Documented by Lee Lundblad

Charlestown Township

Board of Trustees Meeting

Monday, January 9, 2023

5:30 p.m.

Charlestown Township Town Hall

6368 Rock Spring Rd.

Ravenna, OH 44266

In Attendance

Tim Patrick, Board of Trustees/Chair

Bruce Lange, Board of Trustees/Vice Chair

Adam Eskridge, Board of Trustees

Susie Forgacs, Charlestown Township Fiscal Officer

Rick Grund, Zoning Inspector

Randy Porter, Fire Department/Chief

Organizational Meeting

Documenter Summary and Notes

The trustees began at 5:30 p.m. with their organizational meeting for 2023. The three trustees and the fiscal officer reviewed a list of rules and housekeeping items to organize for the 2023 year. This is a partial list of items discussed:

• Considered obtaining a Home Depot credit card or some other line of credit for the custodian’s cleaning supply needs
• Retain contract with Ravenna Heating & Cooling
• Record copy fees to remain at $6
• Retain contract with portable toilet vendor 
• No changes to where to post meeting announcements, how to cancel meetings and post notices, etc.
• Motion was made to say “no” to all suggested changes and keep everything the same. Motion was seconded and passed.
• Motion made to adjourn organization meeting – seconded and passed.

Regular Trustee Meeting

Documenter Summary

This meeting began with interaction between the trustees and visitors at the meeting. Three people were introduced and spoke briefly with the trustees, often with the trustees asking specific questions of visitors or providing information to them. The body of the meeting consisted of the trustees as well as other key members of the township giving current reports on the state of projects within their departments. Motions were made and passed as needed throughout the meeting.

Documenter Notes

Chair Tim Patrick opened the regular trustee meeting at 5:40 p.m. The trustees acknowledged the visitors in the audience and talked briefly with each.

• A teen representing the Boy Scouts was doing a report on government and had questions for the trustees. She asked a few questions, and they answered each fully. They welcomed her and applauded her interest in the community.
• This documenter was acknowledged, and the trustees were interested in hearing about the Documenters project at The Portager.
• A member of the community was present and gave heartfelt thanks for the outpouring of support he and his family received after a recent tragedy. 

After these pleasantries, Zoning Inspector Rick Grund updated the trustees with the following information:

• He received a call from a resident who inquired about building a cabin on the Route 5 property. He gave the resident information such as the required square footage and the front footage allowance, etc. He suggested that by the end of the call, the resident was going to rethink the possibility of building the cabin.
• Kevin Scott sold out of the dumpster business, and now the trustees need to move forward with obtaining new quotes for the service. Patrick reminded all that they usually use two 40-yarders from 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday. The contract will be up in May, so quotes need to be obtained as soon as possible to meet that timeline.
• Received a call this past Saturday about a funeral/cremation for an indigent resident. The person was questioning whether or not the cremains needed to be buried in Charlestown Cemetery if the cremation was paid for by the township. Grund asked the trustees if they knew of any requirement for this. None immediately knew but said they would check and get back to Grund. The inquiring family will be filling out the application for the payment of cremation and will send it to the trustees ASAP.

Charlestown Fire Chief Randy Porter then presented his report to the trustees:

• In 2022, the fire department fielded 248 calls, down 16 from 2021.
• As of today, the department has gone on seven calls, up by two from last year at this time.
• He requested three items of the trustees:
  • Last year, $1,200 was approved for uniforms, and they just now got the quote from the vendor. He would like to spend this money in 2023 – is this possible? Motion was made by Patrick to approve spending; seconded and passed.
  • He would like to hire a trainee to move into the training program. Motion was made, seconded and passed.
  • He has been reviewing two resumes from two of his captains for the assistant chief position. After review, he requested that Captain Wayne Scott be permanently promoted to the position. Patrick made a motion. It was seconded and passed.

Report from Susie Forgacs, Charlestown Township fiscal officer:

• She reminded the trustees that there will be two expense levies that need to be considered for either:
  • This spring or fall and,
  • Whether they will be renewals or replacements 

It was decided that a decision would be made at the February meeting.

• Requesting a $500 NOPEC grant again.
• The permanent appropriations are complete, and she reported several. Among them:
  • $107,000 for personnel and taxes
  • $12,000 for the cemetery

Motion was made and seconded to approve these appropriations. Motion passed.

• Forgacs requested any changes to the phone/address sheet ASAP. There are some errors on it.
• Forgacs is working on the W2s for the fire department employees. She needs to check in with the chief for some final information.

Report from Trustee Kevin Eskridge:

• Eskridge updated the website with last month’s minutes.
• Working on assembling candidates for the custodian position. He was advised by the other trustees to move this process along by setting a hard deadline (next Friday) for resumes and letters of interest and then to schedule interviews for the next trustee meeting (Jan. 23). All thought it was best to interview prior to the meeting; that way, if they decide on a candidate, they can make a motion to accept it that evening.
• Spoke with Roger Gordon from The Portager. Provided an update to items in Charlestown.
• Inquired about the heater for Town Hall – do we need to replace it? How old is it?
  • The other trustees said it is working well, and there isn’t an advantage to replacing it. The older model is very straightforward and simple to use and not bogged down with new technology. 

Report from Vice Chair/Trustee Bruce Lange:

• Great Lakes Fence started working on the backstop today. They will return tomorrow for more work.
• The zoning reorganizing meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 23.
• Reminded the trustees that keys need to be made for the township’s buildings.
• Signed and submitted the confirmation to ODOT that Charlestown Township consists of 6.170 miles of public roads. He noted that this amount has not changed in quite awhile, nor does he expect it to change. Lange also suggested that Forgacs keep the signed copy on file.

Report from Chair/Trustee Tim Patrick:

• He and Lange met with the lumberjack regarding the removal of trees needed prior to the erection of the salt shed. He received a quote of $11,250 to remove four trees, grind four stumps and trim a huge silver maple tree impacting a property. Patrick made a motion to move forward with this quote. It was seconded and passed.
• Patrick also described the quote for the salt shed. He explained it would be a 22-foot-by-23-foot shed to house salt for roads and would be erected by We Cover Buildings Systems for $18,760. He made a motion to move forward on the salt shed. It was seconded and passed.
• He made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 6:24 p.m.