MADISON TOWNSHIP — Madison Township trustees voted Monday to appropriate $150,000 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds toward a drainage solution for the intersection at Manner and Eastview Drive.
Trustee Dan Fletcher said the costs should cover design and construction of an upgrade or replacement of a drainage pipe at the intersection.
“That’s been a flood-prone area for many years,” Fletcher said. “We’ve had repair work on large culverts before, so this would be similar work.
“We’ll check with our engineer to see if they can draft us a proposal for the work.”
The trustee said he will talk with Richland County engineer Adam Gove about the design process of a drainage solution over the next few weeks.
The Manner Drive and Eastview Drive intersection is in a neighborhood northeast of the U.S. 30 and State Route 42 intersection.
Fletcher & Craft approve sign permit charge for Central Ohio Fencing Services
Fletcher also introduced legislation to issue sign permits to Central Ohio Fencing Services for window signs. The shop is located at 1457 Ashland Road.
Some township residents had previously asked trustees whether the business should pay for sign permits at the establishment for window signs.
“Mr. (Wayne) Liggett, our former zoning inspector, and I pulled some old permits and there were two that we visited as far as window signs,” Fletcher said.
“One was Buckeye Billiards and the other one was a place of business across from (Pump & Grind) and they’re no longer in business, but we did issue them a permit.”
Trustee Jim Houser, a former zoning inspector for the township, voted against the legislation, saying he didn’t find any window sign permits when he searched previous permits.
“I think that if we start nitpicking, we’re looking at maybe civil action, so I don’t agree with trying to put a Band-Aid on something we’re not even sure is a problem,” he said. “There’s no permits that say window signs on them that I could find.”
Also in Monday’s meeting:
- Trustees voted to increase the fire department administrative assistant’s wages by 3% starting the first pay period in April. They also approved a raise for fiscal assistant, bringing the part-time position’s salary to $7,620 annually.
- Trustees voted to continue its tax incentive agreement with Michael Byrne Manufacturing on Earth Boring Road.
- Trustees voted to appropriate $6,428 of ARPA funds for tile repair on the west side of North Stewart Road. Trustee Tom Craft said road department supervisor Jimmy Baker will insert a double-wall plastic tile to reinforce the sinking tile.
- Fiscal officer Leanna Rhodes said the township has about $250,000 of unappropriated ARPA funds following Monday night’s actions. ARPA funds must be allocated by the end of this year and spent by the end of 2026.
- Trustees voted to accept the move of full-time firefighter Jarrod Strouth to part-time status starting March 23.
- Trustees voted to hire Stan Hoptry as a full-time firefighter starting March 23. He is a part-time firefighter prepared to fill Strouth’s full-time spot.
- Trustees accepted the resignation of part-time firefighter Jon Van Hesteren. The township will issue an education bill due from Van Hesteren’s paramedic school.
- Fire chief Ken Jutsus said the fire department has started color-coding fire hydrants according to which water system they belong to, the available water flow and thread style to connect to fire hoses.
