How to house all our township equipment over the winter was a point of discussion by our Perry Township Trustees during their Nov. 12 board meeting. There has been no further progress on the addition to the garage since the four corner posts were erected in June.
Trustee Dick Wilson said that they never talked about the sides and that the addition would be like a shelter house. Wilson went on to note that it would be only a one day job to complete it and, although he hasn’t had the time to get there, he could make the time. But Wilson questioned if he should continue work on the addition since trustee Dusty Smith earlier in the meeting said it was time to think about a new building, with trustee Tom Creachbaum agreeing noting that, “Buena Vista (Green Township) has got that nice building and here we are.”
The trustees finally decided to rent a space for $100 a month in an equipment shed on Beatty Road to house the JD tractor. Creachbaum noted that the rent will be on a month to month basis and that it could be terminated at any time should Wilson be able to complete the garage add-on. However, Creachbaum said he didn’t want to have Wilson have to work on the building in December, though it would be great to set the water line if we get a few good days. Fiscal officer Brenda Hughes is to look into grant money for a new building.
Hughes informed the trustees that she received a call from John Pfeifer in response to the township letter informing Pfeifer that the township would start in 2019 to collect the $300 charge per mowing of his New Martinsburg property if he does not have his property mowed and properly maintained.
The trustees agreed upon this charge per mowing in 2014. However, the township has mowed the Pfeifer property 55 times without billing since the resolution, and at this September’s meeting the trustees decided not to bill the accumulated amount of $16,500 if Pfeifer starts maintaining the property in 2019. Hughes said that Pfeifer apologized and said that he thought he had the property sold, and was under the assumption that whomever had it was mowing it. Pfeifer said he will make sure that somebody takes care of the property in the spring.
Problems continue with the used pickup truck with a blade that the township purchased in April 2016 from Optimal Outdoor Solutions for $5,000. The trustees agreed not to put any more money into its front end and to look into trading the truck in on something or selling it.
About a 300 foot section of Monore Road was bermed with a gravel cost of $2,322. The ditch project on Zimmerman is delayed until spring. Also, in the spring the county will be looking into paving the curve on Barrett. The alley in New Martinsburg has not been graveled because the ground has been too soft.
Janet Anderson is a Perry Township resident.
