Bath Township Trustees Updates
JEDD Funds Investment, Computer
System and Bath Creek Restoration Project Highlighted
By Jody Miller
The Bath Township Board of Trustees met March 20 and April 10 and acted on a
number of issues. Among those issues:
• The expected payment of funds in excess of $3.2 million was received by
the township in mid-March. This was the lump sum payment negotiated as part
of the 1998 Joint Economic Development District among Bath, Akron and
Fairlawn, and approved by Bath voters in November of that year. [Bath also
receives a 10-year annual payment of $250,000 and, as of Jan. 1, 2006, a
portion of the one-quarter percent income tax increase in the district for
the length of the agreement.] The $3.2 million is Bath’s allotted 10 percent
share of the net JEDD income tax revenues for six years, from 2000 through
2005. With the receipt of the $3.2 million, trustees approved the needed
documentation to invest the funds, per a revised investment policy, in U.S.
Treasury Securities. The funds are to be used, per the JEDD agreement, to
preserve the “unique rural-like open space residential character of the
township.”
• The board also approved a resolution honoring the Bath Township Museum
Board, whose work resulted in the February opening of the museum, which will
showcase the history of Bath. In particular, the resolution singled out Lee
Darst, museum administrator and board members Cynthia Parish, Mary Anne
Krejci, Anna McMillin, Jean Hockwalt and Bob Elrod.
• Administrator Bill Snow presented trustees with a comprehensive report on
the status of the township’s computer system, now 11 years old. Stating that
computer requirements have increased 10-fold and that demand far exceeds the
current system, Snow urged trustees to approve the first in a series of
purchases to update the mainframe computer system. The approved initial
$150,000 purchase includes a server, software and hardware to bring the
police and fire departments on-line first with the new system. The other
departments will be added in the future. The new system will allow for an
interface with the joint Fire Station No. 2 and a back-up and direct
(protected) link to Copley Township’s system.
• Trustees approved a 3-year, no-cost-to-Bath agreement with Oxbow River &
Stream Restoration Inc., which will research and apply for a grant to fund
restoration work along Bath Creek, west of Bath Pond on the nature preserve.
Oxbow will perform the work needed to stabilize the creek banks. In return,
Oxbow can use the project for educational purposes for the three years.
• Nearly $100,000 in payments was approved as Bath’s half-share of the cost
of work on Station No. 2, the Bath-Copley joint fire station being built on
Medina Road. Snow also reported that a dedication ceremony has been
tentatively set for June 2 at 4 p.m. and that the station’s proposed name is
“Stoney Hill Station.”
• The township accepted a $2,079 Community Development Block Grant to
continue participation in the Lifeline Program for the seven Bath residents
in the program. Unlike in previous years, the program is no longer 100
percent funded by the CDBG; Bath will pay $693 toward three months of the
year-long program.
According to Police Chief Mike McNeely, the person responsible for the rash
of car break-ins and thefts at Bath Parks has been caught and indicted. The
suspect also was involved in similar incidents in the national park and
Metro Parks, Serving Summit County, McNeely said.
Fire Chief James Paulett reminded residents that changing clocks to Daylight
Savings Time is a good time to change smoke detector batteries.
May meetings for the Bath Trustees are scheduled for May 8 at 7 p.m. and May
22 at 4 p.m. at the Bath Administration Building.
From
the May 2006 issue of the Bath Country Journal. Reprinted with
permission of the Bath Country Journal.