Nelson Twp. – Township officials present at the second Nelson Township trustee meeting of February, held Wednesday, February 21st were Fiscal Officer John David Finney; Trustees Kevin Cihan and Anna Mae VanDerHoeven. Joe Leonard was absent from the meeting due to illness.
After the meeting was called to order by VanDerHoeven, Finney presented the trustees with the minutes of the prior meeting which were approved as presented. Finney also presented the trustees with bills & wages to be paid totaling $21,268.32 – represented by warrants 24316—24320 (batch warrants 72-18B—81-18B). The fund status report shows a net balance of just over $275,402.
John Trevelline, park ranger at Nelson Kennedy Ledges since January 2017, was present at the meeting and introduced himself to those present. Trevelline splits his time between the Lake Milton, West Branch, and Nelson Kennedy Ledges State Parks—though he admits that Nelson Kennedy Ledges is his favorite of the three. Trevelline made the trustees aware of some of the community involvement projects he has lined up for 2018, including refurbishment and clearing work that will be aided by the local Boy Scout troops. Cihan asked Trevelline if he was aware of the increased activity planned at Nelson Quarry Park this year. Trevelline admitted that he was unaware of the extra campsites and increased events. He plans to pass the information along to his law enforcement colleagues.
Moving back to township business, the trustees present at the meeting voted to move the second meeting of March to March 20th at 7:00PM. This change will allow Finney, who will be attending a workshop on the 21st, to be present at the meeting.
Finney reported that the building permit for the Pixley Park Pavilion has been renewed. They are now just waiting on weather, and their contractor so the project can proceed.
Community House Caretaker Sandy Huzl turned in her report. It was noted that there is water on the floor of the men’s room – likely due to a leaky roof. Vanek and his crew will investigate, and a contractor will be called if needed.
Nelson Township’s Community Clean-up date has been set; the event, which is chaired by VanDerHoeven, is scheduled for May 19th & 20th. Tires, trash, and metal are all accepted.
In zoning news, Jackie Kable reported that Mr. Pitsinger plans to rebuild a structure destroyed in a fire on Silica Sand Road. He will have his permit fee waived (as is typical in this type of situation). Pitsinger will still need to pay the county for applicable permits, but can make an appointment with the zoning inspector to get his township permit. Kable reported she signed one blueprint, received one check, and answered an assortment of phone calls.
Cihan reported that Vanek had submitted his report, and is working on projecting out for the future. The crews have been working on snow removal and surfacing of the mowers. Cihan commended the road crew for the excellent job they did building a battery box for the John Deere – saving the township hundreds of dollars on an OEM part. On Vanek’s ‘to do list’: cold patching problem areas, cemetery cleanup, and installing a culvert on Pritchard Road. A motion was made to allow the purchase of a whiteboard for the road crew at a cost not to exceed $250. It will be used for project planning, work tracking, and possibly, per Finney’s suggestion, as a work mapping tool.
VanDerHoeven and Cihan spoke briefly about the new locks, keys, and electronic keypad system. A new key log has been started, and all keys are of the “DO NOT DUPLICATE” variety. Keys will not be handed out as freely as they had been in the past now that the electronic keypad is in place. The keypad can be programmed with long, or short-term keycodes that automatically expire – allowing the trustees to issue codes to groups, rental customers, and township officials. The keypad logs all entry, whether code or key, so the trustees can see who makes use of the facility.
VanDerHoeven read from the research on levies completed by Leonard. Renewing the existing levies for the road and bridge fund would generate $149,640. Seeking replacement levies could generate $225,470; which, while far more beneficial when dealing with material price increases, is statistically doomed to failure (replacement levies have a 20% success rate compared to nearly 80% success rates for renewals). Further discussion will be had at future meetings when Leonard can be present.
Windham Township trustee Brian Miller, was supposed to be in attendance to talk about an issue he had with the shooting range operated by Dale Soinski. Regrettably, Miller was unable to make it to the meeting, but the trustees discussed his complaint. Miller had asked the trustees if there was any possibility of legal action against Soinski and his shooting range. Jackie Kable reported that she has been looking into the history of the situation and the short answer is, no — not really. Nelson Township has tried and failed to bring legal action against Soinski in the past but his use of the property fits with the permit.
An Abridged History – ‘Back in the day’ Soinski sought a permit to open a shooting range in the former quarry on Silica Sand Road. His requests were denied twice by the zoning board. Soinski then submitted a request for a “hunting club” – which was approved by the zoning board, but reportedly served as a legal loophole that allowed Soinski to operate what is essentially a shooting range.
Residents present at the February 21st meeting questioned why a “hunting club” allowed automatic assault weapons, 50 caliber artillery, and allegedly allows the periodic shooting of propane tanks. To the best of their knowledge there is no reason to hunt with this type of weapon, and propane tanks are not “varmints”. One resident found it distasteful that automatic rounds were being fired off in the quarry just days after the tragic shooting in Florida.
Editors Note: While it is important to acknowledge the complaints Soinski’s business generates, it is equally important to note that his operation in Nelson Township is permitted as a hunting club and is legal from that perspective.
It is possible that Windham would be able to pursue legal action if it were to find that shooting occurs in or carries over to their jurisdiction.
Cihan discussed the NOPEC grant with Meduri. A resolution has been written up to enter into an agreement with the organization. Cihan plans to follow-up with NOPEC before the trustees decide whether to proceed or not, as there is a monetary discrepancy in the grant total. He would also like to send out letters of regret to the Zoning Inspector applicants that were not selected. The township’s document log was also updated to reflect the new file.
VanDerHoeven gave a brief synopsis of the township official meeting she attended. One of the topics of discussion at the meeting was H.B. 500 – a proposal that would allow townships to levy and collect an entertainment fee from venues operating in their jurisdiction. If the bill succeeds the township could benefit from events held at the Nelson Ledges Quarry Park, Race Track, and Shooting Ranges. Information about grants for failing residential sewage systems was also discussed at the meeting. Mary Ellen Smith has about $300,000 in grant money that can be applied for by residents of Nelson Township. The money is awarded to offset or pay for the expense of replacing/updating failing septic systems.
The meeting was adjourned shortly after.
