Litchfield Board of Trustees

LITCHFIELD BOARD OF TRUSTEES REGULAR MEETING April 24, 2017

The Litchfield Township Board of Trustees met in regular session on Monday, April 24, 2017, at the Litchfield Town Hall after the requirements of the Sunshine Law were met by notification and posting. Chairman Wargo called the meeting to order at 6:05 p.m. with Trustees Horvath and Pope present. There was an audience of 18. All stood to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Trustee Horvath made a motion to approve the minutes from the March 27th regular meeting as corrected; second by Pope. Voting yes: Horvath, Pope, Wargo. Motion carried. Erica Graffein, from the auditor's office, was present. Erica stated that the 20th Annual Pet Adopt-A-Thon will be held on May 6th from 10-2 at its new location, the Brunswick Rec Center. Erica stated that this Thurs. is the auditor's sale at 9:30 at the Administration Building. Erica stated that this is a “buyer beware” sale; the property could be a non-buildable lot. Fire and Rescue: Chief Davis stated that John Smith has passed the fire inspector class and the state test. Chief Davis swore John Smith in as a fire inspector on the department giving us 3 fire inspectors. Chief Davis’ report: from 3/24 – 4/21 there were 13 medical emergency calls and 5 fire calls. Litchfield received no mutual aid and gave mutual aid once to Chatham for a fire alarm and 3 times to Erhart for EMS calls. Work night on March 30th was for cleaning the station and preparing for the pancake breakfast and on April 6th where building and truck maintenance were performed. Fire Force came to the station on April 6th and fit tested most of the department for the new SCBA masks and they brought out all the SCBA packs (the department is still waiting for 1 mask and 1 bottle which are due in 2 weeks). Chief Davis showed and explained the workings of a mask and pack. Chief Davis stated that the equipment was purchased with money received from a grant that the department had been awarded and since the total purchase was $30,000 less than the money awarded, the department will be able to purchase more equipment. Trustee Horvath wondered if more O2 bottles should be purchased but Chief Davis explained that each pack has 2 bottles and Westfield Township can be contacted to bring their portable refill station to refill the O2 bottles on a scene if needed. Chief Davis stated that he was unable to attend the monthly chiefs meeting due to work. On April 13th DNR Officer Chuck Stiver came out and gave the department a water awareness class which certifies those in attendance in water awareness level. Captain Kean and FF Simon held EMS training on opiate overdose and its treatment on April 20th. Trustee Horvath asked if opiate overdoses were a problem in our township and Chief Davis stated they were. Chief Davis attended the MCTA meeting on April 20th where Dan Bodette explained the early warning sirens and explained that the sheriff department dispatch office checks on the sirens and EMA checks on the sirens 3x a week. The Pancake Breakfast and Red Cross Blood Drive was held on April 2nd. Lt Butcher and FF Simon checked the gear and found several items which are no longer servicable or out of date and should be discarded. Chief Davis listed the following items: Gloves: XXL (4 pairs), XL (1 pair), L (4 pairs), M (1 pair), S (3 pairs), XS (1 pair); Coats: XL 32 (1), L 32 (3), M 32 (4); Pants: XL 29 (2), L 29 (5), M 29 (1). Trustee Pope made a motion to declare the above list as junk to be disposed of; second by Horvath. Voting yes: Horvath, Pope, Wargo. Motion carried. Chief Davis asked approval for 3-4 department members to attend FDIC in Indianapolis this week. Trustee Pope made a motion to approve meals, mileage, lodging and registration fees for fire department members to attend the FDIC; second by Horvath. Voting yes: Horvath, Pope, Wargo. Motion carried. Chief Davis stated that the station will be staffed on May 2nd for Election Day. Chief Davis stated that 2009 Ford F750 tender was on Ebay for 10 days and received no bids so he asked the trustees how they wanted to proceed. Trustee Horvath stated that the truck should be relisted but with a lowered starting price. Trustee Wargo agreed since the department stated that they do not need it. Trustee Horvath suggested a starting price of $25,000. Trustee Pope made a motion to resubmit the 2009 Ford F750 for sale with a starting price of $25,000; second by Wargo. Voting yes: Horvath, Pope, Wargo. Motion carried. Buckeye Superintendent Kent Morgan was in attendance. Superintendent Morgan stated that he did not have anything specific to discuss/present but was willing to answer any questions or concerns from the board or the audience. Roads: Trustee Wargo read the road report from (3/25 – 4/21): road crew cold patched Beat and Yost Rds.; cut up trees on Erhart,Yost and Richman Rds.; stacked 100 ton of salt; inspected fire extinguishers; unblocked 2 culvert pipes on Yost and Richman Rds.; replaced the cutting edge and shoes on the white International truck; rotated the cutting edge and shoes on the red International truck; straightened road sign posts; General Maintenance replaced the transmission line from the PTO to the transmission. Trustee Wargo stated that when Jim picked up the truck from General Maintenance they noted that the bottom of the truck is starting to rust from being stored in the garage. Trustee Wargo stated that we still have 250 tons of salt to be delivered before the end of May per our contract with Cargill. Trustee Wargo asked if the county would store salt for us. Trustee Pope stated that some places have the Medina County garage listed as their secondary drop-off site but for now Cargill will only deliver our salt here. Trustee Horvath suggested asking Archers to use their equipment to stack the salt higher so that more salt would fit into the bin. Trustee Pope stated that the salt bin could be stacked pretty high. Trustee Wargo wondered if we could sell salt to other counties out east who might need salt after the winter. Trustee Horvath stated that we would need a way to weigh the salt before selling it. Trustee Wargo stated that the order for next year's salt must be submitted by May 10th. Trustee Pope stated that during a hard Ohio winter we usually use about 700 tons of road salt. Trustee Horvath stated that if we have a surplus of leftover salt now then maybe we should order 200-300 tons of salt for next year. Trustee Horvath made a motion to purchase 250 tons of salt for the 2017-18 season; second by Wargo. Voting yes: Horvath, Pope, Wargo. Motion carried. The trustees signed the contracts for the chip and seal of Yost Rd. Trustee Pope asked if any areas of the township roads need to be wedged. Trustee Wargo stated that Jim has a list that they haven't discussed yet. Trustee Pope stated that he would take a ride on Yost Rd. to see if there are any places that need to be wedged. Trustee Horvath asked the other trustees to take a look at the salt bin since he thinks the outside wood needs to be painted and conditioned so it could be discussed at the next meeting. Trustee Wargo asked if they should wait or discuss it now. Trustee Horvath thought the trustees should go look at the salt bin first. Safety: Trustee Pope attended the MC Safety Council Meeting on April 18th ; the presenters, Medina Mayor Dennis Hanwell and President of Medina Hospital Dr. Tulisiak, spoke about “Healthy Medina County”. Trustee Pope received a certificate for the township for the prevention of injuries in the workplace. Police: For the month of March: days worked: 23; hours worked: 100; miles driven: 1,169; calls/ complaints investigated: 9; police/fire personnel assisted: 10/4; citizens assisted: 18; suspicious people/vehicles checked: 0/1; business checks: 141; traffic stops: 6; traffic citations issued: 7; warning citations issued: 4; arrests: 1. Traffic citations: speed: 1; operating a motor vehicle under the influence: 1; driving under suspension: 2; marked lanes: 1; OUI/BAC: 1; expired license plate: 1. Traffic warning: speed: 3; yield: 1. Arrests: open container: 1. Fines for Feb. were $37.50. Trustee Horvath stated that the new laptop for the deputy car was ordered, a wrong one was delivered and then sent back, and the correct one delivered. Trustee Horvath stated that he spoke with Deputy Snider about the number of tickets that are written by the deputies. According to Deputy Snider of all the townships in the county which hire extra patrol more tickets are written in Litchfield Township than any other township except Lafayette and Medina. Trustee Pope asked if the sheriff deputies have been given the dates of the Memorial Day Service and the ice cream socials. Trustee Horvath stated that Deputy Snider has been given the dates. Trustee Wargo asked if the deputies have been told about the clean-up days. Trustee Horvath stated that they have been told the dates. Town Hall: Trustee Horvath read the April report: the town hall was used for 3 meetings, 12x by groups; Stacy Burley completed the repair of the kitchen door; bulbs and flush meter picked up from Home Depot; a flush meter installed on the men's toilet; general cleaning and setting up for meetings and groups; ordered, delivered and inventoried supplies from Alco; total hours: 22.Trustee Horvath stated that Stacy will replace the door on the back building for approximately $628. Fiscal Officer Shaw asked if Trustee Horvath had new information regarding a new electric sign; Trustee Horvath stated that he would bring the information to the next meeting. Cemetery and Park: Trustee Wargo's report: cemetery mowed; Bill Marks, Kyle Lasch and Nick Sturgil have rejoined the road crew; Mitch Boehmke will work for the township when he's available since he is working at his college; Corey Boehmke's availability is unsure; she met with Jim and Bill and they marked the back property line. Trustee Wargo needs to contact Ken Barth to see if he would plow the area on our side so the crew could seed it. Top soil will need to be purchased for the low areas; there is dirt available to spread around the storage building. Trustee Wargo stated that the slate roof on the receiving building needs repairing so she will check to obtain names of companies who can do this work. Trustee Wargo stated that there are about 24 tall skinny monuments that are down – some just need to be set up again but some need repair work. Trustee Wargo stated that she has a name of a company that does this type of work but they are located a distance from here. Trustee Wargo stated that there is an area across from the service road with non-saleable grave sites so she and Sexton Marco were discussing the possibility of a cremains garden or a veterans memorial placed there. Sexton Marco was checking on the possibility of obtaining a grant for a veterans memorial. Trustee Wargo thought that some of the benches from the park could be moved to the cemetery. Trustee Horvath stated that the benches were donated to be placed in the circle and not the cemetery. Trustee Pope stated that maybe in the future any donated benches should be placed in the cemetery. Trustee Wargo and Jim met with Celia Kruggel to determine the spot for the historical marker in the park. Trustee Wargo stated that she will be removing some of the shrubs around the gazebo, cutting back some of the bushes and some of the irises there. Trustee Pope asked about the topsoil at the cemetery. Trustee Wargo stated that the ground around the graves have been smooth out but the grass seed has not been planted. Trustee Pope stated that soil needs to be placed by the middle driveway where water settles. Trustee Wargo stated that the footers under some of the monuments in Section F might need to be redone raising the headstones. Dan Ankney stated that he had a name of someone who repairs slate roofs. Trustee Pope stated that the gazebo needs to be power washed. Trustee Horvath stated that the fence behind the historical museum should be power washed also. Trustee Wargo asked if any estimates were obtained for work on the museum. Trustee Pope stated that he has been working on this and has been speaking with several people. Trustee Pope stated that the eagle statue has ants rotting and weakening it so he wondered if a small fence should be placed around it preventing children from climbing on the statue. Zoning: ZI Noderer's report: for the month of March: site visits: 3; meetings attended: 1; miles driven: 86; 3 zoning certificates issued: 1 – above ground pool/fence; 1 – house addition; 1 – accessory building. Lot split: Beat Rd. - 3.4292 acre build-able lot split from 20.805 acre parcel, creating a 17.3758 acre remainder parcel. Zoning violations: 8109 Branch Rd – case #15CIV0677; 9940 Norwalk Rd. - monitoring compliance; 9696/9706 Crow Rd. - zoning certificates pending MCE ECSW permit; monitor use status of the building south of the creek; 3933 Avon Lake – solid waste removal monitored by MCHD; 8963 Spieth Rd. - Case #16 CIV 0711 – Order to clean up by 6/9/17; 8991 Stone Rd.– mobile home used for home business without permits – monitor discontinued usage; 8676 Norwalk Rd. - outside storage of portable toilet units for Type 2 home occupation business. Trustee Horvath stated that the trustees interviewed Melissa Bevier Page who is interested in the opening on the zoning board. Trustee Horvath stated that he believes that Melissa would be a good choice. Trustee Pope stated that Melissa would be a good fit on the board and is very interested in the township zoning. Trustee Wargo stated that Melissa is very knowledgeable and would be happy to have her on the zoning board. Trustee Horvath made a motion to appoint Melissa Page to the zoning commission for the term which expires Dec. 2021; second by Wargo. Voting yes: Horvath, Pope, Wargo. Motion carried. Trustee Horvath stated that Frank Baluch is interested in serving on the zoning commission so the trustees will interview him before the Public Hearing on May 8th. Trustee Horvath made a motion to hold a special meeting on May 8th at 4:45 at the town hall for the purpose of zoning; second by Pope. Voting yes: Horvath, Pope, Wargo. Motion carried. Trustees: The trustees had no report. Fiscal Officer: The trustees received their monthly reports and signed the bank reconciliation statement. Fiscal Officer Shaw stated that the trustees had discussed but never adopted a resolution dealing with the new medical marijuana laws. Trustee Horvath made a motion to adopt Resolution 15-17 to Prohibit Licensing of Medical Marijuana Cultivators, Processors and Retail Dispensaries in Litchfield Township; second by Pope. Voting yes: Horvath and Pope. Voting no: Wargo. Motion carried. Fiscal Officer Shaw stated that the Fire/EMS levy will expire at the end of next year so she wondered if the trustees wanted to place the levy on this November's ballot for the 1st time. Chief Davis stated that it would be a good idea to be ahead of the game. The trustees agreed and stated that Fiscal Officer Shaw should bring the resolution requesting information from the auditor's office to the next meeting. Old Business: Trustee Pope stated that he spoke with Ross Sinclair regarding the refinancing of the fire station and was told that they are with the Ohio Master Lease Plan so he will have them send him paperwork with financial figures. Trustee Horvath asked the board if they thought about the idea of hiring an assistant cemetery sexton and an assistant zoning inspector. Trustee Horvath stated that Jim Broscius would be interested in being the assistant sexton and Dave Borling would be interested in being the assistant zoning inspector. Trustee Pope stated that Dave could not be on the zoning board if he was the assistant zoning inspector and Trustee Horvath stated that Dave knew this. Trustee Pope asked what the pay rate would be and Trustee Horvath stated that both men stated that they would accept a monthly rate of $25 - $50. Trustee Pope asked if there was anyone interested in an assistant road supervisor position. Trustee Wargo stated that she asked John Kollar if he was interested and he stated that he was not interested in the position. Trustee Horvath stated that he would ask Jim Brocius to attend next month's meeting. ZI Noderer stated that Dave knows the zoning code well and he could always attend the zoning board meetings and offer his comments/help. Jerry Wargo asked why an assistant zoning inspector could not also sit on the zoning board. Trustee Horvath stated that this was what was told to him by the prosecutors. Chief Davis asked if a job description would be drawn up for these positions and if these positions needed to be advertised. Trustee Pope stated that if someone shows an interest in the job, the trustees do not have to advertise for applicants. Trustee Horvath asked if fill dirt was being offered to residents this year. Trustee Wargo stated that the resident just needs to contact her or the township garage. Chief Davis asked if the trustees decided to install a gate across the driveway going back to the gas well at the fire station and he offered to contact the gas company to see how this is handled at other locations. Trustee Wargo stated that she did not know if a gate across the driveway there would be necessary. Trustee Pope asked if everything was ready for clean-up days. Trustee Wargo stated that it is and noted that oil will be accepted but not anti-freeze. New Business: Trustee Pope asked about a letter that the trustees received from the NE Ohio Girl Scouts. The trustees decided each would send an individual letter. Trustee Wargo stated that there is a mailing being sent to some residents from nextdoor.com which asks for social security numbers and credit card numbers. Trustee Wargo warned residents that this is a scam and stated that she was taking the mailing to the sheriff's office. Correspondence and Communications: There were no correspondences or communications. Public Comment: Mitch Hook asked which hospitals our squad will transport residents to when dispatch is called and he wondered if Medina Hospital was a Tier 3 hospital. Chief Davis stated that South West Hospital is the nearest Tier 3 hospital and then explained the procedure at Medina Hospital when the squad arrives with an emergency patient. Trustee Wargo made a motion to adopt Resolution 14-17 to amend appropriations; second by Horvath. Voting yes: Horvath, Pope, Wargo. Motion carried. Trustee Wargo made a motion to approve Purchase Orders 14-17 to 16-17 and Blanket Certificates 44-17 & 49-17 and authorize payment of vouchers 24732-24802; second by Horvath. Voting yes: Horvath, Pope, Wargo. Motion carried. Trustee Wargo made a motion to adjourn; second by Horvath. Voting yes: Horvath, Pope, Wargo. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 9:05 p.m.