Nelson Twp – Officials present at the July 2, 2014 trustee meeting were fiscal officer J. David Finney and township trustees Joe Leonard, Mike Elias, and Tom Matota. Also present were Roads Supervisor Chuck Vanek, Zoning Inspector Anna Mae VanDerHoeven.
Elias made a motion to accept the minutes from the previous meeting as presented; the motion was seconded by Matota, and all approved.
Finney presented the trustees with bills and wages to be paid totaling $18,178.74. A motion to pay the bills and wages was made by Elias and seconded by Leonard. The motion carried unanimously.
Finney reported that he had received three bids from the advertisement of the chip & seal projects. The trustees opened the sealed bids at the meeting and briefly reviewed each. The first bid received came from Hughes Contracting Incorporated who submitted a bid totaling $109,042.60. Of that figure, Norton Road accounted for $24,466.40. The second bid was received from H. Luli Construction Company whose bid came in at $118,449.27, of which the double chip & sealing of Norton Road comprised $26,739.80. The final bid was received from Ronyak Paving Incorporated and totaled 166,194.20; Norton comprised $38,559.30 of that bid. Finney recommended that the trustees hold off on making any decisions about the bids until the next meeting so that he can take a look at the numbers and see how they fall in line with the budget. In a worst-case scenario, the conversion of Norton Road from a gravel road to a chip and sealed road would be put off for another year.
Following the opening of the sealed bids for the roads, Finney walked the trustees through a comparison between the budget appropriations and the budget. Finney stated that he feels that his estimates for the year have been “pretty close” as the Township is at about the point he predicted it would be for the first half of the year. Around 57% of revenue has been received, and the Township’s expenditures are currently around $238,000 with a $280,000 unencumbered balance.
Matota asked VanDerHoeven to clarify some notes in her report for him. Matota also asked VanDerHoeven whether there have been any applications for home business permits; there have not. Elias expressed an interest in having new home construction tracked to see how quickly the Township is growing.
Vanek reported that the new mower is shipping out and should be attached to the tractor soon. He informed the trustees that Cope would charge $450 for delivery of the new tractor. Matota asked if any progress has been made on getting the current tractor into the auction. Vanek replied that Chalker’s Auction just needs a photo to be able to list it, as the rest of the information, including reserve price, is ready to go. Matota informed those present that he had met with an ODOT Rep, and that the rep spoke very highly of Vanek. Matota then asked about the playground concrete work; he is concerned that there are some sharp edges in the cement footers, and asked Vanek to have his guys break down some of the ridges before they are covered with fill & mulch.
Matota reported that he reached out to the parties involved on Shanks-Down Road. Everyone seems to be on board at this time. Meduri will be taking the lead on creating a document for all parties to sign. Trumbull & Portage counties both want to move on the vacating of Shanks-Down Road. Matota also attended a meeting with the solid waste District and their plan for recycling. Portage County is in a situation where the Portage County Solid Waste District is going to have to invest resources and become a viable waste management system, or they will have to work with private haulers. There will be a public meeting on July 16th at 11:00 AM in the County Administration Building with the County Commissioners and representatives of the Waste District for public input. Anyone curious or concerned about the changes to the waste management program should attend. According to Matota the Solid Waste District would like to push communities to a curbside recycling program that is paid for by the residents.
Elias reported that Larry Limpert had mentioned that putting No Parking signs along Bloom Road would be beneficial to helping curb problematic activity at the Quarry Park. Limpert brought the issue to Elias’ attention because people are parking on the road and walking over to the Quarry Park. If signage prohibiting parking was present, citations could be issued, and the issue would likely resolve itself. Matota recommend getting Meduri involved as there may be legal hoops that need to be jumped through. Possibly a resolution to prohibit parking. On the subject of the abandoned house, unkempt property, and scrapped car on Nelson Circle, Meduri recommended that the Township send a letter. Elias will work with Finney to draft a letter for the trustees to sign. Elias also brought a concern about mosquitos at the Nelson Racetrack to the attention of the other trustees. Elias will notify the Health Department who will then notify the current property owner.
Leonard reported that the salt barn is running behind schedule due to the wet weather, and Finney mentioned that Vanek had suggested sealing the concrete before filling the barn with salt. Vanek has also put together a rough estimate for the materials necessary to install the drains and floor of the building. Leonard informed the other trustees that the trees for Pixley Park will still be received, however this year’s excessively wet weather has delayed their transport until autumn. Leonard also reported that the Portage County Sheriff’s Department, local police forces, and the Portage County Drug Task Force would have a very heavy presence in the area through Sunday. They are working to curb the drug activity surrounding events at the Quarry Park.
Following the signing of checks to pay bills and wages the meeting was adjourned.
Nelson Trustees meet on the first and third Wednesdays of the month at 7 p.m. in the Community House. Meetings are open to the public and residents are encourage to attend.
