Dear Editor and Perry Township residents:
At the Dec. 12 end-of-the year Perry Township Board Meeting, the trustees passed a motion to pay a long list of bills. The snow plow truck is now ready to go, with repair bills of over $2,800 approved. Howard Smith, fiscal officer, announced that the county trustee association’s winter banquet will be on Jan. 21 at 6 p.m.
Smith then informed that he received a letter from the Fayette County Clerk of Courts offering Perry Township the Hatfield property (next to Pettit’s carry-out in New Martinsburg). The property has been put up twice for auction to pay unpaid property taxes with no bids. If the township does not accept the property, it will go to the state of Ohio. The trustees agreed to accept the property.
Fiscal officer Smith went on to tell that he received a letter from the Fayette County Health Department stating that the Tigner property (adjacent to the old township hall in New Martinsburg) has been declared uninhabitable. The trustees discussed getting bids to tear the building down. F.O. Smith questioned what benefit it would be to the township to tear down the building. Trustee Dick Wilson replied that a lot of people have wanted it torn down and cleaned up. And if the township should inherit the property, it would be of more benefit than the Hatfield property as it is right close to the township property. The trustees felt that tearing down the building would be a good winter project provided we do not get a lot of snow.
Trustee Tom Creachbaum asked where the township stood with the fire departments. Trustee Dusty Smith said that he contacted Bradley of Paint Creek Fire District and that the district will be having a meeting the coming Tuesday. Following this meeting, Bradley will let Smith know what may be coming up regarding future service after our current contract ends in 2017. Our present fire levy expires at the end of this year. However, as F.O. Smith explained, we will still get the same amount from the levy to pay for 2017 as we did this year. The trustees need to put a renewal levy for fire service on the November 2017, ballot. If this levy does not pass, the township will not have money to pay for fire service after 2017.
The trustees discussed the 2016 township road projects and situations. Trustee Smith related that the county engineer department said that Bonner Road was absolutely not widened with the exception of the last 20 feet at its juncture with Barrett that the township had requested. The total paving for Bonner and Sturgeon Mill roads came out less than initial estimate, without using the later $10,000 paving estimate for a projected shortage on Bonner. The county, not the township, is responsible for speed limit signs.
Janet Anderson
Perry Township resident
