Windham Twp. – Windham Township Trustees met for their regularly scheduled meeting June 6, 2013 with all board members present. The trustees approved the minutes and expenditures. Commander Paul Fitzgerald was in attendance and asked if the American Legion could take over organizing and executing the Memorial Day Service in Windham. After some discussion, the trustees voted to allow the legion to organize the event. Fitzgerald also wanted to use the pavilion on the “green” for veteran’s programs on 11/11/2013 and fix the veteran’s monument. The legion would like to add the proper names to the monument and remove the names from the monument that don’t belong on it. Apparently there are several names on the monument that have never even been in the Armed Forces. Trustee Dann Timmons suggested they bring a written proposal for the trustees to look at when they are ready to proceed with the monument.
A township resident asked if the trustees could check a culvert on Hewins Road. Timmons said they will look at it but he believes it is on Freedom’s section of the road. Trustee Brian Miller said he received a call about a ditch issue on Bryant Road and a culvert that needs cleaned on Gotham Road. Trustee Jesse Wirick and Brian Miller will check it out.
Brian Miller read a portion of the county commissioners’ ruling on the vacating of Frazier Road. The county commissioner’s denied Soinski’s petition to vacate the portion of the road that the township receives tax dollars from.
In zoning, Inspector Joe Pinti said he issued one zoning permit and has seen a few of the properties they had complaints on mowed and he is working on getting one boarded up to keep out vandals. The trustees voted to have title searches done on vacated un-kept properties, providing they get the warrants to have them inspected to determine of they can be demolished. The project will be funded by the Move Ohio Forward Grant.
Questions were asked about the zoning updates and Dann Timmons said he will get with Gayle Poots on the issue.
In cemetery news, sixteen footers were poured for monuments and the slab was poured for tents for funerals. A discussion was held on the outhouse at the cemetery, which resulted in the trustees voting 2-1 to preserve the structure. Timmons voted against the measure. Miller stated that it is an important piece of township history that needs to be preserved. The building has a new roof, it just needs floors to be replaced.
Timmons reported that the fire department started with Ravenna Dispatch Service on May 29, 2013 and everything was going well with the new service. He also reported that besides the actual cost for dispatching, the fire board has spent between $7,000 and $8,000 for radio updates and repeaters for better radio transmission. Resident questioned the flyer that was put out on emergency and non-emergency fire numbers. Residents said it was confusing. Timmons said he hadn’t seen the flyer but he would check it out.
Timmons said he received an email from Ohio Edison that stated that Ohio Edison will not remove the lights on the green without the Windham Village Mayor’s permission. Brian Miller said he contacted Ohio Edison about street lights being out he is unsure if they have been fixed yet. Resident asked the trustees about a drainage problem on Geneva Drive. After some discussion, Timmons said they have had the Water and Soil Department out there before and were advised they could do nothing, going against their advice would leave the township open for law suits so he felt the that the trustees’ hands are tied in that situation.. Miller suggested they seek help from the Engineer’s Department of Storm Water Run-Off and see if they could help with the issue. The trustees announced that due to the holiday, the July meeting will be held on Tuesday July 9 at 7pm at the town hall.
