On Aug. 3, the Brimfield Township Board of Trustees held their regular meeting in trustee chambers. In attendance were Chairman Nic Coia, Vice Chairman Kevin Scott, Trustee Sue Fields, Fire Chief Craig Mullaly, Economic Development and Zoning Inspector Michael Hlad, Township Administrator Roy Mosley III and Road Superintendent David Rufener.
Coia called the meeting to order at 7 p.m., and then invited those in attendance to rise for the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silence.
The first order of business was an approval of the minutes from the July 27 special meeting. Following that, members of the public were invited to speak.
Judy Mothersbaugh wanted to know if there was any update or follow-through on the rat problem in her neighborhood. She was followed by Doug Manley with J&J Plumbing. He wanted to address any concerns stemming from the recent installation of a water heater. Manley said he has fielded calls from unhappy residents and was aware of several social media posts questioning the work and the costs associated with it.
With no other residents prepared to speak, updates were offered from the departments. Mosley offered the police report, saying that on Aug. 16, the Fast & Furriest Car Show would take place at Field High School. Mosley also asked the board for approval to take on an easement at Joe’s Barbecue. He said the addition of a storm water drain there would address the water issues at the police department.
Mullaly then offered a report from the fire department and said they were currently looking at cost-cutting measures. Those include limiting purchases; stopping TV, newspapers and coffee at the station; limiting training; and limiting participation in the county teams. Mullaly also said they could look at selling their trailer fan, training car and Ford Expedition.
“With budget constraints, it’s worth considering,” Mullaly said.
Coia asked Mullaly what the cost benefit of these sales would be and Mullaly said he would need to get that detail. There was also a discussion on whether to restart some department equipment-service contracts. Coia asked if there was a benefit to the contracts or if the department could get by without them.
“Of course there’s always a risk, but what are you willing to pay?” Mullaly said.
Mullaly said he would be adjusting his schedule so he would be available more often to run shifts with the rest of the department. He also announced that the paperwork had been filed with the Board of Elections to run the November levy and that engine 1215 is running and now in service.
Next, Mosley offered an administrative update. He said that photos had been taken of two land parcels that will be placed up for sale on the GovDeals website. When those are live, the sale will be added to the township website, as well.
He also announced that the Summer Block Party and Cruise-In would be held Aug. 8 and that the POW-MIA observance event will take place at the gazebo on Sept. 18.
Mosley had two bids for a change in energy rates through NOPEC for the township. He said that either would help the township “realize significant savings.” There was still a third option that NOPEC would be providing in the coming days. Because of this, rather than make a selection, the trustees voted to empower Mosley to make a decision based on the three options when all were available.
Next, the trustees approved a motion to adjust the Brimfield-Tallmadge JEDD M&I allocations so that a minimum of 10% goes to capital improvements, while 90% can be used for vehicle-related needs.
A motion was then put before the trustees regarding whether a state hearing would be needed for a liquor permit for The Basement. The motion failed, which allows the permitting process to continue. The trustees then voted to approve the acceptance of a $2,000 grant from OTARMA.
Hlad offered a number of updates on zoning matters. Those included a scheduled public hearing on Aug. 7 regarding Appendix E of the zoning regulations and a public hearing on Aug. 13 for a Howe Avenue parcel rezoning proposal. Hlad said the Zoning Commission is still working on data center restrictions and, as such, plan on requesting an additional six-month moratorium in the fall. An item on the agenda regarding updates to zoning fees was tabled.
Rufener then offered a report for the Road Department. He said that test holes will be dug on Aug. 26 in Meloy Road to get ready for the pipes. Scope work was completed on Buckeye Boulevard, and Rufener believes the results show that they will need to replace the full stretch of pipe, from catch basin to catch basin.
He added that the road mowing is ongoing as weather permits and listed four projects that were recently completed: the Countryside catch basin, the Boydell pipe project, the Woods Trail berm work and ditches across four areas.
The department also replaced the benches at McGuire Park. Two of the original benches had been thrown into the lake and, when they were retrieved, they fell apart. The department had some aluminum benches in storage, so they replaced all of the benches in the park with those.
Rufener noted two new projects that needed trustee approval. The trustees unanimously approved a bid of $190,000 for work on Sanctuary View Drive and Willow Brook. Some of the cost of this will be paid by OPWC. Trustees also approved a contract with QCI in an amount just under $14,000 for the same project.
Coia then returned to a question from the top of the meeting and asked if anyone had an update on the rat issue. Scott said the health department wasn’t going to help and instead directed him to the engineer’s office. He has been waiting for a call back from them.
Fields then closed the meeting by asking if any resident had historical information on the Wyles family (namesake of the Wyles Development) and, if they did, she asked that it be shared.
At 7:52 p.m., the trustees entered into an executive session to consider the discipline of a public employee or official.