TOWNSHIP MEETING CANCELLED

The township meeting for tonight, Feb. 9, has been CANCELLED due to heavy snow and slippery roads.  Clark County is currently under a Level 2 snow advisory.

LEVEL 2

Roadways are hazardous with blowing and drifting snow. Roads can be very icy. Only those who feel it is necessary to drive should be out on the roadways. People should contact their employer to see If they should report to work. Obviously, if you are driving, use extreme caution.

The decision to cancel today’s meeting was made in the interest of public safety. 

The trustees will have a work session February 13, next Tuesday, at 4:00 p.m. at the township offices.

Posted by Nancy

A Virtual Tour Inside the New Township Building

Here are a few highlights of what is going on inside the beautiful new building constructed at 3333 Lake Rd.

Taken from the mezzanine overlooking the bay area:

This is the main hallway, taken from the doorway of the fire side looking toward the administrative side.  The door on the right is to the common copy room:

Taken from the kitchen, this shows the day room where fire and EMS personnel will spend most of their time while waiting for a call.   Visualize it cleaned up and recliners, a love seat, end tables, a dining table, and a TV in this area:

Speaking of the kitchen, the stove is waiting for installation in the area with stainless steel backsplash.  The counters will all be stainless steel, and there will be a dishwasher in the space between the two bottom cabinets in the photo.   This room has lots of counter and cabinet space, and one wall is a walk-in pantry:

You want cupboard space, you should see the radio room.  While we contract for dispatching through the Sheriff’s Department, this Room will have backup dispatch capability if it ever becomes necessary:

Every building needs restrooms, and this one has four:

The whole building can be run off a backup generator if that should be required:

This building is a new face for the township and the fire department, and one we can all be proud of:

Posted by Nancy

Nearing Completion

The carpet is in the new station and looks really nice.  The custom-made stainless steel sink and counters go in this week; they are being made and donated by Van Scoyk Sheet Metal on Quick Rd.  We can’t thank them enough for their generosity and support.

Final cleanup will start this week in some parts of the building, while we still wait for installation of the sprinkler system in others.  That is holding up completion and occupancy for several weeks. 

On the up side, having to find a new contractor for the sprinkler system is saving the township more than $10,000.  We accepted the low bid when the project began, but when that company couldn’t fulfill the contract and we sought bids a second time it came in much lower.

The utilities are all on, cable is being installed, the furniture has been ordered – we’re getting down to the wire.

Friday I will tour the building with a camera and post some interior photos.

Posted by Nancy

Public Information Meeting

                              

The Bethel Township trustees are progressing with studies to extend the current New Carlisle Multi-Use Path out into the township, and will hold the second public information meeting February 3 from 6 – 8 p.m. at Park Layne School, 12355 Dille Rd. in Park Layne.

This meeting will be to present information on Phase 3 of the Tecumseh Trail Multi-Use Path.  Phase 1 is complete in New Carlisle, and Phase 2 is planned from Wot-A-Dog to the former YMCA.  Phase 3 will link Park Layne with the first two phases, with its terminus in the vicinity of Raynor Park.  Further phases are also under consideration.

The public is invited to attend this meeting and give input to help with plans.  The current study to determine its route is being conducted with grant funding, and the trail will also be built with 100% grant funding if it is decided to move forward with it.

Weeks Away From Moving In?

Without getting our hopes too high, it’s looking like the new station (above) will be ready for occupancy in a few weeks.

A tour today showed the quarry tile has been installed in the entryway, the cabinets are installed in the kitchen and the radio room, and the workers are beginning to install the appliances.  They may begin carpeting next week in the administrative offices.

The sprinklers in the bunk rooms are the only thing holding it up now.  Here’s hoping for a quick resolution to that problem.

Posted by Nancy

Getting Organized for the New Year

The Trustees held their reorganization meeting today and elected Nancy Brown as chairman for 2010 with David Finfrock as vice-chairman.  Congratulations, and many thanks to Trustee David Phares for serving as chairman the past six years.  He deserves a break.

At the same meeting the trustees accepted a bid for a sprinkler system in the bunk rooms and decontamination room of the new fire station.  The original contractor was unable to perform the service so the trustees chose an alternate.  Once the sprinkler system is installed the station should be very close to completion.  Another month or two…

Trustee Phares will be attending a meeting on Debris Management (especially after storms, disasters, etc.) on Dec. 14, and Trustee Brown will attend an all day session Jan. 28 on All Hazards Preparedness.  We are trying to stay ahead of the curve on preparedness and service in times of emergency.

Speaking of emergencies, you might consider being prepared for emergencies a personal priority for the New Year.  Some information is available at www.ready.gov, where you can find suggestions for a basic kit.  These items, and perhaps others, could be assembled and stored in a box or tote in your basement,garage, trunk, or other easily accessible area. 

Recommended Supplies to Include in a Basic Kit:
Water – one gallon per person per day, for drinking and sanitation
Non-perishable food – at least a three day supply
Battery powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA with tone alert, plus extra batteries for both
Flashlight and extra batteries
First Aid kit
Whistle to signal for help
Filter mask or cotton t-shirt, to help filter the air
Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
Manual can opener if kit contains canned food
Plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
Important Family Documents
Items for unique family needs, such as prescription medications, infant formula or diapers, etc.

Posted by Nancy

Seasons Greetings!

I would say Merry Christmas, but I’m two days late for that.  Oh well, still early enough to wish everyone a Happy New Year!

It’s snowing right now, and we’re supposed to get 3-5″ tonight, so be careful out there.

Catching up with a little township news:

The new fire station/administrative building is quickly nearing completion.  The exterior is done except for landscaping and the final layer of asphalt on the driveways and parking lots, two things that have to wait for spring, and the interior looks better everyday.  There is paint on the walls, tile on (some of) the floors, heat and electricity – almost all the amenities of home.  We still need sprinkler systems in some of the rooms, carpeting, furniture, and more.  It will probably be February before we move in, with an open house to follow.

We have a new stainless steel bed dumptruck/snow plow in the road department.  The stainless steel bed should keep it from rusting out from the salt.  The truck was paid for primarily with reimbursement funds from FEMA for our expenses following Hurricane Ike.  Kudos to Fiscal Officer Melanie Cochran for keeping such good records, enabling us to document and claim the expenses.

The $1.325 million grant for the Styer Rd. Bridge Project is being moved up to the first half of next year.  The county engineer has already started preparations for it, and plans to tear the bridge out over the creek as soon as school is out in June.  He hopes to have it back open before school starts back up in the fall.  It will be another summer of inconvenient driving in the area, but that bridge really needs replaced.  We will also be paving Styer, Stratmore, Lemay, and Weinland, and replacing catch basins, curbs and gutters, and fire hydrants.  This project should really spruce the plat up.

The township’s annual closeout meeting will be held thisTuesday at 7:00 p.m. at the township building, 11300 W. National Rd.  This meeting is required to close the books for one year and prepare for the new one.  We do so in strong financial standing.

May the peace of the season keep your house warm and your family close.

Posted by Nancy

Congratulations to New Chief 3

Congratulations to Jen Cotterman, who was appointed to the position of Chief 3 at the trustees meeting Nov. 10.  Jen has been with the department for ten years and has most recently been serving as fire marshall.

Chief Jacob King congratulates Jen Cotterman upon her appointment to the position of Chief 3.

Chief Jacob King also deserves congratulations.  He was recently appointed Fire Chief at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Congratulations to Chief King and Chief Cotterman for the advancements in their careers.

Posted by Nancy

Road Reports

At their meeting this morning the county commissioners voted to approve an engineering contract for geotechnical investigations for the Styer Drive bridge.  This is the first step toward getting the bridge replaced next summer, at the same time Styer, Stratmore, Weinland, and Lemay will be milled down and repaved.

 The commissioners also declared the statutory speed limit on Lower Valley Pike between Merrymack and 1/2 mile east of Union Rd. excessive and unrealisitc, and are awaiting review of studies to determine what the new speed will be.  We were unaware they were doing this, but the number of accidenst and fatalities on Lower Valley Pike has been a concern at the County Transporatation Department for several years now.  They have been especially concerned about the Union Rd. intersection.

The new streetlights on Main St. in Medway are now lit going east from Spangler Rd., and will be lit going west later this week.  The engineers office is looking into the possibility of adding poles on the south side of the street in the east section, which we thought was part of the original plan. 

The road crew is picking up leaves in Park Layne, and will be doing so for awhile.  Just keep raking them out to the curb as they fall.

Posted by Nancy

Leaves, Parties, and Progress

Sorry it’s been so long since an entry was posted.  It’s been a hectic few weeks around here, what with the elections and all.  It’s been nice weather to walk the neighborhoods and knock on doors, but it takes a lot of time and effort and the blog has suffered.

Let’s catch up with some news.

First, ELECTIONS.  Everyone probably knows by now that the incumbents, Nancy Brown and David Finfrock, are returning.  Don Minton and Dick Zsambok were strong candidates and ran admirable campaigns, and we look forward to their involvement in township issues in the future.  Good communities are made stronger by interested citizens coming forward to serve.

Second, LEAF PICKUP.  We have had questions about the leaf pickup schedule, and the short answer is there isn’t one.  Well, there is, but it is very informal.  The road crew starts with the upper plat, since rain washes those leaves down the hills and into the gutters quicker than it does on the flat ground of the lower plat.  They try to get the big piles first, so rake your leaves out into the gutters and they will come by and vacuum them up.  They will keep making passes through both areas until either they have gotten all the leaves or the weather has turned so bad they have to convert the trucks into snow plows.  Don’t worry if we drive by your house and your leaves aren’t raked out – we will be back.  We ask that you get them out as soon as possible though, so the guys can get done before the bad weather hits.

Third, the FIRE STATION.   The progress is amazing, and the masonry work is almost done.  I need to go take a picture of the front now that the office part is done, but here is one of the back.

It is going to be a beautiful building.  It has doors now and can be secured at night, which is good.

Fourth, HALLOWEEN PARTY.  Every year the fire association puts on a party immediately after Trick or Treat for anyone who wants to come, and this year was another success.  The highlight of the evening is always the costume contest.  Here are a few winners, unfortunately without names.

I hope you are enjoying the beautiful fall weather this week, and are getting everything ready for the inevitable winter snow and slush ahead.  Soak up the sun and store it for later!

Posted by Nancy