Letters to the Editor
Troy Oaks Expansion Threatens Rural Landscape
There is a developing situation in Troy Township that you may want to be aware of as it threatens the rural Geauga County landscape that is so important to many of us.
There is a serious movement to expand the Troy Oaks Manufactured Homes Development down Shaw Road into the 63-acre farm field to the south of the current development. Although Troy Oaks already has more than 200 homes, and current space and zoning room to expand and add another 70 homes in their existing space, they have secured legal counsel and are pursuing township trustees and Geauga County Planning Commission members to make improvements such as Plan 208 to expand sewers to allow hook up for their proposed expansion of 83 additional manufactured homes.
Plan 208 is just the first step we are seeking to halt. A zoning change would be next.
Like most Geauga County residents, we live here because we chose to build or buy in an area away from development. We have invested in our community and made long-term plans to stay here — it is not acceptable to consider a major change that will change the lifestyle and rural environment. We need to make sure the elected officials who are reviewing this request understand that is not what they were elected to preserve or what voters want.
Such change will affect traffic, road conditions, water tables, schools, property values and more. You don’t have to live on Shaw Road near Route 422 to share your concerns and support the effort of residents to stop this development. There are many areas zoned for residential housing across our county and there is no shortage of space available.
If this movement advances, it sets the stage for more developers to change the zoning laws to suit their needs, and disregard the values and rural space that defines Geauga County.
If that is important to you, please voice your opinion to Troy Township Trustees and Zoning Commission members, as well Geauga County Commissioners and Planning Commission members. Your support is greatly appreciated.
The next expansion consideration could be near your home and you may need your neighbors to support you.
Betty Weibel
Troy Township
Behaving Like Actual Citizens = Punishment?
The first three words of the U.S. Constitution are, “We the People” — NOT “We the judges,” “We the corporations” or “We the elected officials.”
In a monarchy, the monarch is sovereign. In a democratic republic, citizens hold the sovereign power. We’d better start acting like it.
In Geauga County, members of Protect Geauga Parks are doing just that. They are battling county Probate Court Judge Tim Grendell, who apparently regards himself as a potentate and Geauga’s park district his personal fiefdom.
This affects all of Ohio because due to an unexplained (and inexplicable) act of the state legislature in 1917, one probate judge in each county holds the sole authority to appoint three-member boards that govern the county’s park districts.
Judge Grendell has abused that privilege by dismissing board members who disagreed with him, eliminating public comments at board meetings, supporting an executive director who refused to respond to written comments and dictating other egregious policies.
Now this: “A proposed amendment to the state budget bill … would give probate court judge more power over park districts, including the ability to fine or penalize outside groups that ‘interfere’ with a park district’s purpose or mission” (as written in the Cleveland.com and Geauga County Maple Leaf news articles).
As volunteers with the Move to Amend Ohio Network, a nonpartisan citizens’ group, we seek to lift up the sovereign power of “We the People” by working for the passage of a 28th constitutional amendment stating:
1. Only human beings, not corporate entities, are entitled to constitutional rights; and
2. Money is not equivalent to speech.
We stand with Protect Geauga Park activists as they courageously oppose Judge Grendell’s threats to democracy and we hope all Ohioans will do so.
Carla Rautenberg and Madelon Watts
Move to Amend Ohio Network
‘Sleaze Bag’ Political Tactic
By now, I’m sure many of you folks have heard of the amendment HC 1793 , popularly becoming known as the “SHUT UP OR GO TO JAIL” amendment to the state budget bill. Many of us feel this amendment would allow a probate judge to fine or jail individuals who criticize park district actions.
You likely are asking why an amendment having nothing to do with the state budget has been stuck into the current budget bill. Well folks, the answer is simple. This is a common sleaze bag political tactic of sneaking an item into state law without anyone noticing and, in this case, it’s been stuck into the state budget bill, a bill that must be passed.
Well over 1,000 amendments have been added or stuck into this bill. How could our reps possibly scrutinize all these amendments prior to voting on the budget bill?
In this case, someone did notice. Shame on the author of this amendment who submitted this amendment on April 7, the last day possible, maybe to reduce the possibility of it being noticed?
William Seitz is the legislator who introduced this amendment. A Seitz associate stated Seitz and Probate Judge Grendell worked closely together on the formulation of this amendment. Believe me, it was like pulling teeth to find this out.
So why would Judge Grendell like a “SHUT UP OR GO TO JAIL” amendment to become state law? Since his leadership of the Geauga parks began, he and most of his appointed park minions have consistently taken action to stop public comment, criticism or questions about the activities of the Grendell Park District.
Why would Grendell like to stop public comment etc.? What are the citizens complaining about?
Maybe the spending of well over $100,000 of park district funds for television commercials, many featuring Judge Grendell and his wife? Maybe the spending of public funds for full page newspaper ads? Maybe the park’s failure to acquire parkland, some at nearly no cost, except moving quickly to acquire parkland adjacent to one of the park commissioner’s residence and paying about 30 percent more than a professional appraised value?
Maybe the park district making no effort to acquire a property, up for auction, that shelters an endangered animal species? Maybe the park director issuing illegal trapping permits in a state nature preserve? Maybe the park allowing “recreational” trapping on park property with no serious consultation from natural resources management as to the advisability of such trapping? Maybe the park district allowing “recreational” hunting on park property with no consideration of it’s being a needed wildlife management tool?
Maybe the park district allowing noisy snowmobiles on park property? Maybe the park district not adopting management practices to sufficiently protect an endanger or threatened species in our parks? Maybe the park district turning a lovely endangered monarch butterfly tagging field into a mowed baseball field?
I could fill this entire newspaper with more of the above, but likely the editor would be overwhelmed. It’s time for us citizens to object to and change a system allowing a Grendell style park system to exist and prosper. It’s time to go back to the professionally managed type of park district we were privileged to enjoy for over 50 years.
John G. Augustine
Parkman Township
Take Action
This letter is in response to the proposed amendment, HC1793, to the Ohio Budget Bill, which clearly calls for unjust limits on speech.
I don’t usually write about the parks issues (they don’t need me) and focus on the children’s issues in Geauga County, a system in which there are plenty of problems that hardly a soul writes in about, unless it involves money. However, I simply cannot be silent about this affront to the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the Ohio Constitution, Article One-Bill of Rights.
Please take action. To even hope to see changes in government, people cannot simply write letters to the editor and complain to the people they know.
A person does not have to join a political party to become active either. Most people do not do that and would not do that. It takes becoming an activist and personally contacting your local, state or nationally elected officials. With today’s technology, it has become a lot easier.
I have been told by many an aid those emails, calls and letters are counted on issues and, if they are not all seriously considered, they are at least read.I did write to my state representative and senator and all the Ohio State Budget Finance Committee, as recommended in the Protect Geauga Parks updates I get in email.
That is another important aspect to weighing in on issues, following or receiving email updates from groups who are like-minded. I am not active in that group nor do I have money to donate, but I can pay attention and add my voice.
This latest nonsense is another sign the judicial branch in Ohio has way too much power. Some of the founders of our nation expressed concerns about the third branch, soon after my own ancestors, Richard Tennant and John Boone, fought for America’s independence in the Revolutionary War.
There are states within the United States, which do not give the judicial branch as much power as Ohio does. That is one of the broader and underlying problems this particular issue exposes, an issue we should not ignore, before more rights are attacked.
This problem, HC1793, is an opportunity to beat back power-mongering, an age-old problem throughout the history of man. An opportunity for all who wish to be part of protecting our right to free speech and to petition the government to take positive action.
Robin Neff
Chardon
