Township fails to receive grant

by Dan Holland

March 7 township trustees meeting

Richfield Township Administrator Mindy Lott informed trustees that the Ohio Public Works Commission did not approve a $154,000 grant to the township to address stormwater issues.

The grant was requested to correct drainage issues on Farnham and Stubbins roads and Hecker Drive, with work to include grading of ditches, replacement of driveways and culverts and sealing roadways.

“We are disappointed, but not surprised, that we didn’t receive the OPWC stormwater grant,” Trustee Chair Don Laubacher told The Richfield Times. “The Summit County engineers office estimates that the project will cost over $150,000. We’ll apply for the grant again next year, but the metrics used by the county to award them are not favorable to us.”

“Stubbins and Hecker roads are relatively flat, causing standing water,” he continued. “In addition to health and safety issues, like mosquitoes, standing water softens the road base and edges, causing them to deteriorate more quickly. The project will grade and improve the culverts and ditches to improve the water flow and mitigate standing water. There might be a few other areas in the township with stormwater issues, but this was at the top of our list.”

Fiscal

Laubacher, speaking on behalf of Fiscal Officer Laurie Pinney, who had an excused absence, shared that the township accumulated $6,570 in interest earnings in February at a rate of 5.6%. He also announced that the 2023 annual financial report is now available on the township website.

Presentation

Andy Leitch, an employee of Burnham & Flower Insurance, made a presentation on behalf of the Ohio Township Association Risk Management Authority as an alternate carrier to Wichert Insurance to cover property and public official insurance in the township. No action was taken by the trustees.

In other business, trustees approved:

• An agreement for Cuyahoga Valley National Park to pay $1,293 in lieu of taxes. The park owns 14% of the land in Richfield Township.
• An increase of $1,992 for a purchase order for Rumpke waste hauling to cover an increase in the number of homes in the township.
• A motion to apply for a $2,501 Reworks Community Recycling Access Grant.
• Contract with Cardinal Asphalt for $2,680 for crack filling, sealing and striping of the parking lot.

Announcements

Lott announced that Rumpke would begin trash pickup services at 6 a.m. on Monday, April 8, to avoid potential traffic congestion in the afternoon, during the time of the total solar eclipse. ∞