Oct
07
2024

Trustees change meeting time

Miami Township Trustees moved Monday, Feb. 4, to eliminate a long-standing meeting time conflict with Yellow Springs Village Council.

Both governmental bodies have for years met at the same time — 7 p.m. on the first and third Mondays of the month, leaving local residents and officials unable to attend both. Trustee Don Hollister, who is in his first term, and at least one citizen, who attended a meeting in January, had called for the change.

While Hollister said he preferred moving the meetings to Wednesdays, the three-person board agreed to continue meeting on Mondays, but with a change of time to 5 p.m.

The change is effective immediately.

Trustee President Chris Mucher said the original time had been set years ago to accommodate farmers in the field after they finished with their work.

The trustees agreed that if the earlier time proves difficult for either farmers or others’ work schedules, then they would revisit the matter.

In other township business Feb. 4:

New fire station moves ahead

Mucher reported that the township would begin advertising for construction bids beginning Feb. 6, and that the bids would open Feb. 27, for a new fire station planned on the south side of Yellow Springs. Voters approved the $4.9 million project in May 2017.

The federal shutdown last month delayed approval to begin the bid process, the township’s second attempt to bid the project. Mucher said that the possibility of another shutdown shouldn’t affect the township’s plans further.

Cemetery, roads report

Dan Gochenouer reported that Glen Forest Cemetery had two burials since the last trustee’s meeting Jan. 23, and another was scheduled for Feb. 6.

Relatedly, Trustees approved a three-year continuing contract with Cedarview Lawn Care for leaf removal and mowing at the cemetery through December 2021, at a cost of $16,000 a year.

Concerning township roads, Gochenouer said he would be working this week on potholes caused by the recent deep freeze.

Commission recommends changes

Richard Zopf, zoning inspector, reported on the most recent Miami Township Zoning Commission meeting Jan. 15.

Zopf told Trustees that the commission had voted to recommend that several resident categories be removed from the township zoning code: two-family residence district, multi-family residence district and planned unit development.

“In general, the commission has found that the development these [categories] allow are in contradiction to the Miami Township Comprehensive Plan,” Zopf wrote in his monthly report.

The Trustees scheduled a public hearing on the recommendations for their March 4 meeting. Mucher said he was against eliminating the PUD designation, but would wait to discuss the matter until the public hearing.

Fire-Rescue activities

Fire Chief Colin Altman reported on recent department activities, including the rescue of a dog from a pond in Bath Township (see page 10 for story).

Altman also reported that in April the department will begin enforcing a new state code requiring carbon monoxide detectors in dormitories, schools and housing with two or more rental units that have gas burning, forced air heating.

Trustees approved Altman’s request to reclassify Joshua Sweet, who has been volunteering with the department for more than six months, from volunteer to part-time employee.

For the month of January, the department responded to 33 fire and 89 emergency medical service, or EMS, calls.

Altman said that most fire calls are “not actual fires.”

The most significant, which he listed for the News, were:

Jan. 5: Fire crews responded to a fire in the Aahar India food trailer on Walnut Street. The fire was accidental, and the trailer was a total loss.

Jan. 8: Fire crews responded with mutual aid to Springfield Township for a three-alarm house fire.

Jan. 9: Fire crews responded to a kitchen fire on West Limestone Street, with minimal damage.

Jan. 15: Fire crews responded to a report of a fire at Cresco Labs called in by passersby. On arrival, it was quickly determined that the glow from the greenhouse in the fog was mistaken for a large fire.

Jan. 18: Crews responded to a two-car crash at West Enon and Fairfield Yellow Springs Road; two patients were transported to the hospital.

Jan. 30: Crews responded to a single-car crash on Trebein Road; a car slid off the road into a ditch due to icy conditions. One patient was transported to the hospital.

Next meeting set

Because of the Presidents Day holiday Monday, Feb. 18, the Trustees’ next regular meeting will be at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20.

Contact: csimmons@ysnews.com

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