and cultural values.
We have consulted a lawyer who specializes in historic preservation and with our initial focus on the school, we look forward to working with the trustees and all residents who are willing to volunteer to come together to make the necessary repairs to the school. With a community volunteer effort the cost to the taxpayers will be minimal and restoring the Mantua Center School building will carry out the recommendations of the Citizens Advisory Committee to complete the township's historic district and maintain the character of the Western Reserve that established Mantua Township. We anticipate that this work will revive and restore our township center for years to come.
Jason had a question but was uncertain about who to address it to . Every club and committee is open to all residents. I would state that if this organization exists and wants to continue that anyone who wishes to [could] join. He alluded to the Friends of the Mantua Center School as a closed group. [Blogger: As a member of that group, I have a comment about that statement: It is that we made it clear from the beginning that we were a volunteer group, implying that anyone could offer to help. Having never done anything like the Open House before, we were so focused on getting the school ready and planning the event that we never looked up and took a breath long enough to ask for additional help. And no one came forward, either.]
[Blogger note: I did not write it down, so this is approximately what Jason also said: That {just any} group could not report at meetings. The {} are mine. Once everything is posted for this meeting, I will check my memory against a recording and modify the statement here if and as necessary.]
Lynn Harvey: This is not the same as the group that organized the Open House. This is chartered by the State. I have them [the forms] and they are online. It is no secret.
Terri Vechery: Anyone is welcome to join. If we report, it will be under clubs and organizations.
Jason reconfirmed that it is open to all residents.
Terri: But this is for the purpose of having fund raisers. People can put money there and know it is going towards the buildings. We want to keep fund raising going.
Lynn: We have an official bank account. With the financial crunch that many communities are under these days, we can fund work on the school without asking money from the trustees.
[Blogger note: Our historic preservation consultant has informed me that The Mantua Restoration Society, Inc., is open to anyone who agrees with and supports our vision and mission statements. They follow.
Vision Statement:
The Mantua Restoration Society, Inc., is a volunteer group of citizens who value and seek to preserve the historic center of Mantua Township as heritage, inspiration and focus of Township life.
Mission Statement;
The mission of The Mantua Restoration Society, Inc., is to seek and develop funding to preserve historic buildings and sites in order for them to be vibrant, integral parts of Township government and civic life.]
I didn't count, but someone who did said 42 people were there--not quite standing room, but approaching it.
There were two sets of minutes, one from the May 3 meeting and one from a special meeting to discusss the roads. The minutes from the special meeting were read at Vic's request. Jason had taken notes in Marie's necessary absence.
Before that meeting, the paving company representative [I believe that is the right term] surveyed the roads by driving them to observe pavement condition and ride. Tending them must be spread out over a number of years. Pioneer Trail from Chamberlin to Diagonal has been deteriorating; there is a method of grinding down as much as 16" and mixing that material with Portland cement and then using it to repave.
[There will be more about the roads later.]
Marie Stehli wanted to schedule a budget workshop in preparation for the budget hearing the first week in July. She asked to move the second July meeting to the 17th or 18th. Various dates were discussed for the budget workshop, ranging from June 11 through June 14. [Frankly, your blogger lost track.] The meeting, plus the change of the regular July meeting to--I believe--July 18 will all be advertised. They may already be posted on the board outside the Township Hall. Check there or in the paper.
The insurance premium is a bit lower than last year.
Marie asked for supplemental appropriations to be approved, including $1,000 for the official Township website. The County Auditor [appropriation] was short--take that [the website appropriation, I believe] from the elections fund because that fund is done for this fiscal year.
Marie asked for a single resolution to be made to cover all of the transfers, rather than each individual ones in order to consolidate everything. The minutes are the official place to find all of that information.
The Fiscal Officer's part of the meeting continued. Audits will begin on May 29. The lead auditor wanted to come on Wednesday May 30 and would like to meet with the trustees at 9 a.m.
Jason asked about that--he had never met with the auditor before. The question was asked if they had to meet with her, and Marie said that it would be a good idea.
Marie also mentioned how things were working with the culverts and said that she needed a bit more paper work in order to know what was really out there.
She had a letter to sign to Doll Lumber thanking the company for donating 8yards of mulch.
There was a little more discussion about culverts and paper work.
Reports:
Zoning Inspector, nothing. Zoning Commission: There had been discussion with Todd Peetz, Regional Planning, about resolving the confusion that the BZA had on their interpretation of conditional businesses. . Lynn Harvey said that there were some good ideas out on the table.
Road Department: Some discussion about uniforms and the vendor supplying them. Everyone is still happy with the vendor, Spirit.
Clubs and Committees: Terri Vechery thanked Brian Tayerle for the hard work the road crew has done for the Garden Club. The plant sale is scheduled at the green for Saturday, June 2, from 9-2.
LCA: Barb Herbold also thanked the volunteers for the Violet Turner tree dedication, and thanked the road crew for all of the brush removal at the cemetery. She asked about the Blair memorial, which has toppled over. Vic said it had happened when a tree fell and that fixing it has been arranged. Barb continued: The LCA cleanup at the cemetery will begin on May 19. Barb will have her own personal perennial plant sale and will donate all proceeds to the beautification of West Lawn.
Chamber of Commerce: John Festa reported that the cleanup day went well.
Linda Ehlert asked on behalf of the Historical Society for permission to hang old prints on the walls of the Township Hall. Larry Leitzow has paid for the framing. They are old buildings from the township. The trustees agreed that it would be OK. Jason commented that they have a colored map of the zoning now, and he would like to have that in the Township Hall also.
Lynn Harvey: We have an organization that we would like to introduce to the Trustees. It is sort of complicated, we would like to read the letter. She gave each trustee a copy and said that three people would read it. She began. The full text of the letter, with who read which sections, follows.
May 16, 2012
To Trustees Jason Carlton, John Festa, and Victor Grimm
Lynn Harvey, Chair, Zoning Commission: As you are aware an open house for Mantua Center School was one year ago on July 10, 2011 with volunteers cleaning the school, preparing food, advertising, landscaping, and cleaning up after the event, which we were all extremely pleased to do.
Since that time, the gym has been approved by the Portage Co. Board of elections as a central location for township residents to vote because of the excellent location and facilities. We have had very positive feedback from the community on the convenience of this location to vote; however, people have noticed that the main portion of the school has not advanced in the plan set forth to use it for government offices and records storage.
Dottie Summerlin, President, Mantua Historical Society, continued: Since the Friends of the Mantua Center School organized the open house we have not been idle. We have gained a few more interested members and conducted research for fundraising to provide monies to repair, reorganized and maintain the historic buildings in our township. To that end, while looking through the historical archives, we discovered paperwork for The Mantua Restoration Society, Inc. which was incorporated in 1977 as a nonprofit to raise funds to dig basements and perform repairs to the Town Hall and Civic Center. This organization included community leaders and trustees coming together to rehabilitate these buildings, for future generations to enjoy and use into the next century. And residents are enjoying them. Today we see the issue of the school building to be no different than the Town Hall and Civic Center were then.
On April 19, 2012, The Mantua Historical Society submitted to the Ohio Historical Preservation Office a preliminary application to place the Mantua CenterSchol building on the National Register of Historic Places. On April 26, 2012, confirmation was received from the OHPO stating, "we believe that the property appears to be eligible for nomination to the National Register for significance under Criteria A; a property associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history, as representative of early and mid-twentieth century educational development within the community. It also appears to be eligible for nomination under Criteria C, due to its architectural distinction and high level of historic integrity." We will soon be in the process of completing the actual nomination to the National Park Service, which is the next step in the National Register of Historic Places program. If it is placed on the register by the National Park Service it would become eligible to apply for and possibly receive grant money.
Terri Vechery, one of the original Friends of the Mantua Center School, concluded: On April 5, 2012 The Friends of the Mantua Center School, in order to have a more formal structure for their activities, renewed the charter of The Mantua Restoration Society, Inc. and will continue the stated purpose of the Society: to promote the cause of preservation and restoration of all Mantua Township buildings that contribute to our historical and cultural values.
We have consulted a lawyer who specializes in historic preservation and with our initial focus on the school, we look forward to working with the trustees and all residents who are willing to volunteer to come together to make the necessary repairs to the school. With a community volunteer effort the cost to the taxpayers will be minimal and restoring the Mantua Center School building will carry out the recommendations of the Citizens Advisory Committee to complete the township's historic district and maintain the character of the Western Reserve that established Mantua Township. We anticipate that this work will revive and restore our township center for years to come.
Jason had a question but was uncertain about who to address it to . Every club and committee is open to all residents. I would state that if this organization exists and wants to continue that anyone who wishes to [could] join. He alluded to the Friends of the Mantua Center School as a closed group. [Blogger: As a member of that group, I have a comment about that statement: It is that we made it clear from the beginning that we were a volunteer group, implying that anyone could offer to help. Having never done anything like the Open House before, we were so focused on getting the school ready and planning the event that we never looked up and took a breath long enough to ask for additional help. And no one came forward, either.]
[Blogger note: I did not write it down, so this is approximately what Jason also said: That {just any} group could not report at meetings. The {} are mine. Once everything is posted for this meeting, I will check my memory against a recording and modify the statement here if and as necessary.]
Lynn Harvey: This is not the same as the group that organized the Open House. This is chartered by the State. I have them [the forms] and they are online. It is no secret.
Terri Vechery: Anyone is welcome to join. If we report, it will be under clubs and organizations.
Jason reconfirmed that it is open to all residents.
Terri: But this is for the purpose of having fund raisers. People can put money there and know it is going towards the buildings. We want to keep fund raising going.
Lynn: We have an official bank account. With the financial crunch that many communities are under these days, we can fund work on the school without asking money from the trustees.
[Blogger note: Our historic preservation consultant has informed me that The Mantua Restoration Society, Inc., is open to anyone who agrees with and supports our vision and mission statements. They follow.
Vision Statement:
The Mantua Restoration Society, Inc., is a volunteer group of citizens who value and seek to preserve the historic center of Mantua Township as heritage, inspiration and focus of Township life.
Mission Statement;
The mission of The Mantua Restoration Society, Inc., is to seek and develop funding to preserve historic buildings and sites in order for them to be vibrant, integral parts of Township government and civic life.]
Thursday, May 17, 2012
A Trojan Horse from John Festa?
At the May 3 Mantua Township Trustees meeting, at the end of his presentation, John Festa mentioned a "purchase policy" that would help establish a standard approach to the Township's dealing with vendors and contractors. It sounded perfectly unobjectionable, although possibly unnecessary if the Trustees had made sure to familiarize themselves with the Ohio Revised Code.
What John Festa had in his hands looked like rather a sheaf of papers, so I made a records request. This post is not about the purchasing policies: it is about the position referred to several times in the document. The sections containing those references are quoted exactly. (Please remember that some errors don't get caught by Spellcheck because they are spelled right, but are the wrong word for the context.)
After the first couple of boldfaces of "Township Manager," I did not note that it was my emphasis, but continued to boldface it.
1. Purpose. This Policy sets out guidelines for the Township to ensure that all purchases of goods and services provide the best value for Township taxpayers. . . . .This policy has been approved and adopted by the Board of Trustees.
[Blogger: At the May 3 meeting, the policy was only put on the table physically and given to Marie. But am I missing something, or does this seem to say that it's a done deal? Blogger's emphasis.]
3) Responsibility. Approval of all Township purchases is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees or, where delegated, the Township Manager. [Blogger's emphasis.]
4) Authority. While the Board of Trustees has legal authority to purchase all goods and services, the Board of Trustees may and has delegated management of the purchasing function, as well authority to make certain purchases, to the Township Manager. [Blogger's emphasis. Word missing between "well" and "authority" in original.]
9) Purchasing Procedures.
a. Purchases less than $250. Unless otherwise provided, such purchases shall be made after efforts have been undertaken to secure the desired goods or services at the lowest price, as determined by the Township Manager.
12) Professional Services. The Township may use a competitive negotiation process to retain professional services including but not limited to legal, architectural, engineering, accounting, and other consulting services. If employed, the negotiation process shall be the responsibility of the Board of Trustees or, if delegated by the Board of Trustees, the Township Manager.
13) Contracts. All Township contracts shall be signed by the Board of Trustees or, if delegated by the Board of Trustees, the Township Manager.
14) Change Orders. Change orders to purchases authorized by the Board of Trustees shall first be approved by the Board of Trustees. Change orders to purchases authorized by the Township Manager shall first be approved by the Township Manager. . . .
17) Emergency Purchases. [Emergency purchases defined, first two sentences.] The requisition form for said purchase shall be marked "EMERGENCY" and signed by the Township Manager.
[Blogger: This post is not about a purchase policy which may be redundant because all of its tenets are set forth in other documents and governed by other authorities.
This post is about what looks to me like another expense to the township for no obvious reason. Would someone tell me why, in a township of fewer than 5,000 people, we need a new position?
How will that position be filled? By hiring? Or by appointment? WHO would be appointed? And remember that appointed positions, at least on the Zoning boards, have to run a course (barring illegal activity).
What about compensation and benefits? Just using the lowest-paid road crew wages, which come to (I believe) about $24,000, benefits add another $11,000.
Can we all say "Cuyahoga County?" Or "payoff?" Is that what's happening? No one knows yet. But the questions should be raised at the beginning, not after the fan is groaning under the overload. It doesn't look reassuring to me, and that is my opinion based not on watching a video, but on years of attending Township meetings, observing how things have been done with such care to the law and to our finances in the past, and now seeing a contrast.]
What John Festa had in his hands looked like rather a sheaf of papers, so I made a records request. This post is not about the purchasing policies: it is about the position referred to several times in the document. The sections containing those references are quoted exactly. (Please remember that some errors don't get caught by Spellcheck because they are spelled right, but are the wrong word for the context.)
After the first couple of boldfaces of "Township Manager," I did not note that it was my emphasis, but continued to boldface it.
1. Purpose. This Policy sets out guidelines for the Township to ensure that all purchases of goods and services provide the best value for Township taxpayers. . . . .This policy has been approved and adopted by the Board of Trustees.
[Blogger: At the May 3 meeting, the policy was only put on the table physically and given to Marie. But am I missing something, or does this seem to say that it's a done deal? Blogger's emphasis.]
3) Responsibility. Approval of all Township purchases is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees or, where delegated, the Township Manager. [Blogger's emphasis.]
4) Authority. While the Board of Trustees has legal authority to purchase all goods and services, the Board of Trustees may and has delegated management of the purchasing function, as well authority to make certain purchases, to the Township Manager. [Blogger's emphasis. Word missing between "well" and "authority" in original.]
9) Purchasing Procedures.
a. Purchases less than $250. Unless otherwise provided, such purchases shall be made after efforts have been undertaken to secure the desired goods or services at the lowest price, as determined by the Township Manager.
12) Professional Services. The Township may use a competitive negotiation process to retain professional services including but not limited to legal, architectural, engineering, accounting, and other consulting services. If employed, the negotiation process shall be the responsibility of the Board of Trustees or, if delegated by the Board of Trustees, the Township Manager.
13) Contracts. All Township contracts shall be signed by the Board of Trustees or, if delegated by the Board of Trustees, the Township Manager.
14) Change Orders. Change orders to purchases authorized by the Board of Trustees shall first be approved by the Board of Trustees. Change orders to purchases authorized by the Township Manager shall first be approved by the Township Manager. . . .
17) Emergency Purchases. [Emergency purchases defined, first two sentences.] The requisition form for said purchase shall be marked "EMERGENCY" and signed by the Township Manager.
[Blogger: This post is not about a purchase policy which may be redundant because all of its tenets are set forth in other documents and governed by other authorities.
This post is about what looks to me like another expense to the township for no obvious reason. Would someone tell me why, in a township of fewer than 5,000 people, we need a new position?
How will that position be filled? By hiring? Or by appointment? WHO would be appointed? And remember that appointed positions, at least on the Zoning boards, have to run a course (barring illegal activity).
What about compensation and benefits? Just using the lowest-paid road crew wages, which come to (I believe) about $24,000, benefits add another $11,000.
Can we all say "Cuyahoga County?" Or "payoff?" Is that what's happening? No one knows yet. But the questions should be raised at the beginning, not after the fan is groaning under the overload. It doesn't look reassuring to me, and that is my opinion based not on watching a video, but on years of attending Township meetings, observing how things have been done with such care to the law and to our finances in the past, and now seeing a contrast.]
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