The Chester Township Board of Trustees met in regular session Thursday, November 18, 2004, in the Town Hall Meeting Room at 7:00 p.m. Chairwoman Patricia M. Mula, presided.

All trustees and the clerk present.

PLEDGE

The Board led the audience in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

CLERK’S FOLDER

2004-531. Mrs. Mula moved to approve request for authorization for the Township Clerk to execute an appropriation transfer of funds within the General Fund in the amount of $2,200.00 from line item account 01-A-10 Outside Legal Counsel to line item account 01-A-02 Salary – Clerk to cover Clerk’s salary through the end of the year. Mr. Stevens seconded. Vote: Unanimous. Motion passed.

2004-532. Mrs. Mula moved to approve request for authorization for the Township Clerk to execute an appropriation transfer of funds within the General Fund in the amount of $3,000.00 from line item 01-A-10 Outside Legal Counsel to line item account 01-A-06A PEP/Comprehensive/Surety Bonds to cover bonds through the end of the year. Mr. Stevens seconded. Vote: Unanimous. Motion passed.

2004-533.Mrs. Mula moved to approve and sign Purchase Orders #PO 40203 to

Foresight Engineering, Inc., Chardon, Ohio for $1,050.00 for work with the zoning

descriptions for the reconfigured General Commercial and Restricted Industrial areas in Chester Township from Fund 01-A-26; #PO 40204 to Lacal Equip., Inc., Jackson Center, Ohio, for $1,147.00 for two new auger chains at $573.50 per chain from Fund 04-A-07; #PO 40205 to Ronyak Bros. Paving, Inc., Burton, Ohio, for $49,100.00 for Heath Road Resurfacing from Fund 04-B-03A ($38,000.00) and Fund 02-B-03 ($11,100.00); #PO 40206 to Munson Radiator, Chardon, Ohio for $675.00 for one recore radiator from Fund 02-B-04 and approve and sign Voucher Warrant #VW 46231; #PO 40208 to Ronyak Bros. Paving, Inc., Burton, Ohio, for $2,700.00 for resurfacing of various roads – additional work from Fund 02-B-03; #PO 40209 to Thrasher, Dinsmore & Dolan, Chardon, Ohio, for $40,000.00 from Fund 01-A-26D for costs associated with Chester Twp. Board of Trustees, et al. v. Bank One N.A. et al. in regard to the embezzlement reclamation and approve and sign Voucher Warrant #VW 46255; #PO 40210 to Universal Oil, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, for $11,900.00 for Marathon 89 octane mid-grade unleaded fuel from Fund 4-A-05 - $2,975.00; Fund 9-A-08 - $632.02; Fund 10-A-9 - $510.00; 9-A-14 - $7,782.98. Mr. Stevens seconded. Vote: Unanimous. Motion passed.

2004-534. Mrs. Mula moved to approve and sign Voucher Warrants #VW 46216 through #VW 46230; #VW 46232 through #VW 46249; #VW 46251 through 46256 and declare #V 46202 void per Clerk’s direction and #46250 void due to printer error. Mr. Stevens seconded. Vote: Unanimous. Motion passed.

Clerk’s note: The ending # used on 11-11-04 was #46215; the beginning # used on 11-18-04 is #46216.

2004-535. Mrs. Mula moved to approve payment for the 2005 dues for the Geauga County Township Association for $240.00 ($60.00 per member) payable to the Geauga County Township Association from Fund 1-A-26. Mr. Stevens seconded. Vote: Unanimous. Motion passed.

2004-536. Mrs. Mula moved to appoint two candidates to serve two year terms on the Ohio Township Association Risk Management Authority – David Foglesong and Joan Beardmore. Mr. Stevens seconded. Vote: Unanimous. Motion passed.

POLICE DEPT.

2004-537. Mrs. Mula moved to enter into agreement with OPBA and the collective

bargaining agreement for sergeants, patrol officers and dispatchers of Chester Township from January 1, 2004, and expiring December 31, 2006. Mr. Stevens seconded. Vote: Unanimous. Motion passed.

Clerk Austin asked if the retroactive pay for the sergeants, patrol officers and dispatchers could be paid to the respective people on an off-payroll week. All trustees concur that this is acceptable.

2004-538. Mrs. Mula moved to approve pay increases for Chief Orosz in the amount of

$4,763.20 per year, Captain Purchase in the amount of $4,139.20 per year, and Jennifer Hauxhurst to $16.04 per hour, (3.5% wage increase) effective November 21, 2004. Mr. Stevens seconded. Vote: Unanimous. Motion passed.

Mrs. Mula requested that Chief Orosz’s memo regarding the pay increases be attached to the minutes.

DEPT. ON AGING

Sally Bell, Director of the Dept. on Aging presented information and explained to the Board a project for senior citizens which some communities are providing to hold a clean-up day to be held once a year for senior residents. The hope is that Chester Township will be able to also offer this service to the senior residents of the township. This program is in place for several other communities in Geauga County.

Mrs. Mula said she has checked with the Road Superintendent, and April seems like it would be a good month to offer this service since the month of April is a slower month of the year for the Road Department.

Ms. Bell explained the program. The senior calls the Department on Aging to state exactly what it is that they would like to have taken from their property. There is a release form which the senior will also be required to sign. All of their volunteers are registered through the County. There is no income eligibility for this service. The township would be responsible to pick up the items which are taken out to the curb by the volunteers. The dumpster would be paid for by the township.

2004-539. Mrs. Mula moved to go forward with the Senior Clean-up Day in April of

2005 and have the Road Superintendent contact the Dept. on Aging to coordinate this endeavor. Mr. Stevens seconded. Vote: Unanimous. Motion passed.

REGULAR MEETING (CONTINUED)

2004-540. Mrs. Mula moved to approve and sign Speed Limit Revision for Cedar Road. Mr. Stevens seconded. Vote: Unanimous. Motion passed.

2004-541. Mrs. Mula moved to approve and sign a letter to the Chesterland News and the News-Herald requesting proposals for computer operations in the Town Hall. Mr. Stevens seconded. Vote: Unanimous. Motion passed.

2004-542. Mrs. Mula moved to approve a letter to the Chesterland News advertising for expiring terms on the Zoning Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals.

Discussion ensued regarding the upcoming logging operations in the Brooklane and Ferry Road area of Chester Township.

Mr. Stevens said he would like a letter to be sent to all the residents in the area notifying them of this project.

Mrs. Mula does not have any objection to sending a letter; however, she would like our legal counsel to approve this letter.

The original bonding documents from Clear Lake Lumber, Inc. for logging operations on Brooklane and Ferry Road in Chester were not received. Clerk Austin said she does not see a place for the trustees to sign this document. This matter tabled to next week’s agenda after clarification.

Discussion of information received from Gary Wirtz of Pease-Kerr-Canfield regarding all employees completing the disclosure information which Mr. Wirtz forwarded to the township regarding personal driving records.

2004-543. Move to approve the Disclosure Under Fair Credit Reporting Act and the information will be provided to our employees and upon completion the forms will be given to Mr. Wirtz for him to check the driving records as part of the requirement of our liability insurance for the township. Mr. Stevens seconded. Vote: Unanimous. Motion passed.

Mr. Stevens explained his investigation of cell phone policies. He went to the Auditor of State’s HBwebsite and found it is their recommendation that a policy be in place on cellular telephones and wireless devices and found examples of them which he then tailored to Chester Township.

Clerk Austin said she has found out that the County is working on adopting a policy on this subject.

Mrs. Mula has no objection to adopting this policy but would also like to review what the County is going to approve.

Mr. Montague explained his thoughts on the information which Mr. Stevens provided for the Board’s review. A policy should be put in place with modifications to be made in the future if need be.

2004-544. Mrs. Mula moved to approve the policy on Cellular Telephones and

Wireless Devices for Chester Township. Mr. Stevens seconded. Vote: Unanimous. Motion passed.

ZONING DEPT.

Mrs. Mula referenced a letter received from a bicycle club regarding a coffee shop/bike shop at 8005 Mayfield Road and the lack of signage available to the owner/operator of this business establishment. The regulations in the Zoning Resolution regarding signage have been upheld in the courts. It is not the fault of the township but the fact should be taken up with the owner (landlord) of the plaza.

Mr. Joyce said he has been working on a letter in response to the letter(s) which have appeared in the Chesterland News which he plans to have published in the newspaper. Explanation given by Mr. Joyce of the appeal process which has been explained to the owner of the plaza where this establishment is located.

Discussion ensued regarding Mr. Joyce’s status for the duties he performs for the township as Zoning Inspector.

REGULAR MEETING CONTINUED

Update of the status of the Chester School building given by the Zoning Inspector. The Police Chief and the Road Superintendent will be getting back to the Board of Trustees regarding boarding up the old building.

Clerk Austin said the carry forward amount in the General Fund should be approximately $250,000.00. She stated we should be in a $240,000 to $270,000 carry forward range and it appears the Township will be within that range. Any advance from the county at the beginning of the year would be only from monies paid.

The inheritance money is included in the General Fund. Per a letter from the Geauga County Treasurer Chris Hitchcock, we were made aware that a little more than $70,000 has come in for Chester Township. We are able to request an advance of 75% of the monies and will be asking for approximately $53,000.00 of these funds.

Discussion ensued regarding pay off of the property loan for the Salamone property and the Tax Anticipation Note.

2004-545.Mrs. Mula moved to approve the pay off of the Salamone property loan

and the Tax Anticipation note with the understanding that the Police Department will reimburse the restitution fund in the amount of $114,000.00 from Fund 1-A-26D. Mr. Stevens seconded. Vote: Unanimous. Motion passed.

A member of the audience raised questions regarding jewelry owned by Joan Spellman and other rumors which are circulating within the township.

ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business before the Board, Mrs. Mula adjourned the meeting at 9:04 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

_____________________________ ______________________________

Patricia M. Mula, Chairwoman Karen M. N. Austin, CPA, Clerk

_____________________________ ______________

Charles R. Stevens, Vice-chairman Approval Date

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James A. Montague, Trustee

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