Nelson Twp – Officials present at the February 5th, 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, and Community House Caretaker Michelle Cmunt.
As the first order of business, Finney presented the minutes of the January 15th meeting for approval. Matota made a motion to accept the minutes as presented; Elias seconded the motion. All trustees voted to approve the minutes.
Finney presented the trustees bills and wages to be paid, totaling $14,392.21. Finney also provided the trustees with a copy of the Fund Status Report showing the balances of all Township funds. The trustees were also made aware of openings on the various zoning boards. A cemetery deed was also signed and witnessed at the meeting. Elias made a motion to pay the bills and wages; Matota seconded the motion. With a 3:0 vote, the motion carried.
Cmunt informed the trustees that the supplies for the Community House floor would be arriving soon.
VanDerHoeven reported that a new Amish school will be built on a section of the Pixley property. Matota asked VanDerHoeven about the total number of properties entered for the Move Ohio Forward Program. Finney had concerns that the township would miss the cutoff. Matota had spoken with Lisa at the County offices, who believes that as long as the township keep pushing the submissions along they will be honored (if the funds are available). Matota would like to get the special hearings about the properties scheduled so that the township does not miss out on the program. Finney would need to perform title searches for the five properties on the list to find the owners of record. Leonard plans to ask for clarification on the terms of the Move Ohio Forward information, as it appears the township has until May 31, 2014 to complete the process. Finney will proceed with title searches.
Vanek reported that the next salt delivery is still two or three weeks out. He also discussed work performed in the shop. The trustees reviewed the quotes for tractors and mowers obtained by Vanek over the last couple of weeks. Matota asked Finney to investigate “lease-to-own” or “closed-end leases” for the purchase of equipment; essentially giving the township the opportunity to purchase a tractor or mower at the end of the lease. The trustees asked Finney and Vanek to do more research on equipment and financing options. Matota also asked Finney to speak with the Fiscal Officer of Mantua to see how they purchased their equipment. Vanek also reported that the contractor hired by Portage County for the Silica Sand bridge project asked to place their construction trailer at Pixley Park. Finney advised that the contractor should submit a proposal to the trustees for use of the location.
Matota attended a meeting with the Solid Waste District, which ended up being mainly a recap meeting. After soliciting feedback from the communities, the EPA has decided to hire a consulting firm to help write the plan for the Solid Waste District. If the Director of the EPA accepts the plan it will become law until the plan is up for review/revision.
Elias reported that a representative from Frontier would be in attendance at the March 5th meeting to explain how Internet service is provided and coverage assigned within a region by the Public Utility Commission. Elias is also trying to get a representative from Windstream to come to a future meeting. Chris Cavalier is working on recommendations for an audio/video system for the Community House.
Leonard reported that the trustees had received the change order for the salt barn project; he also has the plans for the fuel tank project. The trustees concluded that it would make the most sense to bid out the entire fuel tank project to eliminate potential issues caused by performing the work piecemeal.
Matota made a motion to dispose of equipment deemed unneeded following the township inventory. The motion carried with 3 votes in favor.
The trustees discussed part-time employment options within the township. They plan to offer Tom Collins a part-time position for the year. Collins has worked for the township previously, and as Finney stated “is a known entity”. The trustees will invite Collins to the next meeting. If he turns down the offer, Finney is authorized to post a job listing.
Leonard presented proposals for security/alarm systems for the Pixley Park garage, the vendor was recommended by the lock company he has been in contact with. While there is no problem currently, the trustees are trying to be proactive as Pixley Park grows.
The trustees voted to approve Finney’s hiring of VanDerHoeven as the Assistant Fiscal Officer. Realizing that VanDerHoeven had not been reappointed to her position as Zoning Inspector during January’s meetings, Leonard and Elias voted appoint her as the Zoning Inspector for another year; Matota voted against the appointment.
Matota made a motion to move the Trustee Meetings to 7:00pm effective March 5th. The motion carried with three votes.
The trustees also discussed offering per-diem compensation of $25 per meeting for members of the zoning boards in an effort to fill positions and increase attendance at Zoning meetings. All trustees voted in favor of this plan.
