The Windham Township Board of Trustees convened on November 2 at Township Hall and discussed the possibility of establishing a moratorium on the installation of miniature solar farms.
“I tried to get some more language for it and was not able to get any,” said Board Member Rich Gano. “Similar to what Shalersville did by imposing a moratorium, we should place it on hold until we have regulations in place to defend against and put restrictions on it.”
The Board had previously received an opinion from Brett Bencze, the Portage County Prosecutor, stating that they had the power to confer with respect to the location, erection, construction, reconstruction, change, alteration, maintenance, removal, use, or enlargement of any small wind or solar facility.
According to Board Member Brian Miller, other Counties like Mahoning and Trumbull have already banned the use of miniature solar farms.
Gano mentioned that he planned to contact the zoning inspector of Shalersville to get further clarification.
“The moratorium would pertain to the solar panels’ language and how to regulate them,” he added. “A moratorium allows us to legally delay accepting such installations without any regulations in place.”
Windham Township Zoning Inspector Jake Sweet, attending his first Board meeting as the new zoning inspector, reported that he had a Zoom meeting with parties interested in installing miniature solar farms and noted that they were encountering some engineering problems.
Sweet added that they hoped to place the miniature solar farms near a cell phone tower on the King Property, which covers 60 acres of land.
Sweet also raised a noise complaint from a resident and asked if the zoning ordinance had language regarding the regulation of decibel levels after 11 p.m.
“We do not currently enforce it in our Township,” acknowledged Miller. “If you’re experiencing something bothersome, it doesn’t even require the sheriff’s recognition. At present, we don’t have regulations in place to enforce it.”
In other zoning news, the Board revisited discussions about the Purdy House at 9092 St. Route 303. Board member Dan Burns mentioned that a search warrant had not yet been issued, and Bencze still required a copy of the motion to initiate the process of obtaining a search warrant for the property.
Moving on to road issues, it was announced that construction on the Gotham Bridge had been successfully completed. According to Miller, the project had been finished within 18 days since construction began and cost approximately $43,000.
Burns brought up the sign grant status, a project that would involve the Township replacing all road signs under a $10,900 grant. Miller stated that the Township had been given an 18-month timeline to complete the construction, and they were currently waiting for the delivery of their new signs.
The Board also agreed that they needed to purchase more salt for the local plows in preparation for winter. According to Burns, the Township had sufficient salt in stock, but failing to acquire more salt would result in their exclusion from a list that provided them with an annual discount.
In cemetery news, the Board revisited discussions regarding passing a resolution that would allow them to re-enter unused cemetery lots. Gano stated that he had placed an order for grave markers and was waiting for them to be delivered so that the Board could appropriately mark the lots they intended to reopen. Burns added that the fence removal project had been temporarily paused due to insufficient manpower.
An audience member inquired about the possibility of building a columbarium in the cemetery. Gano responded that he and Burns would conduct research and seek grant funding for the project. “We do not want to have to cover the cost,” he stated.
“The Village was initially going to provide grants for us, but they ended up dismissing their grant writers, so I will explore any available avenues.”
In fire news, Burns mentioned that the Windham Township Fire Department had a fire truck in need of pump repairs, and one of their ambulances might require maintenance. He also pointed out that the Fire Department was still severely understaffed.
Gano proposed considering the possibility of the Fire Department collaborating with neighboring communities to address staffing issues.
In new business, Burns noted that the local hardware store, which was going out of business due to the current owners’ retirement, was holding a sale on its remaining inventory before closing its doors. Burns expressed interest in purchasing nuts, bolts, specialty screws, and cabinets, but he also indicated that the current price of $9,000 was too steep. Miller suggested that they attempt to negotiate with the store.
