Bath Township Trustees Meet
In two recent meetings of the Bath Township Board of Trustees (Jan. 23 and
Feb. 6), several items of business were approved that will have a lasting
impact on the township, including the organization of and appointments to
the Yellow Creek Watershed Committee and the acceptance of a donated clock.
Many of those on hand for and recognized at the meeting of Feb. 6 were
members of the Yellow Creek Watershed Committee.
Trustee Donald Jenkins explained that Bath is taking the leading role among
the nine communities within the Yellow Creek Watershed, one of the two
cleanest watersheds in the Cuyahoga River/Lake Erie basin. This committee
will work to provide a blueprint to improve water quality and storm water
management and to educate stakeholders about the best ways to protect and
preserve the watershed, Jenkins said.
“It’s about clean water,” said Jenkins.
According to the committee, the goals are “to preserve the clean water,
protect the pristine areas and restore the areas that are compromised.”
Through subcommittees devoted to education, preservation/conservation and
restoration, these community members (from Bath, Akron, Copley, Brecksville,
Richfield Township and Village and Granger Township) have set up action
plans and goals to implement their plan of attack.
“It is incredible what Bath Township is putting forward,” said Jim Bambrick,
committee chair, adding that the committee’s goal is “long-term, for the
next 50 to 100 years.”
In addition to Jenkins and Bambrick, Yellow Creek Watershed Committee
members include: Jeff Van Fossen, Maryanne Rackoff, Bart Frazzitta, Bruce
Robinson, Marguerite France, Jeff Kerr, Nancy Ray, John Vittum, Bill
Trommer, Terry Greathouse, Mike Samolis, Ira Sasowsky, Norma Setteur,
Rosalie Steiner, Laurie Lappin, Martin Murphy, Chuck Reitz, Sabet Sabet,
Jack Sahl, Dan Fritz, Judy Hanna, Bill Pierce, Dan Richards and David White.
Resource personnel are Jim White, Laura DeYoung, Elaine Marsh and Mike
Rorar.
Work of the above committee promises to have a lasting effect on the
township. So, too, will the gift of an anonymous donor who has donated an
historic-looking, black clock to be installed at the front entrance to
Historic Bath Town Hall. The clock (see graphic above) will be visible from
the roadway and will be installed as soon as weather permits.
In other business:
• Trustees approved the purchase of four cruisers for the police department
as part of the planned rotation of vehicles with more than the 80,000-mile
threshold. This purchase includes three Chevrolet Impalas, at a net cost of
$40,965, including trade-ins, and one Ford Crown Victoria, at $20,397, with
trade-in.
• Payment of $11,250 to Elite Designs Ltd. was approved for completion of
the Ira Road Cemetery stone wall construction. Stone walls at this cemetery
and at Moore’s Chapel Cemetery (now under construction) were designed by
Vittum-Andrew Associates and are being constructed using bridge stones taken
from the West Bath Road bridge when that structure was replaced in 2004,
following irreparable flood damage.
• Work on the Cleveland-Massillon Road Sewer Line Improvement Project is
underway (behind Gasoline Alley). A sewer line is being installed from the
Robinwood Hills Package Plant that will extend up Wye Road for tie-in to the
Botzum Sewage Plant. This will eliminate the last package plant in Bath.
Once the sewer line work is completed, Wye Roadwill be rebuilt.
• To comply with township subdivision regulations, the developer of the
Shade Park subdivision will place $12,000 in escrow. The township has
requested the funds from the county for use in township parks.
• Steven Weinert was hired as a probationary, part-time volunteer
firefighter trainee, effective Feb. 6.
• Service Director John Peltier advised residents to make sure that leaves
and yard waste debris are not clogging the storm sewers. Some recent
flooding incidents have occurred for this reason.
• The township has received 38 resumes for the zoning inspector’s position
and interviewing is ongoing.
• Administrator Bill Snow commented on the death of Bob Elrod, saying that
his name was synonymous with Historic Bath Town Hall, as the “keeper of the
keys.”
• Trustees approved replacement of outdated fire department equipment with
the purchase of biphasic units with 12-lead EKG capability for $59,239, to
be paid for with funds from the nonresident ambulance billing fund.
• Trustee James Nelson reminded residents that Summit County’s “Reverse 911”
has been in effect since June. This telephone warning system can be
activated to call home phone numbers and alert residents in a specific area
of emergencies affecting them, such as chemical spills or weather-related
events. Nelson advised that if you receive an automated message, don’t be
too quick to hang up without listening.
Trustees are scheduled to meet March 6 at 7 p.m. and March 20 at 4 p.m.
From the March 2006 issue of the Bath Country Journal.
Reprinted with permission of the Bath Country Journal.