Windham Twp. – Windham Township Trustees met for their regularly scheduled meeting on June 4, 2015 at the town hall.
The meeting was called to order by the Vice-Chairman Brian Miller. Miller asked for a silent prayer for Dann Timmons who was unable to attend the meeting. Due to the fiscal officer’s absence, the minutes and financial reports from the May meeting were not available and will be approved at the next meeting.
There were several guests who asked to speak to the board. The first guest was Mary Greer. Greer shared on what Ohio’s practice is on the safety of injection wells. Greer revealed that the lack of chemical disclosure to the public on what is being dumped into the injection wells in Portage County is a safety issue. She stated that they do not know how dangerous the chemicals are because there haven’t been any EPA studies on many of them, nor does anyone know exactly what chemicals are being transported over the roads to the injection wells, as Ohio law doesn’t mandate disclosure. Currently, there are over 80,000 chemicals that could be used and only 200 of them have been tested. Of those tested, many are known carcinogens. According to Greer, there are 14 active disposal wells in Portage County and there could be as many as 18, as the wells go in and out of service all the time. Greer was just trying to educate the public on injection wells and Ohio’s lack of safety mandates.
Butch Christy from the American Legion was inquiring if the bill the Legion presented to the clerk had been paid and when could they expect it to be paid. Miller assured him if it wasn’t already paid it would be paid by the end of the month. Christy said they would need all the monies for the project in place by early fall. He was just checking on the protocol of the township’s bill paying. Sometimes some entities can take up to 90 days to fulfill their commitment. The trustees committed $3000 to help correct the names on the war memorial. Due to Ohio regulations, the trustees could not issue a check directly to the American Legion. They had to have an invoice from a company that will do the work. The trustees received the invoice and will pay it within 30 days.
A resident was on hand to voice his opinion on curb side recycling. The resident was against the option as he felt he was being charged for something that he doesn’t want, he prefers the drop –off site rather than being charged to recycle. The resident felt one should have the right to opt out of the program. Currently, the two companies the trustees have discussed recycling with are not allowing anyone to opt out.
A State Route 303 resident asked about zoning regulations. This resident wants to add a church and a paint ball park to the family farm. After a session of questions and answers, Zoning Inspector Joe Pinti said he has already started working on the issue and will work with the resident on all the steps he will need to take.
In roads, Brian Miller reported that they received the grant from the Ohio Turnpike Commission to repair the damage on Bryant Road caused from trucks using the turnpike access on the road. The $75,000 grant will be available in 2017 for the road repair. A resident also questioned if the trustees could possibly widen Bryant Road by the curve. Miller said they would take it under advisement.
Trustee Rich Gano said the crew has done a great job on the cemetery and it looked good for Memorial Day. Gano said they are waiting for the weather to cooperate, so they can cut the sod and get the drainage ditches covered.
In zoning, Pinti said he wrote one permit for a deck and had to research the zoning resolution on collapsed roofs. Pinti said he discovered that as long as the foot print of the roof hadn’t changed the roof rebuild did not need a permit. However, the county needs to see the plans, so it can be inspected for safety.
Miller reported that Regional Planning was helping them to try to secure Community Development Block Grant to demolish the old church on Silica Sand. The trustees said it could cost as much as $50,000 to clean –up due to possible asbestos.
In safety, Gano reported that the fire district purchased a new pumper and it should arrive in July. The fire board sent a letter to the village to see if they would be interested in having Chip Comstock negotiate the alleged breach of contract over the dispatching. Miller stated that he is frustrated that it has taken two years and there still isn’t a resolution to the issue.
In new business, Miller presented figures on a new back hoe. The issue was tabled until Timmons is available to participate in discussions on the issue and a vote.
There being no further business, the trustees adjourned the meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for July 2, 2015 at 7 pm at the town hall.
