Trustees approve funds for 2024 roads program

by Dan Holland

Feb. 1 township trustees meeting

Richfield Township trustees approved a resolution to participate in the 2024 Summit County Regional Pavement Maintenance Program for an amount not to exceed $661,000.

Resurfacing of the Glencairn Forest subdivision will continue this year and will include East Galloway and West Galloway drives, Bannockburn Drive, Balmoral Drive, Kintyre Circle, Hamilton Drive and Glentrool Lane for a total of 2.05 miles, leaving approximately one-half mile to complete next year. Last year’s roads program, performed by Barbicas Construction, resurfaced 1.74 miles of roads in the development.

The resolution calls for $461,000 to come from the motor vehicle license tax, the gasoline tax, road and bridge fund and permissive motor vehicle license tax, and $200,000 from the general fund. At the approved amounts earmarked for this year’s program, approximately $164,000 in unencumbered funds will carry over to next year, said Administrator MindyLott. The Summit County engineer estimated the cost to complete the paving next year would be $315,000.

JEDD Board update

Trustee chair Don Laubacher said he recently attended a biannual board meeting of the Richfield Joint Economic Development District with Lott.  He reported that the fourth quarter distribution for the township was just over $35,000. Ingress and egress routes for the JEDD were also discussed.

“As you know, there is only one entrance into the JEDD which is Columbia Road,” said Laubacher. “A second exit will be Allega Way once that is constructed, and the discussion was about when that will open. The Allegas were hoping it would open by the end of summer, but [Richfield Village] Mayor Mike Wheeler said it would be by the end of the year. Apparently, there are still environmental issues with the old gas station that was on the site.”

Fiscal

Township Fiscal Officer Laurie Pinney reported that the township’s STAR Ohio account earned $7,165 in interest income during January, with a total of $78,559 since the account was opened last March.

Land use update

Trustees also discussed initiating an updated township comprehensive land use plan. Laubacher noted that the current plan, completed in 2011, will expire at the end of 2025.

Lott reviewed possible procedures that could include forming a committee that would be tasked with reviewing the current plan and making recommendations and changes that would require approval by the trustees. Committee members would be appointed by the trustees and could consist of members of the board of zoning appeals and zoning commission, residents and business owners. Monthly meetings could begin in the fall, she said.

Discussions on the subject will continue at subsequent trustee meetings.

In other action, trustees approved:

  • Final payment of $7,080 to Barbicas Construction for 2023 paving.  
  • A purchase order of $13,637 for Blue Technologies for a new copier and an annual service contract.
  • Approved the county mileage certification of 15.525 total township miles.
  • Drafting a letter to The Richfield Times in support of the March 19, 2.66 mills fire/EMS levy.
  • A resolution to accept a Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council 2024 Energized Community Grant. ∞