March 2020
NEWTON TOWNSHIP MINUTES 3-10-2020
Newton Township Trustees met in regular session on Tuesday, March 10, 2020. Those in attendance were Jason Taylor, Road Maintenance Employee for the Township; Craig Knox Assistant Chief and EMS Coordinator; James R. Smith, Robert Stephenson; Township Trustees and Paula Frank, Fiscal Officer. Trustee Derek Dozer was absent. Bernadine Swingle, township resident. Mollie Crooks, Cindy Cameron, and Jim Porter, Muskingum County Commissioners. Brett Nelson, candidate for Muskingum County Treasurer.
Meeting was called to order by Trustee Smith at 6:00 pm.
Pledge to the flag was led by Trustee Smith.
Agenda approved.
Minutes were approved as presented.
Public Participation: Ms. Crooks and Ms. Cameron—brought electric aggregation before the board. Palmer Energy / Bob Snavely 419-304-7883—any AEP customers but not any of the electric cooperatives. Will be on the upcoming ballot for vote, next Tuesday, March 17, 2020. Perry Twp. Has had it for 8 years and the residents are saving about $100 - $125 per year. The county does not benefit from the aggregation. There is a link on the commissioner’s website for the aggregation. If it passes, then there will be a mailing and each person can choose to opt-in or out. 0.00045 per kw is how Palmer Energy makes their money on the customers that decide to opt-in to the aggregation. This is only for residential customers and small businesses. Commissioner Porter arrived later in the meeting and voiced his support for the aggregation.
Mr. Nelson introduced himself and asked for the support of our community in the upcoming election.
Fire Department Business: No report from the Fire Chief.
Assistant Chief Knox -- Medic 1081 has been in and out of the shop with bad tires and was discovered it needed brakes. Should be live 4/1/20 with the software. Commissioners have agreed to pay the start-up cost for the first year for every FD in the county. $2000 annual maintenance for the software. AEP—discovered there is some bad wiring inside the meter box. The may be relocating it.
Road Report – Jason Taylor—fighting potholes and hauling stone. Culvert on Tignor is plugged and he cannot get it unclogged. Resident thinks a big truck has smashed it.
Old Business - None.
New Business - None.
Trustees Reports:
Stephenson—None
Smith—None
Dozer—Crock, Leywellyn, Yost and Leffler are his only roads that need looked at. No other business—per message to Trustee Stephenson during the meeting.
Craig asked that the meeting go into executive session. Trustee Stephen made a motion to go into executive session and Trustee Smith seconded the motion.
Fiscal Officer Reports
Fiscal Officer, Paula Frank, brought information regarding fraud protection on the Huntington bank account before the board. Fiscal Officer will contact Huntington Bank about lack of interest on the account. A resolution was passed to bid out the township banking services.
The board decided to get one credit card for the Fire Department to use for online purchases, such as books for courses taught at the department, etc., where writing a check is not feasible. It was also decided that there would be one credit card for the trustees, also, in the event that items need purchased from a vendor and we do not have an account set up with that vendor. A resolution was passed to obtain credit cards.
A certified letter was sent to Mr. & Mrs. Browning, regarding their fence, and was signed for earlier this month.
Door prizes have been purchased for the Spring Banquet coming up on the 19th of March.
Distributed Grassroots Clippings and other correspondence that had come in the mail from various vendors.
Trustee Smith made a motion to pay bills. Trustee Stephenson seconded the motion.
All bills presented were deemed to be valid expenditures and were to be paid as presented.
Next regular meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 at 6:00pm at the Fire Department.
Meeting adjourned at 7:15pm
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