Pizzino called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. at the Jackson Township Hall with all Trustees, Fiscal Officer, Lyon, Fitzgerald, Boger, Moore, Ruwadi, Poindexter and Neftzer present.
Work Session
Highway Department
ATTACHMENT 03/24/08 A
Boger introduced Rich LaRocco and Debbie
Weaver from ME Companies to discuss traffic signals.
LaRocco: Thank you, Ralph. Good Evening, Board. We were to give you a design proposal on the Higbee/Munson intersection project. In light of the fatality at Lake O’Springs/Strausser, we had thought that it’s best to look at a lot of the other intersections in the Township and to see of Higbee/Munson still ranks high enough for us to put a signal in there. We want to make sure that it’s the most prudent expenditure of the Township funds. Before I turn that over to Debbie, she did some preliminary work on some other intersections within the Township that she’d like to present to you. But before I do that, since I’m up here anyway, I’ll bring you up to speed on the Fulton/Wales intersection, if I may.
I called ODOT today and the contractor’s not ready to start April 1st, it will be more like the middle of April. With the wet weather we’ve had the asphalt plants won’t be starting up about the first of April and the first thing they’ll be doing is temporary pavement within the intersection so they maintain traffic in both directions. We did meet with Union Metal and I got hold of Ralph today, they’d like to come in on the 14th at 2:30 to discuss the lighting fixtures and also the signals poles. Some of the things that we’ll be looking at are signal poles with mast arms, we’ll be looking at the poles changed out only, and right now you’re going to have silver poles with span wire. Also the economy thing that they have seen done that the Board may want to consider is to paint the silver poles black and install decorative bases to match the light poles. Those are some of the things that we’ll look at.
On the street lighting, there are a lot of options to look at. They have a nice cast iron plate that they can put at the bottom of the light poles with the Jackson Township logo. There’s flag brackets that will hold just a standard flag or there’s a cross arm for either a three foot long flag or a six foot long. There will be a receptacle up at the top to light wreaths at Christmas time or some other lighting features that the Union Metal Company would like to present to the Board. So it will be more like a work session to see what the Board is interested in doing and of course how much money we want to invest in it. And that will be at 2:30 on the 14th. Ralph?
Boger: Yes.
LaRocco: Probably do it in here. They said they have a power point.
Gonzalez: Can we do it when John’s not here? John’s been real tight about that.
LaRocco: Yes. John, you ought to be here and see what Randy’s going to do.
Pizzino: My money will be spent very wisely.
LaRocco: So now I’d like to have Debbie come up here and talk about the intersections in the Township and as they relate to our proposal for the Higbee/Munson project. Before we do the Higbee/Munson project, we’d like to at least present to you some of the other intersections that are high profile in the Township. Debbie.
Weaver: Hi, I haven’t met all of you. My name is Debbie Weaver and I’m with ME Companies. I just expand a little bit. Ralph had asked us to give you guys a proposal to do a traffic signal light at Higbee and Munson and I checked with the County and supposedly Scott Ganyard a while ago warranted a signal at that intersection. Now I believe his warrant was based on the commercial development that was on the south side of the intersection and there’s a driveway that comes out at the intersection but most of the cars are entering a driveway that is a little bit more west of the intersection and there really, in my opinion, is not enough traffic to warrant a signal. So, therefore, I hated really to see you guys spend money on putting in a signal of one that wasn’t warranted and one that also wouldn’t benefit in any way. I do think there might be a slight problem at the intersection in the morning due to the fact that people might be stacking in that two way center turn lane to turn into the driveway and preventing other people who are traveling eastbound turning north on Higbee. That is something to look at. What we could possibly do is cut off the one drive and just leave the driveway that comes across from the intersection open and their other driveway that’s a little bit farther west of that. They have three driveways that access that parking lot right now. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t look at that, I just saying that I don’t think it’s a problem right now.
Now, another thing, every year SCATS puts out a Stark County crash report and what it does is it ranks the intersections. I have printed out here, I don’t have copies for everybody, but I can hand out a few of these here. Jackson Township’s intersection ranked, recent hazard rating, the top one intersection. Okay, what that does is you’ll see the top intersection is, I think, Huckleberry and Lake O’Springs. That’s based on what they call SCATS hazard rating which takes into consideration the average daily traffic and the number of accidents that occur. And if you see there they have a three year accident trend there, they have the 2004, 2005, 2006 accidents. If you go down the list, the majority of the intersections are within the Belden Village area, also Portage Street is a concern, and the bottom line is, I think it would be best if the Township would consider studying their top ten and then possibly going on to the top twenty intersections and so forth. What I would like to do is, and I should have handed this out (indecipherable). This is just a brief summary of what I think we can do with some of these intersections.
What I’d like to do is, one reason I want to start looking at the intersections is as you’re well aware of we looked at High Mill/Lafayette and we put that in to ODOT to apply for HSP funding. One of the criteria to apply for that money is to show that you are addressing your top ten intersections. High Mill/Lafayette didn’t rank in the top ten intersections within Jackson Township. That is going to be a question that comes up when I talk to ODOT. They want to see, first ODOT wants to see you rank your intersections, number two they want to see you start to go down and address the problems at each of those intersections, starting with your most hazardous intersection and working your way down. Now, what I would like to do is to take, for instance, let’s say we took your top ten intersections, I would like to just collect that accident data you collected over a three year period, you look at the accident data and you create a collision diagram. From that collision diagram, you can determine some of the problems that are occurring at the intersection and come up with some probable countermeasures that can be put into effect. And then what we would do, too, in the report is put down some low cost countermeasures working our way up to some of the higher cost countermeasures. Now one of the things with regards to your list of intersections there, I know that the County is presently doing some timing out in the mall area for Dressler and Everhard, but I don’t know if they’re looking at the accidents. That’s something I’d have to check into. Another thing is I know SCATS is, well SCATS is part of that program that is looking at those intersections. As you see, some of your jurisdictions on some of these intersections are ODOT and the County and some of them are just Jackson Township intersections. So one of the things we need to do is research to find out what is going with these intersections, who is looking at them. If we identify the problem, then we can maybe look at the County to help us fix some of those problems or look at ODOT to help fix some of those problems, but the point being is, I would like to ask the Township for us to study these intersections and come up with, one, a list of the problems, then, what is going on so you have a better handle on and a plan of attack for all your intersections within the County. And that way you can address the public, too, when it comes to are you looking at our intersections, are you aware of which intersections have the most accidents at it, you know, what are we doing about those intersections, what is the problem at each of these intersections. That’s what I would like to see us do instead of just possibly potentially putting up a signal at Higbee and Munson, which I really don’t think you need a signal there.
We also made a map here that kind of shows and I can hand this out to you too, that showed you top ten intersections, intersection eleven through twenty and intersections twenty through twenty-five, too. One of the things to look at, too, you see some of these accidents you have about 50 something accidents occurring and that could be due to MOT that was currently going on there and that could be fixed now. I know (indecipherable) sometimes you guys do some work on there is the MOT when the highway was being constructed, could have been affecting some of that. We will be able to tell, like I said, by looking at some of the accident reports what was going on. There are probably some easy fixes that can be accomplished and there may be some more difficult things like vertical grade but I would also like to check into to see what SCATS is doing with the timing in the intersection near the mall there is that going to fix some of the problems that are going on. What’s happening on Portage Street? Definitely Huckleberry and Lake O’Springs is something we could look at those at those accidents, we could look at the existing conditions that are out there and we could try to come up with some solutions. By looking at the accidents, we can determine what some of the causes are and what some of the countermeasures are for that. Does that make sense to anybody here? Any questions?
Burger: Not a question, actually, but concerning the accident they had there at Lake O’Springs and Huckleberry. If the money’s available to the Township through grants or whatever to be proactive on these intersections by having this information here available instead of waiting to be reactive, and get two or three people killed or even one person killed at these accidents, then by the time we jump on the ball the ball’s down the road a mile or two. Maybe I’m talking.
Weaver: Right. That’s the point I’m trying to make. I’m trying to take your intersections, I would like to have all of those identified. Maybe we knock off ten in the next six months and then we look at the next ten and I’d like you guys to have a book at your disposal that shows the accident trend at each intersection and what is the identified problem there. I can be very honest with you in respect that when we get into looking at some of these accidents there was a large portion which are just driver error. Okay? And I know that doesn’t help alleviate in particular that one intersection of Strausser and Lake O’Springs but I do know that there has been a little bit of an intersection sight distance problem there. I don’t think that was quite the problem that happened last week but it something that needs to be identified and documented and is there attempts to fix that sight distance problem. You need to have documentation that showing one, we’re looking at our intersections and these are the approaches that we are taking to fix some of the problems that are out there. Some of these things can be very simple things like installing dual stop signs, installing flasher ahead. It protects the Township, too, by having one, the intersections analyzed and you guys will have a plan in place to try to address some of these problems. Now at that particular intersection if you notice on that list in 2004 you had one accident, in 2005 you had one accident and in 2006 you had two accidents, okay. I would like to go back to 2001 to see if there’s a trend of going up or down.
Pizzino: I believe, not to interrupt you, but I believe we have been looking at this and if you look at the map you’ve given up, everything you’re showing us is either a County or State road, it’s not a Jackson Township road. The one we’re talking about at Strausser and Lake O’Springs the majority of that problem is on Strausser and that’s a County problem. Now we work very well with the County and we’ve done many projects with them, splitting the cost but when you look at this map you’ve given me, I think this has to be addressed with the County Engineer more than Jackson Township Board of Trustees. Show me where we have a problem with Jackson roads.
Weaver: That’s one thing if you look at that spreadsheet I gave you, if you look on the side there where is says jurisdiction. There are very few that are just Jackson Township.
Pizzino: And what I’m seeing here, the problem you have, and the Police Chief correct me, it’s heavily congested roads where we’re having the accidents in Jackson Township on County roads which is the Portage Street, the Marchand area, the truck stop area, which is the Belden Village area, Dressler and Everhard, the on ramps and off ramps. So, I agree with you but I want to also go a step further and say this is not a Jackson Township problem.
Weaver: I agree.
Pizzino: This is a County problem more than a Jackson Township problem. If you show me a problem on a Jackson Township road, absolutely, we’ll correct it. Everything you’re showing me right now is not really a Jackson Township problem. Now, going back to what can we do? We’ll be glad to work with you and work with the County and you can do as long as Mr. Boger has the money to do that. Ralph do you have anything after looking at this do you have any comments?
Boger: It’s going to take more study than just initially looking at it. I hadn’t looked at it from this aspect yet. Where you compare all the intersections at one time.
Pizzino: Yes, we’re looking at that. And that’s a lot of information and we appreciate the information but what do you want us to do? What is the exact next step? I don’t want you to give you permission to look at Mike Rehfus’ intersections.
Weaver: Right.
Pizzino: I don’t think I have that
Weaver: I understand you, I understand kind of what you’re, because that’s kind of one of the things from when I started putting that list together. The top ten, the top twenty are basically County, ODOT. But they’re still a problem. Now, I’m not saying that the Township has to pay for that kind of stuff to be fixed up. But one, I would like to look at those intersections to see, one, what is being done, is something being done. Is the County looking at these intersections? I have not taken, I put some phone calls in, it’s going to take some time and some money to contact SCATS to find out what is going on at these intersections. Contact the County and find out what’s going on. If we were to jump down to just the Jackson Township areas then we’re still not addressing really your highest accident intersections even though I know they are not
Pizzino: They’re not in our jurisdiction to address them. Is what I’m saying. You want us to spend our money on a County concern or a State concern. I want to spend our money on a Jackson Township road. Now, again, not that we wouldn’t help, we’ve always been a big brother to everybody but you want us to do the study for the County is what I’m taking what you’re telling me. I don’t want to spend Jackson Township dollars to do that. I think they should provide that and if they feel that there’s a concern on their County road in our Township then come back to us and we’ll address it with them and we’ll try to work something out.
Weaver: Well, I can talk to the County and see if I can knock off those top ten or twenty that really are just the County and ODOT to find out if they’re doing anything. Since they’re within Jackson, even though they’re under the jurisdiction of the County, they are shown as your top ten and not as the Counties’. That’s the thing, either I’m going to have to, I don’t know what
Gonzalez: Let me interject. First of all, could I ask you a question? The rating system, on number one, I’m looking at it, it’s had a total of ten accidents and what’s the ADT stand for?
Weaver: That’s the average daily traffic. And the reason
Gonzalez: Okay, it has less than 3,000 cars a day, it’s had ten crashes but its number one, I take it, because of the fatality. Right?
Weaver: The fatality. Exactly. He’s right. The fatality and also because the low ADT because SCATS has a rating as a calculation of the accidents over the ADT. So the low ADT and the number of accidents puts it as a high ranking.
Gonzalez: I understand that. Let me continue here for a second. So I guess my question comes to first of all, you don’t think that that’s a little skewed? Because when I’m looking at this, I see ones with 25 accidents, I see ones much higher in every category except for the one fatality. So, believe me, I don’t want to see anybody lose their life but does one accident make it the worst intersection?
Weaver: I know, I agree.
Gonzalez: But if there’s a fatal crash you’re telling me all of a sudden because there was one, it could have been, I don’t even know what the circumstances were. Do you remember that one, Harley? Was it high speed or?
Neftzer: That was a failure to yield right of way.
Gonzalez: Failure to yield?
Neftzer: That (indecipherable), yes.
Gonzalez: And was it, was there a charge, that was it? No alcohol or anything?
Neftzer: Yes, there was no.
Gonzalez: So because of one human error that all of a sudden it is pushed to the top. And I guess my point is; we just had another fatality one two weeks ago, and the reason I’m interjecting, is I want to give you a little history. Because of the intersection where it happened. I was around back then. That intersection where it just happened which was Strausser and Lake O’Springs and years ago when I was Trustee we were told it was a major problem. So we put street lights up to light the intersection because it was dark, lights on the poles. Still had a lot of crashes. Then they said okay let’s put flashing lights up so everybody could see the intersection when they are approaching it. were coming. So we put flashing lights up. Then , I think last year, this board along with John, was it that you guys joined with Engineer Rehfus to cut the hill down for better sight distance at the intersection on that project. Was that last year, Ralph?
Boger: That was maybe two years ago. That was the east leg.
Gonzalez: So they said there was
a site distance problem, so they cut the hill down. So they’ve done everything
they can to improve that intersection and then there’s a fatality two weeks
ago. So I guess what I’m saying is, I have to agree with Mr. Pizzino,
and as the Fiscal Officer for you to come in here and say we should do
all these streets is like asking them to pave my driveway. They’re
not our streets; we’ve done everything we could possibly do to help the
County Engineer with those. And now under this system, does that
mean that Lake O’Springs and Strausser is going to go to number two now
because there was a fatality?
Weaver: No, the fatality does rank
it a little higher but the primary reason why that’s ranked high is because
of the number of accidents with the low ADT. You’re right, you look
at another one it has like 50 something accidents but it has like 32,000
vehicles, that’s some of the ones like Everhard and Dressler.
Gonzalez: Well, that one is 7,200. When it gets the fatality added in is it going to move it to the top three, would you say? Top five? My point is does one driver error really mean this is the worst, most dangerous intersection or does dozens of crashes?
Weaver: I don’t think so because if you look at the one, isn’t there 10 accidents on that first one here?
Burger: Yes, there’s a total of ten.
Weaver: Yes, a total of ten where you only have a total of four at that intersection. The fatality does give it more points in the calculation but. I would agree with you in the sense that when you get driver error it doesn’t mean it should put that intersection at the top of the list because that doesn’t necessarily qualify that intersection as having a problem. Just because there was driver error. SCATS ranks these intersections. It has a calculation that it uses and that one unfortunately – Huckleberry – it’s been up there the last two years. I don’t think it’s totally the fatality that’s putting it up there. It’s the very low ADT with the 10 accidents. It’s that combination.
Gonzalez: I see.
Weaver: And partly the fatality. Trying to go back to your one question. I agree with you as far as you shouldn’t have to be fixing the County’s streets. But one, I don’t even know and I don’t know if you know is the County aware that these intersections are a problem. Are they doing anything about it.
Pizzino: They get the same report from Rich.
LaRocco: I understand where the Board is coming from. How about if we revise that list that you have, show an ODOT list, a County list, and a Township list and find out what ODOT is doing for their list, what the County is doing for their list and then you’ll also have your own list and see how those all mesh together. Would that be a better approach?
Pizzino: I would think so. Then we can work on what is truly ours. And if they want a joint project, we could look at that also.
LaRocco: What we’ll do is we’ll take that under advisement. We’ll give Ralph a new list for the Township to look at.
Weaver: And it wouldn’t hurt once
we do create that list, that the Township forward a letter on to the County
and ask them to give them in writing what they are doing on some of these
intersections so you have documentation to that effect.
LaRocco: That would at least make
you aware of what ODOT and the County are doing on their list.
Burger: So technically the accident where we had the fatality at Lake O’Springs and Strausser, that could almost jump that right up there in relation to Huckleberry/Lake O’Springs if you look at the fatalities.
LaRocco: Correct.
Weaver: Yes, it’s an equation it’s not weighted quite, you know, you should take into consideration the actual cause of the accident.
LaRocco: Thank you for your time.
Pizzino: Rich, would you please come up here and do you want to touch on the lighting a little bit. Where we’re at and fill in the other Board members. I know that Marilyn has filled them in, Randy’s worked part of it, (indecipherable). You want to talk a little bit about where we’re going with that. Where we’re going (indecipherable) where we believe the lights should go and the sidewalk should go.
Gonzalez: Quickly, I wanted to bring the Board up to date on where I got involved in this. What I want to do is create a lighting district for the whole zone so we don’t get into the Township lighting business. Currently, we have very few lights that the Township pays for. Most of them are all in lighting districts. We can become the entity that circulates the petition that and I’ve talked to three of the four corners who said they would sign the petition. So as we put these lights in, if we up-front the cost, we can then get the money back both for the electric which will be paid for by the other property owners and the construction cost of the lights. So DeHoff’s corner said they would sign the petition, Mercy’s side over there said they would sign the petition and then there’s ours and of course the corner across the street. That’s when we got Union Metal involved and Union Metal said they would design a light for that intersection and then also design a light for the neighborhoods that would match that intersection on a lower cost of light. Then you got involved. You want to take it from there?
LaRocco: Let’s talk about the sidewalk first. I wish I had brought that sheet for an exhibit but the sidewalk goes from Mudbrook/Cheryl, just past the driveway here down 241 to the library. On the other side of the street from the school parking lot, around the corner past the BP down to they Y. There will be a crosswalk, a walk would stop at the first drive on the DeHoff parcel and a walk would continue across Mudbrook, let’s come back up here, across 241 and south on 241 to the ice cream place.
The lights would be continuous from Mudbrook through the intersection down to the Y. From the library, the street lighting, from the library to the first drive on the DeHoff parcel, roughly. Am I correct there, John? We had talked about putting lights in, Randy had talked to Union Metal, showed me a sample of the pole that they had, we called Union Metal in and that’s where we are now. I wanted some prices from Union Metal and he started talking about these poles like it’s a car option. I mean you want leather seats, you want cloth seats, and then I said, ‘Wait a minute, the Trustees have to decide this’. So that’s the reason we had them set up the 14th. I think it’s going to make a beautiful asset to the, and it’s really going to set the intersection off nicely when you see these poles and I would recommend to the Board to go on Tuscarawas Street in Canton to see how their lights match the poles and also in North Canton that Randy had mentioned. Now they have mast arms and the poles and the mast arms match the lighting fixtures. Looks rather attractive. What we’re going to have up there now are silver poles with cable and the lights will be hung on cable. So I did check with ODOT the new poles, these poles have been ordered already.
Gonzalez: Figured that.
LaRocco: Yes, I was hoping that he’d need an answer by May 1st that we could stop that but their Union Metal poles so maybe there would just be a restocking fee if you decide to change. I’ll find that out once the Trustees decide which way they want to go for this signal.
Gonzalez: The original number that we looked at when John gave me the first scope of services, there were one hundred street lights involved, of which twenty-six would have been on the Township’s property. So we would have been reimbursed for roughly three quarters of the project.
Walters: That was my question. How much of this is going to remain with us?
Gonzalez: Twenty-six lights are on our property.
Walters: And Union Metal concurred to the 100 feet that you were talking about. They said it would be 100 foot spacing.
Pizzino: We’re still waiting, basically, for the cost factor. We have a grant for the sidewalks and the landscaping. Again, until we get a little bit closer, we can’t make that determination.
Gonzalez: It started with the electric company, which is AEP in that area. They only have fiberglass poles, the same pole that used in the parks along Community Parkway. You can’t put a flag on it; you cannot put a receptacle on it. And it has no foundation to it, it’s actually stake driven into the ground, so it’s very limited to what we could do. Then we started calling some of the other entities that have done this and they hooked us up with Union Metal and these poles are actually cheaper than the ones in the park they want us to put up. So hopefully we can make this thing work because it will really gives that appearance of downtown Jackson if we can do it.
LaRocco: What are some of the options
and this is something new out that Union Metal has that the Trustees may
want to look at. We will have power at the top, like the electrical
receptor. They have what they call banners that light up actually
glow so during the balloon liftoff if you put banners out there hanging
those will actually turn on at night once dusk comes. There’s so
many things that they have that I couldn’t answer their questions and I
said a good presentation to the Trustees to decide how far they want to
go. And of course that enables them to price things out once you
decide which way you want to go. They’ll give me a price and then
we can look at the numbers and refine them a little bit.
Pizzino: I guess we need the pricing
of their standard pole, with leather, without leather.
LaRocco: John wants cloth.
Pizzino: (Indecipherable).
Walters: Yes, that’s one thing I’d like to see is, you know, what the flagpole attachment costs, what the Township (indecipherable). That sounds nice but what does it add to the cost, is that something we really want to spend additional money on and so forth and so on. So I agree with Mr. Pizzino we need to see the (indecipherable).
LaRocco: Right and Union Metal will have all those costs by the 14th when they come in.
Pizzino: Thank you, Rich.
LaRocco: Thank you, John. Thank you, Board.
Central Maintenance Department
ATTACHMENT 03/24/08 B
Moore: Yes, Mr. President, Members
of the Board. What I have in front of you is kind of, I just need
a little bit of decision making here to help me out, but there’s three
prices here that you’ll see that totals up to $7,473.00 for access controls.
One is for the Legal Office door, one’s for the Fiscal Office door and
then one’s for the Reception area to put the card swipe that we are currently
using on those doors plus two of those would have intercoms. I would
like to suggest to the Board to possibly just go with a $1,600.00 quote
which would put the access readers on and that would put one door buzzer
on at the Reception area so she could open that door going into the hallway
by Ms. Reno’s office. The other two doors I’d like to just put a
regular door buzzer on there that would not unlock the doors all it would
do is alert that somebody is at that door and then they could physically
get up and we’re putting a 4 by 24 glass light in those doors so you can
see through, it’s tempered glass, to protect the person and then they could
actually physically open that door. The traffic in Legal and the
traffic in Fiscal, non-employee is very low. So rather than spending
that extra $1,200.00 to $1,300.00 for just to be able to hit a buzzer and
open that door up, they’d physically just have to go to that door and let
that person in. So I just kind of wanted to get some feedback from
the Board to see if that would be a good way to go. We could install
the buzzer, basically just get that from a home improvement place.
But I’d like to do those three doors to keep moving along with some of
the security changes that we are doing along that line.
Pizzino: We have all the safety glass in the upstairs, that’s all done, correct?
Moore: Yes. Yes, the safety glass in the upstairs in that area is all completed. The glass is ordered for over the counter, down here. Also the one in front of the receptionist’s area, the slider now that will be a solid piece with a speaker hole. That’s ordered also. So those sections will be done. The panic buttons, I was talking with Marilyn on an idea on that. We’re going to try and see how that works out. It’s actually relatively cheap but it’s three transmitters with a push toggle to lock on and put one in the Red Center, one in here and one in the receptionist’s area so that way if there would be a situation, a security issue, that you’d just hit a button and automatically open up the mic and the Red Center would be able to dispatch the Police Department with whatever may be going on and they’ll be able to hear it. So we’re looking at doing that to take care of that end of it.
The camera, we’re working right now with the company for the milestone to do the same thing. Right now we have a price of $10,000.00 to upgrade the system here. We’re working on looking at State Purchasing and stuff on that to get that cost a little lower. That’s kind of where we’re at on all these. We’re just taking steps and getting them moving right along.
Pizzino: The step this evening, the funds you were going to request, total funds, do you know how much?
Moore: The total funds that I would request would be $4,885.50.
Pizzino: $4,885.50?
Moore: Yes, sir.
Pizzino: Are there any questions? I’ve been part of the almost (indecipherable) in the building. I don’t know, Jamie, if you have a question or Bill (indecipherable) about the security (indecipherable) in the Administration Building like we did over at the Safety Center. Questions? Okay. Do we need a Budget Module passed for this, Marilyn, for this?
Lyon: Yes, he’ll bring that back to the next meeting with the transfer.
Pizzino: You don’t want to do that right now though?
Lyon: No. We just wanted to get the Board’s authorization on which way to go with the doors.
Pizzino: I believe the direction you’re going is fine with me.
Walters: Yes, it makes sense, I mean that makes sense to not spend that additional money in the low traffic areas.
Burger: Sounds good to me.
Pizzino: Okay, Carles, anything else.
Moore: Thank you. No, sir.
At 6:10 p.m., Pizzino called the General Session to order with all department heads present. He requested that all cell phones and pagers be turned off at this time.
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.
Public Speaks – None
ATTACHMENT 03/24/08 C
Chief Heck presented some of the facts
regarding a residential fire on February 13, 2008. A citizen who
was on his way home, spotted the fire, stopped and rang the doorbell and
knocked until the family was awakened, answered the door and realized the
house was on fire.
Whereas, on Wednesday, February 13, 2008, Gregory B. Griest helped rescue Jaiseong Pi, his wife, and their three children from their burning home on Harris Avenue NW, and
Whereas Mr. Griest, who was returning from work, noticed flames coming from the Pi residence and woke the family by continually ring the door bell, and
Whereas, the Jackson Township Fire Chief, Ted Heck, credits Mr. Greist with saving the family from serious injury or perhaps death.
Now therefore be it resolved that the Jackson Township Board of Trustees hereby presents this Citizen Award of Honor to Recognize Jackson Township resident, Gregory B. Griest, for his act of heroism and bravery without regard to his own safety or well being.
In witness whereof, we have set you hands this 24th day of March, 2008.
Mr. Griest said he was just glad he was
in the right place at the right time. He thanked the people in uniform
for what they do and for their response.
Administration Department
ATTACHMENT 03/24/08 D
Walters moved and Burger seconded a motion
to approve the Jackson Township EPA Phase II NPDES Storm Water Management
Annual Report for year ending December 31, 2007 and to authorize the Board
President to sign the attached letter.
Ms. Lyon thanked all the department heads who helped put the report together.
Highway Department
ATTACHMENT 03/24/08 E
Pizzino moved and Burger seconded a motion
to approve the appropriation transfer request from account code 204.310.5387,
Discretionary, to account code 204.310.5397, VM Snow Services, in the amount
of $20,000.00.
Fire Department
ATTACHMENT 03/24/08 F
Walters moved and Burger seconded a motion
to accept a $500.00 donation to the Fire Department from the Jackson Youth
Football Association.
Legal Department
RESOLUTION 08-010, ATTACHED
Walters moved and Burger seconded a motion
whereas, the Stark Council of Governments “SCOG” and GeoComm Incorporation
“GeoComm” entered into an agreement of September 25,2007, for a report
entitled Regional 911, Dispatch, Radio Study and Recommendations; and
Whereas, the report was presented to SCOG and to the Board of Stark Commissioners “Board” in January 2008, and the Board of County Commissioners adopted the attached resolution on February 7, 2008 supporting the recommendations from GeoComm.
Be it resolved that the Board of Trustees agrees with the contents of the report and further recommends designating SCOG as the governing Agency responsible for carrying out the recommendations of the report which is incorporated herein.
Pizzino asked Gonzalez to briefly explain what the report was about. Gonzalez explained the recommendations of GeoComm and how all Stark County 911 calls would be directed into a central location and dispatched from that location.
Pizzino explained that LOGIC took care of the dispatching for 22 police and fire agencies in Western Stark County except Perry Township. He gave some history about the reason for the formation of LOGIC and the need for a county-wide system.
Walters reiterated the need for a county-wide system and how this has been an issue for a number of years now.
Gonzalez added that the governing board that was voted on by SCOG includes member from County government, City of Canton government, a member from the Township Association, a member from each of the dispatch agencies, the Red Center, the City of Canton, the Sheriffs, Alliance, Nimishillen. The Governance Board is made up of elected officials, users of the system and administrators.
ATTACHMENT 03/24/08 G
Walters moved and Burger seconded a motion
to adopt and authorize the placement of the Board President’s signature
upon the Community Celebration Agreements to LaFlavour, Breakline, and
Great2Inflate, LLC.
Police Department
ATTACHMENT 03/24/08 H
Walters moved and Burger seconded a motion
to adopt and authorize the placement of the Board President’s signature
upon the attached Vacation Agreement.
Pizzino moved and Burger seconded a motion to accept a $100.00 donation from P.A.T.T. Jackson Middle School, a $100.00 donation from Giant Eagle, a $500.00 donation from Lake Cable Sportsman Club, a $500.00 donation from Lake Cable Fish Club, a $500.00 donation from Lake Cable Recreation Association, Inc., and a $2,500.00 donation from Wal-Mart Foundation to the Hooked on Fishing program.
Chief Neftzer explained that Hooked on Fishing is a program to get youth involved in alternate activities as opposed to getting involved in drug or other harmful activities. The program is privately funded. He estimated that several hundred children have gone through this program over the seven or eight years it has been in existence.
ATTACHMENT 03/24/08 I
Pizzino moved and Burger seconded a motion
to approve the appropriation transfer request from account code 209.250.5387,
Discretionary, to account code 209.250.5363, Hooked on Fishing, in the
amount of $4,600.00.
Zoning & Planning Department
ATTACHMENT 03/24/08 J
Pizzino moved and Walters seconded a motion
to set a public hearing on April 14, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. for Zoning Amendment
#570-08. Request to re-zone from R-2 (Two Family Residential) to R-4 (Multi-Family
Residential) Lots 20 and 21, south of SW corner of Bretz and Perry NW.
Fiscal Office
ATTACHMENT 03/24/08 K
Pizzino moved and Burger seconded a motion
to pay the bills in the amount of $566,476.60.
ATTACHMENT 03/24/08 L
Pizzino moved and Walters seconded a motion
to approve the minutes of the March 10, 2008 Board of Trustees meeting.
ROUTINE BUSINESS
Announcements
Walters moved and Burger seconded a motion
to accept the following donations for the Community Celebration
$1,500.00 from Wal-Mart Foundation
$1,000.00 from Employers Health
Purchasing Corp. of Ohio
$500.00 from Medical Mutual of Ohio
$100.00 from Seven Seventeen Credit
Union
$100.00 from Burnham & Flower
Agency of Ohio
Walters moved and Pizzino seconded a motion to accept a $750.00 donation to the Park Department from Jackson Youth Football Association.
Tax Incentive Review Council Meeting
ATTACHMENT 03/24/08 N
At 6:30 p.m., Pizzino called the Jackson
Township Tax Incentive Review Council meeting to order and turned the meeting
over to Michael Miller with Trustee Pizzino, Trustee Burger, Trustee Walters,
Gonzalez, Fitzgerald, Michael Miller, Chief Deputy, Stark County Auditor’s
Office and Linda Paris, Treasurer, Jackson Local School District present.
Miller moved and Walters seconded a motion to appoint John E. Pizzino, Jackson Township Board of Trustees President as Vice President of the Council.
Pizzino moved and Walters seconded a motion to approve the minutes from the March 26, 2007 meeting.
Pizzino moved and Burger seconded a motion to adopt the 2007 Annual Status Report to the Ohio Department of Development as the Council’s determination of the increase in the true value of parcels of real property on which improvements have been undertaken as a result of the exemption; the value of improvements exempted from taxation as a result of the exemption; and the number of new employees or employees retained on the site of the improvement as a result of the exemption.
Pizzino moved and Walters seconded a motion to continue the Tax Increment Financing Agreement and the Tax Increment Financing Compensation Agreement.
Walters moved and Burger seconded a motion to adjourn.
Public Speaks – Open Forum
Richard Jochum, 5638 Marshall NW:
I would like to find out what the Township’s policy is on replacing deteriorating
drainage pipe that was put in years ago and it was specifically for a small
area and then DeVille’s allotment was added on to it and there are not
couplings between it and the pipe is deteriorating like crazy now.
Scales falling off.
Pizzino: Is this a Stark County storm sewer?
Boger: It’s Jackson.
Pizzino: Okay, Ralph, do you know anything about what he’s talking about?
Boger: Yes, we’ve talked about it, even in the past week here and then I believe that we had our cleaning crew over and they ran their cleaning equipment from one end of the pipe to the other end of the pipe past your house.
Jochum: Right.
Boger: And they brought out a small amount of debris but there was no evidence at that time the pipe was bad enough to replace. It was open from one end to the other.
Jochum: You can see at that end down there, it’s falling apart and the scale is coming out of it.
Boger: The water is flowing through it very well at this time. Now that’s not to say that is shouldn’t be replaced. But at this point, it’s still functioning.
Jochum: The pipe that was put in, sir, was put in to drain Spring Lake only. After it was put in DeVille Allotment, they had a flooding problem and they’ve run catch basins over there and they run it down through Matthews’s yard and tied into that which put more load through it. The pipe when they put it in, they should have had couplings between, its old gas company pipe is what it is. There’s gaps between them and the least little bit of flow gets blocked off it starts going out them gaps into the ground and flooding the neighborhood. And that thing is deteriorating, its old plus when the allotment Belden Ridge Allotment was put in he was supposed to follow certain rules about limiting the flow of water down through that ditch coming the other way where this falls into also. He did it until he got three quarters of the allotment complete, soon as he did that he had a nice little lake up there, he built a ditch around it and dumped it all down through there, which flooded out about two or three peoples houses. About midnight they called Randy Gonzalez cause he was a Trustee at the time, that was Sally’s house, he sends the Road Department crew out there, if we had a pipe going under Marshall and they determined that it wasn’t big enough to handle the flow of water. So they dug it up, they put a huge what is it a 36 or 42 black pipe in there which started to handle that water but in the process when they put it in they blocked off some drains that was going into that ditch that was draining springs back up through there. So that’s more water going into the ground around there. And its flooding people’s basements around there, quite a few, fact up above me, higher than me has got water in their basement. What I want to find out is what is the Township’s policy about maintaining and upgrading the drainage systems?
Boger: The policy on that would be to repair it or replace it at the time that it wasn’t functioning. At this point in time, that pipe is functioning quite well.
Jochum: It’s not functioning properly, sir.
Boger: Water’s running through it in nice shape. Our cleaner went from one end to the other without any obstruction.
Jochum: Would you say the size of it is enough to handle the extra flow from another allotment being added on to it?
Boger: Yes.
Jochum: You say it is.
Boger: It’s been like that for years.
Jochum: No. That has, yes.
Boger: That pipe was added in there probably 15 – 20 years ago and it’s been functioning ever since.
Jochum: Thirty, thirty, sir. It was put in 30 years ago. But that black pipe wasn’t.
Boger: The additional pipe was put in 20 years ago.
Jochum: The black one?
Boger: From the other, no, from the other allotment that you’re talking about that was added in there about 20 years ago.
Jochum: Twenty years ago. And
when was that black pipe put under Marshall?
Boger: Probably a good 15.
You may know the year better than I.
Gonzalez: I remember the night.
Jochum: You remember, Randy?
Gonzalez: Yes, I do. We opened that whole street up because it flooded everybody’s house. Their basements were full clear to the rafters.
Jochum: Right. Yes. Sally’s was
Gonzalez: Sally Markum. That’s funny, because I was just telling Bill that story before this meeting and then you bring it up. It was flooded to touching the basement rafters. Ted, you were there that night. We tried to get pumps there. What a mess.
Jochum: Yes, but the thing is with that black pipe in the process the length of it is covered off drains that’s been in there for maybe 50 to 100 years from different springs back there and they’re not draining in there no more. So that’s going into the ground around there and flooding everybody out.
Pizzino: So this has been happening for 15 years? Because he said they put the black pipe in over 15 years ago.
Jochum: Yes, occasionally it has. I’ve called him I don’t know how many times and he’s run out there and he’s cleaned it out and it’s improved.
Pizzino: But we’re okay as we speak. It’s clear and it’s flowing.
Boger: The pipes are open and flowing in good shape but I think his problem is with the springs that are back in underneath the ground. I have no explanation how to fix the springs that are in the ground.
Pizzino: I don’t either.
Gonzalez: Those were (indecipherable)
Jochum: How many years ago was it that I asked you permission to put a pipe in to that pipe. I hired a contractor to come out to put in a French drain to try to catch some of those springs and put it into the pipe. Well the minute that builds up in that pipe that cuts off where that’s going in so all the other springs then start spreading out, get in houses. It’s flooding his basement, too, his house across the street.
Gonzalez: Ralph, is there any effect there from what they’re doing at Lake Erickson there?
Boger: Say that again?
Gonzalez: That lake, is it Lake Erickson? The one
Jochum: Yes, where they’re building now.
Gonzalez: Is that having any effect on it? Where they’re doing that building?
Boger: Not on this one. That one flows directly into Lake O’Springs.
Jochum: So in other words your policy is not to do anything to that pipe.
Boger: If there were something wrong with that pipe we would be glad to fix it. Right now the pipe is in good shape as far as handling the water. It’s getting old but it handles the water quite well. The springs are your problem, it’s not the pipe itself.
Jochum: I know that. And when it starts to get some accumulation in there that’s when it starts backing the springs up, they’re not flowing and getting into there. I called your department, you were on vacation and I got your secretary or somebody and they said they’d write a work order on it. Well, I don’t know what kind of work order they wrote but then I called back later and she said well, our digger is broke down. I don’t know what she was going to do. What I was wanting to do, like you do, run that flushing hose up through there and clean it out.
Boger: When you called me, that’s what we did.
Jochum: Yes, I tried to call you though before that. About three or four times. And finally you did. So in other words, you’re saying you’re not going to do anything up in that area.
Boger: When that pipe goes bad, we’ll definitely fix it. Right now it’s functioning very good. It’s the springs that are in the ground, it’s not the pipe.
Jochum: What about where they blocked off the drainage for some of those springs.
Boger: I know nothing about that.
Jochum: I know you weren’t in office then. There was a gentleman before you. I don’t know what year that was. Do you, Randy?
Boger: Had to be 26.
Gonzalez: Ralph was here before me. I think he’s the only one that’s been here a little longer
Jochum: No, there was another one.
Walters: He’s the one that put that black pipe in there.
Pizzino: Well, you want to make sure
that stays open, Ralph? And do we have a regular maintenance we could
go there every six months or something?
Jochum: It’s getting about three
years since he’s flushed it.
Pizzino: So about every couple years you’re saying we should flush it.
Jochum: About every year, I’d say you should flush that thing out.
Pizzino: Well, we’ll try to put some kind of notation there to get up there and run the jet truck, is that what they’re using?
Boger: Mr. Jochum is quite good at reminding me to come over and do that, too.
Jochum: Well if I can get you, Ralph, but sometimes you’re out vacationing.
Pizzino: You can call one of us if you can’t get to him. We’ll find what his vacation plans are and we’ll catch him when he’s in town.
Burger: Does this occur only when you have the amount of rain that we’ve had in the last month with all the snow melting and additional rainfall? Or is it a continuing, you know, if you get a light sprinkle, do you have a problem then?
Jochum: No, light sprinkles, but usually when you had real heavy downpours and real heavy snows when they melt and then downpours and it really comes down through there.
Burger: Do the springs run the year round or do they react to the amount of rainfall that we have, too, and that’s when the springs kick in, which would help to overload the system.
Jochum: No, the springs more or less run year round. But there’s a number of them that are plugged up. In fact the one that used to be on the other side of the road that used to drain up there because I know it goes all the up to the end of the street because when the County put that line in and they broke a lateral up there and the sewage was going over and was getting in that drain and going down and dumping in that ditch and into the lake and the people at the lake, if you people remember, they raised hell about sewage getting in the lake. But that drain there is no longer open. It’s been blocked since they put that in.
Pizzino: Okay, thank you. Ralph, just work with him on keeping that open.
Boger: Glad to.
Good evening, my name is Sue Green and I live at 3161 Dellwood NW, Jackson. My concern is the issue that read in the paper about two weeks ago now of the payment of over $100,000.00 to Lt. Bruce Wilson, a Police Department employee who seemed to have a checkered past. And there was not a lot of spelled out in the article, it was concern to me and I want to know if I can learn more about this issue, plus where’s the money coming from for his lump sum payment.
Pizzino: Mr. Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald: I can make a copy of the agreement for you, ma’am. And the payment is handled by the Fiscal Office.
Gonzalez: We have a Capital Fund for retirements but it definitely comes from tax dollars.
Green: That’s unfortunate.
Fitzgerald: But I’ll make you a copy of the agreement before you leave here, if you’d like me to.
Pizzino: If you’d like to wait a few minutes, we’ll be adjourning here, he’ll give you a copy of that agreement.
Green: I would like to see that.
Pizzino: Yes, ma’am. You’re welcome to have it.
Green: I’m not happy with that reading about that and I guess I just. I don’t know if. How would that even come about. His contract? Or
Pizzino: Well, we’re under
Fitzgerald: We had, well, it was a recommended agreed to resignation of Lt. Wilson, recommended by our insurance counsel and of course I approved it too. It’s a settlement agreement. I really can’t elaborate further on it. I can tell you it was on our recommendation and the Trustees really aren’t at liberty to, they accepted that based on my and our counsel’s recommendation.
Green: All right.
Pizzino: I think the agreement would tell her more if she would get the agreement.
Fitzgerald: Yes.
Pizzino: It’s spelled out in the agreement.
Fitzgerald: Good point.
Green: But that’s not public information is it?
Fitzgerald: Yes.
Pizzino: Yes, that’s why we’re going to give it to you.
Fitzgerald: It’s pretty much all in there. I’ll give that to you right before you leave.
Green: All right. I appreciate that. Thank you.
Pizzino: Just stick around here and we’ll get it for you.
Pizzino moved and Walters seconded a motion to adjourn.
| _____________________________ | _____________________________ |
| John Pizzino, President | Randy Gonzalez, Fiscal Officer |