Documenters: Franklin Township Trustee meeting for Oct. 28, 2025

The Franklin Township trustees held a regularly scheduled meeting on Oct. 28, 2025, at Township Hall. In attendance were Chairperson Kellie Kapusta and trustee Scott Swan. Also attending were Zoning Inspector Joe Ciccozzi, Deputy Fire Prevention Officer Richard Smith and Road Superintendent David Akerley.

The meeting was called to order shortly after 7 p.m. by Kapusta, who made the first order of business excusing the absence of trustee Glenn Russell and Fiscal Officer Lisé Russell.

After approval of the minutes from the special meeting on the 16th, the floor was opened for public comment. John Avouris stood to introduce himself as a candidate running for the school board.

“I believe the schools can have a better partnership with the township,” Avouris said. “Good schools help keep people in our community.”

Hal Lehman next took a moment to thank the trustees for the paving work on Lakeview. He commented on the use he’s seen it getting, particularly from the KSU track team and the ROTC. Another resident, Carol Dorscher, asked if her family could purchase a plaque for one of the benches off of Lakeview by the lake. This prompted a discussion about where the benches originally came from and how plaques were being added. Swan said he would look into this and see if there was a way to bring some consistency to the process. Dorscher also asked if there was an update to the “drainage issues.” Akerley said that they were going to have to cut the road open to make the necessary repairs and that would probably be done in the spring.

With no other public comments, Akerley provided a report on the roads. The work on Lakeview has been completed and the total was $150,000. Akerley also said the department had finished up the brush chipping but found another pile. The signs are now up for leaf pickup, and he reminded people that it is unsafe and illegal to rake leaves into the roadway.

To date, Akerley said the department has used four tons of crack seal and announced they were told that they received the lowest price for road salt in the entire state.

Ciccozzi next spoke for zoning. No permits had been issued since the previous meeting. He commended Tree City Mold for the work they have done on cleaning up the violations they had.

“I told them those issues were abated,” Ciccozzi said.

Over 30 roadside signs have been collected from around the township, he added.

At a recent Zoning Commission meeting, Ciccozzi said they revisited the “Chicken Code” but decided not to change anything. They also discussed cannabis facilities, and it was agreed to permit one in the township. There is still a discussion as to if that will be a grow facility or a dispensary.

Ciccozzi said he received a resident complaint about a perceived puppy mill, and he advised the resident to contact the dog warden.

Next up was Smith, who reported that the fire department was recently called to Meadowview Plaza because of a potential gas leak. The department searched every business space in the plaza and had to force four doors in the process. Eventually a gas leak was discovered in a vacant storefront. A plumber is going to make the necessary repairs, and Enbridge will sign off on the work before the service is restored.

Smith reported that the warning sirens are still not functional as they wait for the I/O boards to come in. He also encouraged residents to call him, particularly if they see an open burn, reminding those in attendance that in October and November, residents can’t burn between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.

To conclude his report, he asked trustees to approve spending up to $400 for the purchase of new pads and batteries for the AED units. This approval was made unanimously.

As part of the old business agenda segment, Kapusta offered an update on the state Route 59 work. They have moved through the planning and design of the next phase and are currently working on financing. At the moment, Kapusta said “the township will be responsible for 16.7% of a local share in cost of the $8 million project.” The work is expected to begin in the summer of 2027.

She said they are also currently re-evaluating their snow removal policy for businesses in that area. Currently, each business is responsible for their own snow and ice removal, but the township is considering using township employees for the work or partnering with Kent to use the services of the park and rec workers.

The township newsletter was briefly reviewed and then unanimously approved to go out.

Under new business, Swan said he had received an email from Heaven DiMartino, the Portage County chief prosecutor of special projects, who will be the new liaison for the township.

A brief discussion was held on the November and December trustee meetings, and it was decided to hold the first meeting of each month and cancel the second.

The trustees then unanimously approved resolutions 2025-27 and 2025-28, which dealt with payments for fire and EMS services. They also approved the payment of bills and payment vouchers totalling $329,835.24. Following that, the meeting was adjourned.