MADISON TOWNSHIP ─ The zoning permit fees at Madison Township are going to increase $10 to $20 next year.
The board of trustees voted for the change at Monday night’s meeting, with an objection from Chairman Trustee Dan Fletcher. He said he objected because of the lack of information about zoning fees from surrounding townships such as Washington and Mifflin.
Trustee Jim Houser said none of those townships are Madison’s size, casting doubt on the comparison. Trustee Catherine Swank said while the township is not trying to make money, it needs to support itself more.
According to the resolution, the change of fees is due to the increased expense to maintain the township zoning department. Zoning inspector Wayne Liggett said most of the fees are rising $10 to $20. The department will also start to charge fence permits rates at $30 next year.
The new zoning permit and fee schedule is as follows:
1 ─ 499 sq. ft. $50
500 ─ 999 sq. f.t $80
1000 ─ 1499 sq. ft. $100
1500 ─ 1999 sq. ft. $130
2000 ─ 2499 sq. ft. $150
2500 ─ 4999 sq. ft. $180
5000 ─ 7499 sq. ft. $200
7500 ─ 9999 sq. ft. $230
10,000 ─ 14,999 sq. ft. $250
15,000 ─ 19,999 sq. ft. $280
200,000+ sq. ft. $300
Fence Permit $30
Zoning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals and appeals fees $200
In addition, the board opened bids for replacing two metal culverts on Annadale Avenue. Great Lakes Demolition Company became the apparent low bidder with an offer of $63,570.50. It was only $84 lower than the price offered by Elite Excavating of Ohio, Inc. The engineering cost was $74,809.70.
The trustees voted in a previous meeting to hire Certified Environmental, Inc. (CEI) of Lexington to sample the soil at a demolition site next to the fire station on Expressview Drive.
Trustee Houser shared the preliminary results from CEI with the board on Monday. He said there was no petroleum contamination. But the company found more lead and chromium in the sample, indicative of foundary sand contaminants.
Houser said the CEI will need to run additional tests to check if there is lead or chromium contamination in the soil. The result will help the township decide what to do with the debris.
Additionally, Chairman Trustee Fletcher brought up the idea of adjusting the trustees’ salaries in the last meeting to cope with township’s deficit in its general fund. He made a motion in Monday’s meeting to change the payment into a per-diem schedule.
He suggested that he and Trustee Houser take a daily rate at $68.06 instead and Trustee Swank takes $70.46 for their salaries. But neither Houser nor Swank seconded the motion.
