Chester Government Update
The Chester Township Board of Trustees meeting on March 24 opened at 6:30 p.m. with a bid opening for landscaping services...
The Chester Township Board of Trustees meeting on March 24 opened at 6:30 p.m. with a bid opening for landscaping services. One bid had been received from Innovative Companies Ltd. Joe Mazzurco would obtain a breakdown of costs between the properties.
Jennifer Jones, director of Geauga-Trumbull Solid Waste Management, explained the drop-off improvement grant. Communities with drop-off sites are given money to fix up their sites; there are also Go Green grants that are for different environmentally friendly projects.
Chester Township is receiving a grant of $15,000 to be used for driveway improvements and $3,500 for dumpsters to be used during Senior Trash Clean Up and Community Day Clean Up. In addition, the Kiwanis Club of West Geauga received a grant of $3,500 to start a shed for reusable cardboard boxes.
The board entered executive session at 7:10 p.m. pursuant to Ohio Revised Code121.22 (G)(4) for reviewing union negotiations. Upon returning board to public session, the board approved the minutes of the March 3 and 10 meetings.
In road department business, trustees approved the promotion of Tom O’Brien from road worker to road worker I at the rate of $22.29 per hour effective April 4. Bids for the various road materials were awarded to Arms Trucking Co. and Cuyahoga Asphalt. Trustees signed a resolution to participate in the ODOT 2022-2023 Winter Salt Contract. Also approved after the fact was $7,050to Rush Truck Centers for repair of injectors on truck #8 as well as $56,437.17 to Chardon Oil Co. for fuel.
In fire department business, trustees amended motion 2022-96 approving the hiring of William Fiala at the rate of $20.61 effective March 11, 2022, 2022-52 approving the promotion of firefighter/EMT – P Jeremy Scalese to paramedic lieutenant effective Jan. 1, 2022. The original motion had an effective date of Feb. 6, 2022.
The collective bargaining agreement between Chester Township and IAFF Local 5331 was amended to be effective Feb. 20. Also approved was $6,833.77 after the fact to Countryside Truck Service for repair of transmission control module on tanker 3434 and $6,029.80 to Atwell’s Police and Fire Equipment for the purchase of various clothing items.
In new business, $210 was approved to the Geauga County Township Association for Ken Radtke, Craig Richter, Joe Mazzurco, Mark Purchase, Craig Young and Laura Klendworth to attend the April 13 quarterly dinner meeting hosted by Russell Township. The 2022 permanent appropriations were approved in the amount of $10,157,803.11. The NOPEC Energized Community Grant Agreement and the resolution as amended authorizing all actions necessary to accept the 2022 Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council (NOPEC) energized community grants were approved and signed, as well as cemetery deeds.
Trustees entered executive session pursuant to Ohio Revised Co121.22 (G)(2) to consider the purchase of property for public purposes, and (G)(4) preparing for, conducting, or reviewing negotiations or bargaining sessions with public employees. Upon entering public session, the meeting adjourned.
On March 26, trustees met at 8 a.m. in special session in the town hall meeting room for an executive session pursuant to Ohio Revised Code 121.22 (G)(1) to consider the appointment, employment and compensation of a public employee. No action was taken after the executive session.
Trustees met in special session at 4 p.m. March 31 and accepted the proposal for the 2022 landscaping and baseball field maintenance of township properties from Innovative Companies LTD in the following amounts: Parkside Park, $23,047.73; town hall, $4,807.66; and fire, $3,347.12. They also approved $28,692.64 to Motorola Solutions, Inc. for eight Motorola APX4500 mobile radios and $36,980.32 to Brite Computers for eight Getac-LTE mobile data terminals.
Trustees entered executive session at 4:48 p.m. pursuant to Ohio Revised Code 121.22 (G) (3) conferences with an attorney for the public body concerning disputes involving the public body that are the subject of pending or imminent court action and 121.22 (G) (4) Preparing for, conducting, or reviewing negotiations or bargaining sessions with public employees concerning their compensation or other terms and conditions of their employment. No action was taken after returning to public session.
Submitted by Joseph C. Mazzurco, Chester Township Trustee
