Windham Township Trustees
Jan. 4, 2023
5:30 p.m.

Attendance

Rich Gano Trustee
Brian Miller Trustee
Dan Burns Trustee
Casey Timmons Fiscal Officer

Documenter’s Notes

Organizational Meeting

Fiscal Officer Casey Timmons called the meeting to order and, following the Pledge of Allegiance, Timmons requested a nomination for chair. Dan Burns was nominated and elected. Burns then led the organizational meeting, nominating Rich Gano for vice chair. The trustees voted to change the time of their meetings to 6 p.m., held the first Thursday of the month at the 9011 N. Main St. location. The township will continue to be legally represented by the prosecutor’s office. Gano was elected to serve as the Portage County Regional Planning Representative, and the trustees approved the payment of dues to the organization. As fiscal officer and chair, Timmons and Burns will assume the roles of Record Retention Committee. Gano will also serve as the cemetery contact. Brian Miller will be the township’s road contact, and Burns will continue to be the Windham Fire Department representative.

Regular Session

Minutes and expenditures were approved. Elayne Cross, candidate for Ohio’s 14th District in the U.S. House of Representatives, briefly addressed the trustees as a guest. Burns asked Cross what she could offer Windham as a representative, specifically addressing the eminent domain claim by the Ravenna Arsenal, which has cost the township tax revenue. Cross stated her belief that the federal government has become bloated, needing to “stay in its lane,” citing the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing “life, liberty, and property.” Cross noted that the founders altered the language to rightly avoid codifying slavery. Cross said, “It is time to put property back in there.”

Roads

A representative from the road department suggested filing a Lemon Law claim against a newer plow truck. The truck in question had been out of service for several months without a diagnosis and was expected to be unavailable for perhaps six more months.

Cemetery

Gano reported that marker pins were being added to the cemetery, and a section was being developed for indigent burial. Burns suggested looking into markers for future indigent burials to honor the deceased. The trustees agreed unofficially to look into the matter.

Zoning

Zoning issued zero permits for December. Inspector Jake Sweet reported on the reclamation project for the property at 9092 state Route 303. A lengthy discussion ensued regarding the filing of zoning resolutions with input from Todd Phillips, chairman of the Board of Zoning Appeals.

Fire

The fire department responded to 680 calls in 2023. There were four new hires who were in various stages of fire and EMT training.

Old/New Business

There were no updates on the Windham Alloy property. Burns stated that the property has been cleaned up, and he expects an update by February. Timmons compared the interest rates of Farmers Bank and Middlefield Bank. The trustees had previously agreed to move township funds to Middlefield Bank. The action is awaiting signatures and should be completed within the week. The trustees agreed to accept the NOPEC Community Event grant in the amount of $1,000, designating the funds for the Fire Department Turkey Raffle.

The trustees moved into executive session at 6:21 p.m. to discuss employment contracts and the potential sale/purchase of property.