Bath earns Scenic Ohio Award

Bath Township Board of Trustees

By Anne Dennée

Bath Township is one of four recipients of a Scenic Ohio Award for 2006.

Bath received the award for its efforts to preserve and improve the scenic aspects and “distinctive visual character” of the community.

Scenic Ohio President Christine Freitag was on hand at the July 24 Bath Township Board of Trustees meeting to offer her congratulations. She commended Bath in particular for its forward-thinking conservation zoning and its strong management plan for The Heritage Corridors of Bath, the township’s scenic byway.

“Bath’s plan for the scenic byway is such a beautiful plan that it serves as a model for others working to develop byway plans,” said Freitag.

Specific projects mentioned in the award announcement include restoration of Historic Bath Town Hall; completion of roadside enhancements, including attractive signage; creation of the Bath Baseball Park, Bath Hill Park and the Bath Nature Preserve; and collaboration with The University of Akron.

Freitag said Scenic Ohio awards, which will be presented for the first time July 28 at CanalWay Center in Cleveland, are intended to recognize the contribution of taxpayers in beautifying the state. There are other awards given to the companies and individuals that do beautification work, commented Freitag, but Scenic Ohio awards recognize those who planned and paid for the work.

The current road levy is set to expire Dec. 31, which would cause the Service Department’s budgeted revenue for the 2007 fiscal year to decrease by more than $600,000. Marquette said the township must replace this revenue to maintain the current level of service.

In fact, township officials believe Bath needs to generate additional revenue for roads, since nearly all of the costs associated with maintaining the roads, such as fuel and asphalt, are petroleum-based, said Marquette, adding that petroleum prices have increased and are unpredictable.

To cover these costs, trustees are considering renewing the levy for five years at either the current millage of 1.5 or a reduced millage of 1.4. The board, which has asked the Summit County Fiscal Office to calculate the cost to homeowners for both millage rates, must make a decision by mid-August to place the levy on the November General Election ballot.

Trustee Donald Jenkins announced that a walking tour of Yellow Creek is scheduled for July 31. The tour will feature three to four stops with experts in areas such as wetlands ecology on hand. The walk is designed to educate the Yellow Creek Watershed Committee as well as the public about land use, stream-bed restoration and storm water runoff.

Jenkins estimated the tour, which will depart from the township’s Administrative Complex after participants gather at 5:30 p.m., would run until 7 or 7:30 p.m.

During the public comments portion of the meeting, Steve Negowski, of Burr Oak Drive, asked trustees to renew their attention to the property at 2713 Smith Road, which is located behind Negowski’s home.

The township declared the Smith Road property a nuisance in early June. By the end of June, Administrator William Snow said the owners had responded by clearing some of the debris in the yard and draining the pool. However, according to Negowski, the pool is cracked and still has water in it, the gutter on the front of the house has fallen down, and various animals are on the property.

Calendar items include:

• Aug. 4: Smudging (ritual cleansing) ceremony, statue of Mingo Indian Chief Logan, Bath Community Activity Center, 6:30 p.m.;

• Aug. 5: Bath Community Day, pancake breakfast from 7:30 to 11 a.m., parade at 11 a.m., followed by activities at Bath Community Activity Center. [See story on Page 28.]

The next regular trustees’ meeting will take place Aug. 7 at 7 p.m. at the Administration Complex, 3864 W. Bath Road.

From the July 27, 2006 issue of the West Side Leader.  Reprinted with permission of the West Side Leader.