Pizzino called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. at the Jackson Township Hall with all Trustees, Fiscal Officer, Lyon and Fitzgerald present.
Pizzino moved and Meeks seconded a motion to go into Executive Session for Park Personnel (Appointment/Employment/Compensation) to interview park maintenance worker applicant.
Pizzino moved and Meeks seconded a motion to go into Executive Session for Police Personnel (Appointment/Employment/Compensation) to interview secretary applicants.
Pizzino moved and Meeks seconded a motion to go into Executive Session for Management Personnel (Appointment/Employment/Compensation).
At 6:00 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
Police Department
RESOLUTION 06-019, ATTACHED
Meeks moved and Burger seconded a motion
that in accordance with ORC Section 505.49, we hereby authorize the hiring
of Diana Greenwell for the full-time position of Secretary 3 in the Police
Department, effective May 1, 2006 at 0700 hours.
Be it further resolved that Diana Greenwell will be compensated at the rate established for Secretary 3 in the Negotiated Agreement between the Jackson Township Board of Trustees and the Fraternal Order of Police, Ohio Labor Council, Inc., Office and Clerical Employees.
Be it further resolved that Diana Greenwell will serve a six-month probationary period during which time she may be terminated without cause by the Board of Trustees.
RESOLUTION 06-020, ATTACHED
Meeks moved and Burger seconded a motion
that in accordance with ORC Section 505.49, we hereby authorize the hiring
of Susan Oster for the full-time position of Secretary 3 in the Police
Department, effective May 1, 2006 at 701 hours.
Be it further resolved that Susan Oster will be compensated at the rate established for Secretary 3 in the Negotiated Agreement between the Jackson Township Board of Trustees and the Fraternal Order of Police, Ohio Labor Council, Inc., Office and Clerical Employees.
Be it further resolved that Susan Oster will serve a six-month probationary period during which time she may be terminated without cause by the Board of Trustees.
ATTACHMENT 04/10/06 A
Meeks moved and Burger seconded a motion
to accept the following donations to the “Hooked on Fishing” Program in
the total amount of $1,700.
ATTACHMENT 04/10/06 B
Pizzino moved and Meeks 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 $1,000.00.
ATTACHMENT 04/10/06 C
Meeks moved and Burger seconded a motion
to approve an unpaid leave of absence, without employee benefits, for Charles
Redleski, effective April 11, 2006, pending disposition of his disability
retirement application.
Administration Department
ATTACHMENT 04/10/06 D
Meeks moved and Burger seconded a motion
to authorize the hiring of Daniel Edwards as a seasonal park maintenance
worker, through the temporary service, subject to a negative drug screen,
at the rate of $6.50 per hour, effective April 13, 2006, per the recommendation
of the Park Operations Director.
ATTACHMENT 04/10/06 E
Meeks moved and Burger seconded a motion
to approve Budget Module No. 06-6, Operations, Administration, Stark County
Combined General Health District, in the amount of $13,814.00.
ATTACHMENT 04/10/06 F
Meeks moved and Burger seconded a motion
to approve the appropriation Transfer Request from account code 101.110.5387,
General Fund Discretionary, to account code 101.110.5458, Professional
Services, in the amount of $13,814.00.
Fire Department
Meeks moved and Burger seconded a motion
to accept a $12,935.68 donation from the Estate of Naomi J. Isenogle.
Legal Department
ATTACHMENT 04/10/06 G
Meeks moved and Burger seconded a motion
to adopt and authorize the placement of the Board President’s signature
upon the attached fireworks contract with Pyrotecnico.
RESOLUTION 06-021, ATTACHED
Meeks moved and Burger seconded a motion
to adopt and authorize the placement of the Board’s signatures upon the
attached Lease Termination Agreement with the Board of Education of the
Jackson Local School District.
Meeks reported on a meeting with Ms. Hascheck regarding the land in question. The school district will be adding to Strausser Elementary in the future and the land would be better used for that purpose. It was suggested that after the building plans were complete, the unneeded land could then be developed as a walking track or multi-use fields.
Fiscal Office
ATTACHMENT 04/10/06 H
Meeks moved and Burger seconded a motion
to pay the bills in the amount of $454,345.55.
ATTACHMENT 04/10/06 I
Meeks moved and Burger seconded a motion
to approve the minutes of the March 27, 2006 Board of Trustees meeting.
ATTACHMENT 04/10/06 J
Meeks moved and Burger seconded a motion
to approve the March financial reports.
ATTACHMENT 04/10/06 K
Meeks moved and Burger seconded a motion
to approve supplemental appropriations and appropriate from the unappropriated
balances in the amount of $41,288.94, as attached.
Routine Business
Announcements
Meeks: Well, in light of what has transpired in the past few weeks, there’s a totally different story from what you may have read or didn’t read in the paper. And quite frankly, we are very concerned with how we approach future tax abatements in our community, how it affects the township dollars as well as the school dollars. How the story may have come out in the press was not truly what happened other than in the end. The abatements were given but put on probation. In this past week we have met with the school district twice because we feel that Jackson Township has a lot more to offer than giving up their tax base to lure any type of business to our community. And what we’ve asked of our committee, it’s not very large, it’s Marilyn, Neal, myself, Randy, Cheryl Hascheck and Mary Jo Slick, is to put together a factual sheet on any business looking to locate in our township. Here’s what we have to offer presently. Because, quite frankly, in order for us to go ahead and give a tax abatement on your property tax you’re not really saving that much but what you truly are saving with no income tax is many times over. You know everybody talks about location, location, location and we have it. I mean, we have the infrastructure to support large business activity, we definitely have it whether it’s our roadways or safety services to support plenty of retail establishments in our community. Eateries go up, seems like over night, with an hour or better wait to get in. So we’ve taken a real hard look at this and in conjunction with the school’s needs and until the school funding is fixed at the State level and I think that’s where a lot of the attention needs to be placed and the pressure put at the State level with our legislators as to why is it taking so long for them to make an adequate adjustment on how our Ohio schools are funded fairly. So with that, what we talked about and, quite frankly, I think would be a better scenario before it gets to the tax abatement team that does give the recommendations to our County Commissioners, is to create a committee – a sub-committee - that would be made up of a school board representative, a chamber of commerce representative, a Trustee, anybody who really could give us, us meaning the Board of Trustees, a true assessment of a business that is asking for a tax abatement and how it will be affecting this community. That way we have that information to go forward to the tax abatement committee.
Gonzalez: The one presentation that Steve and I were invited to was because we are the members of the Tax Incentive Review Council. Sitting there, I was thinking, the old committee used to consist of, in addition to those Steve mentioned, a member of organized labor, a member of the regular citizenry so you’d have a whole make up of what the township looks like. And as a company would come in and ask for a tax abatement, they would do that presentation to that make up of that community, so you’d have somebody from the chamber and somebody from the Trustees and the Fiscal Officer and a member of labor questioning what kind of jobs are they creating? Are they good jobs? The chamber of commerce would be looking at them from their perspective. Everybody has a different perspective of who’s coming in and how much should be abated or if anything should be abated. And then that board could make the recommendation to the Board of Trustees and I believe that would be, I agree with Trustee Meeks that would give a much more diversified opinion to the Board rather than just them. What historically happens is a company comes in and they don’t want to meet with the Board because it’s a formal meeting and they don’t want anybody to know they’re coming in a lot of times. So they’ll meet with one board member and then another board member and another board member and you really miss the full-blown presentation that way. This would give them the opportunity to do that in front of this tax incentive board that the Board could create.
Pizzino: I think it’s a great idea. I think we should look into creating that board. I think we should have a number of people from the community sitting on that board also with who you mentioned. I don’t know what time frame you’re looking at but maybe turn it over to the administrator and have her put that together and then bring it back to us.
Meeks: Well the unfortunate thing is that when any business asks for a tax abatement we don’t find out until a few weeks before the hearing. But the other thing that we’re discussing and we’re trying to get added to any type of contract if we do move forward with tax abatements and that’s a claw-back clause. I think it’s very important that if you do have a company that is negligent in meeting their minimal requirements and their contract is terminated, that this body, as well as the school, should be able to recoup the monies that were given up. And presently we do not have that clause.
Gonzalez: I think the thing that most people tend to miss, when we looked at the GE Capital one for example that was brought out in the media. I mean, 62% of this money usually goes to the school district that’s a major issue. I mean 62% of it and the argument that I have made is kind of like the tail wagging the dog. You have the Board of County Commissioners who has about 12% of the funding making the decision on whether the school should lose 62% and whether the township should lose 22%. The 12% is the one voting. That is definitely the tail wagging the dog and we need to change that legislation so that the votes are equally represented by what the loss is. Shouldn’t the school have 62% of the vote? Shouldn’t the township have 22% of the votes since we’re the ones losing the money? Again that goes back to fixing the State funding that Mr. Meeks was talking about but I really am glad to hear the Board take the idea that they are going to create this board to hear these, otherwise we’re as bad as the Commissioners. This Board would be voting 62% of the school’s funds away when they only have 22% to lose themselves, it’s just not right, but I think by you gentlemen doing it you’re sending a message to our State Legislators and to the Commissioners that you’re voting on somebody else’s money is what it amounts to.
Meeks: I think it also needs to be stated that this Board nor any representative that is placed on the Tax Incentive Review Council does not speak for the school, they do have a representative on that Council that also votes for the school portion.
Gonzalez: And did vote like we did.
Meeks: Absolutely.
Gonzalez: Thank you, Mr. Pizzino.
Public Speaks
David Benner of 6379 Kilkenny Circle NW,
asked why a tax rebate couldn’t be granted instead of an abatement.
If a company lives up to the agreement, they could then get their money
back. Gonzalez answered that there is no provision for that in the
Ohio Revised Code.
New Business
At 6:37 p.m., Pizzino opened the meeting
on the Comprehensive Plan draft.
Pizzino thanked all those who assisted in the preparation of the Comprehensive Plan.
Joni Poindexter presented the background on the Comprehensive Plan. The Steering Committee was formed in 2004 of 15 voting members and 8 non-voting members. A draft copy dated June 6, 2005 was adopted by the Steering Committee on June 14, 2005 subject to revisions. The Zoning Commission has been working on updating text changes and creating language for a Research and Technology District since that date. The Commission will be doing a final review of the Research and Technology District at the April 20th meeting.
Ed McDonnell served as Chairman of the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee. He pointed out that the Comprehensive Plan is the result of 15 months of work. He offered to answer any questions the Board may have about the Plan.
Aletha Magyaros, Chairman of the Zoning Commission, expressed concern about the article in the newspaper saying the holdup was due to the Zoning Commission’s work on the Research and Technology District. In her opinion, the Comprehensive Plan is a separate issue from creating and adopting the language for the Research and Technology District. The Comprehensive Plan is a visionary tool and recommendation for the Zoning Commission.
Jim Bennett, 7275 High Mill, pointed out that the Comprehensive Plan was not designed to be a law, it was designed to be a recommendation to keep the Township going in the best direction for the Township and residents.
Meeks moved and Pizzino seconded a motion to adopt the June 27, 2005 draft of the Comprehensive Plan as the latest copy.
Meeks thanked all those who worked on the Plan and assured them that they will use it as a visionary tool to guide them. He pointed out that the Board does not intend to make changes other than to allow it to grow and changes will be made with the needs of the community in mind.
Pizzino also thanked the committee members and assured them that the guidelines have been followed and will continue to be followed as long as they meet the needs of the township. It is the plan for the future of Jackson Township.
Gonzalez reminded everyone that they haven’t given up on getting options on the land recommended for green space. Every time it comes up, there is another levy. He assured everyone that they are still looking at that option.
At 7:08 p.m., Pizzino called the meeting back to order.
ATTACHMENT 04/10/06 L
Meeks moved and Burger seconded a motion
to approve a 3.5% salary increase for Class A employees, effective January
1, 2006, which shall be calculated on an hourly rate basis.
Meeks moved and Burger seconded a motion to adjourn.
| _____________________________ | _____________________________ |
| John Pizzino, President | Randy Gonzalez, Fiscal Officer |