The Chester Township Board of Trustees met in regular
session Thursday, December 30, 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
2004-589. Mrs.
Mula moved to accept the resignation of John Gorka as a member of the Zoning
Commission.
Mr. Stevens seconded. Vote:
Unanimous. Motion passed.
Mrs. Mula welcomed Mr.
David A. Short who applied for a zoning
position and explained his background to the Board.
2004-590. Mrs.
Mula moved to appoint David A. Short to the
Zoning Commission for a five year term to end December, 2009. Mr. Stevens
seconded.
Vote: Unanimous. Motion passed.
2004-591. Mrs.
Mula moved to approve and sign Purchase Order #PO 40217
to Chester Fire Rescue, Inc., for $2,670.00
for replacement of 2nd floor air conditioning
unit at Station I from Fund 10-A-15 and approve and sign Voucher Warrant
#VW 46656.
Mr. Stevens seconded. Vote:
Unanimous. Motion passed.
2004-592. Mrs.
Mula moved to approve and sign Purchase Order #PO 40219
to
Osborne Concrete & Stone Co.,
Grand River, Ohio,
for $1,129.83 for #9 wash
gravel from Fund 04-B-02 and approve and sign Voucher Warrant #VW 46617. Mr. Stevens
seconded.
Vote: Unanimous. Motion passed.
2004-593. Mrs.
Mula moved to approve and sign Regular Purchase Order #42-04 for
$8,000.00 for Road Dept.
expenses for end of 2004 from Appropriation Account
#2031-330-420-0000. Mr. Stevens seconded. Vote:
Unanimous. Motion passed.
2004-594. Mrs.
Mula moved to approve and sign Regular Purchase Order #43-04 for
$2,300.00 for Road Dept.
expenses for end of 2004 from Appropriation Account
#2031-330-323-0075.
Mr. Stevens seconded. Vote:
Unanimous. Motion passed.
2004-595. Mrs.
Mula moved to approve and sign Regular Purchase Order #44-04 for
$100.00 for Road Dept.
expenses for end of 2004 from Appropriation Account
#2031-330-420-0000.
Mr. Stevens seconded. Vote:
Unanimous. Motion passed.
2004-596. Mrs.
Mula moved to adopt the Temporary Appropriations Resolution to provide for the
current expenses and other expenditures of said Board of Trustees
during the first three months
ending March 31, 2005, in
the total amount of $4,176,377.67.
Mr.
Stevens seconded and asked for a clarification of the various funds in the
Temporary Appropriations, which the Clerk explained to the Board. Roll call vote: Mr.
Montague, yes; Mr. Stevens, yes; Mrs.
Mula, yes.
Motion passed.
2004-597. Mrs.
Mula moved to approve and sign Voucher Warrants #VW 46592 through 46667. Mr. Stevens
seconded.
Vote: Unanimous. Motion passed.
The ending number used on December 22, 2004 was #46561; the beginning number used
on December 30, 2004 is
#46592.
Clerk’s note: Voucher numbers
46562 through 46591 were not used. Therefore, the Pending Warrant will not
reflect these numbers.
2004-598. Mrs.
Mula moved to approve the payment of
remaining vacation balances to the following Road Dept.
employees: Charles Mascella, 16 hours; Patrick O’Linn,
12 hours; John Rogers, 18.5 hours; James Mitri, 12.5 hours; Peter
Petersen, 3.5 hours; Terry Varner, 22 hours,
per the recommendation of the Road Superintendent. Mr. Stevens
seconded.
Vote: Unanimous. Motion passed.
2004-599. Mrs.
Mula moved to approve the payment of remaining vacation balance to Mary
Lou Fende in the amount of 29.50
hours.
Mr. Stevens seconded. Vote:
Unanimous. Motion passed.
2004-600. Mrs.
Mula moved to approve the payment of remaining vacation balance to Marie Roche
in the amount of 8 hours. Mr. Stevens
seconded.
Vote: Unanimous. Motion passed.
2004-601. Mrs.
Mula moved to approve the payment of remaining vacation balance to Michael J.
Joyce in the amount of 17 hours. Mr. Stevens
seconded.
Vote: Unanimous. Motion passed.
Clerk Austin and Mr.
Stevens will attend the Geauga County Township Association quarterly dinner
meeting on January 12, 2005,
at the Just for Kids Day Care, 13896 GAR Highway,
at 6:30 p.m.
2004-602. Mrs.
Mula moved to approve $38.00 for Trustee
Stevens and Clerk Austin to attend the Geauga County Twp.
Assoc. quarterly dinner meeting on January 12, 2005. Mr. Stevens
seconded.
Vote: Unanimous. Motion passed.
2004-603. Mrs.
Mula moved to reappoint John Swartz to the Board of Zoning Appeals for a five
year term to end December, 2009. Mr. Stevens
seconded.
Vote: Unanimous. Motion passed.
2004-604.Mrs.
Mula moved to not request a hearing for a new D2 liquor permit
request from Pattersons,
Inc., 11414 Caves
Road, Golf Course, Chester
Township, per
the recommendation of the Police
Chief.
Mr. Stevens seconded. Vote:
Unanimous. Motion passed.
2005 GOALS AND
OBJECTIVES
Mr. Stevens requested
quarterly reports from the Clerk who then explained the procedures which are in
place at the present time.
The Board of Trustees commented on the goals and objectives
of the Department Heads which were presented.
Referencing the publication of a Newsletter at the request
of Trustee Stevens, Trustees Montague and Mula explained their feelings about
such a publication and suggested placing a two page ad in the center two pages
of the Chesterland News on a semiannual basis in February and in July to update
the residents on a status report of the township and township departments. The township website also serves as a good
source of township information for those interested residents.
Mr. Stevens explained why
he feels a newsletter would better serve this purpose.
Discussion ensued regarding the website and inserting a copy
of the Chester Township Zoning Resolution on the site. This total update of the website will take
cooperation from the Department Heads on a weekly basis for updating the site
with their respective Department’s information along with adding and taking off
weekly Board of Trustees agendas, monthly Board of Zoning Appeals agenda and
by-monthly Zoning Commission agendas. There needs to be a complete analysis of the
Town Hall computer system and networking of the Police Dept.,
and the Road Dept. computers to the Town Hall. When all of the profiles of the computers are
completed, the people who answered the ad to propose to the Board of Trustees
will get the completed profiles in order to be certain all proposals are on the
same comparison basis.
Mrs. Mula suggested a
policy to create a vacation approval and request policy for Town Hall employees.
Mr. Stevens suggested
implementing a Township Drug and Alcohol Monitoring Policy for all township
employees and obtaining of proposals for Employee Theft Insurance.
Zoning Inspector Mike Joyce explained the Zone Pro software
which is available for listing of the files in the Zoning Office. He has observed Bainbridge Townships Zone Pro
System which has been in place and is a great asset to that township.
Mr. Joyce updated the Board
on the status of the Road Superintendent and himself of the Storm Water
Management Plan which is overdue at this time.
Explanation of extra hours needed for
this project.
2004-605. Mrs.
Mula moved to approve Zoning Inspector Mike Joyce 40 hours of overtime for EPA
Storm Water Management Plan work. Mr. Stevens
seconded.
Vote: Unanimous. Motion passed.
Mr. Stevens said his main
goal is to bring closure to the theft issue which happened in the township
along with the afore-mentioned topics which were discussed this evening.
Clerk Austin
said she wholeheartedly endorses House Bill 148 and would like to hire an assistant as her goal
for 2005.
Mr. Montague said his main
goals are to seek closure to the theft issue and to also bring closure to the Chester
School.
Mrs. Mula noted that House
Bill 148 does have to be adopted by the Board of Trustees before it can be
implemented.
The Board is awaiting an interpretation of this house bill from the
Prosecutor’s Office.
Upon discussion of the Clerk’s authority from a member of
the Audit Committee, Mrs. Austin said she has
a booklet of guidelines which she is permitted to follow.
All trustees concur that the balance of the Goals and
Objectives for 2005 presented by Mr. Stevens
will be continued at a later date.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the Board, Mrs.
Mula adjourned the meeting at 9:17 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
_________________________________ ___________________________
Patricia M. Mula,
Chairwoman
Karen M. N.
Austin, CPA, Clerk
_________________________________ ____________
Charles R. Stevens,
Vice-chairman Approval Date
_________________________________
James A. Montague, Trustee
KMNA\mlf