Date of Meeting: 6/24/2025
Format: In-person
Meeting Summary:
Four bids for the Hudson Road project were received by the deadline and were recoded as follows:
Perrin Asphalt $347,261.50
Karvo Companies $361,754.00
Barbicas Construction $366,960.00
Phillips Paving LLC $367,241.00
These will be sent to the Portage County Engineer’s office for verification, and to the prosecutor’s office, and then a bid will be awarded upon approval.
PUBLIC COMMENT
A West Shore Drive resident inquired about the bidding process; the trustees’ response was that there are guidelines in place for accepting a bid or declining a bid, based on past history with the contractor, verification that the bid package is complete and the ability to comply with start and end dates.
Beth Geist, chair of the Franklin Township Zoning Commission, spoke about the commission’s role in investigating possible locations within the township for growth, distribution, processing and research facilities related to cannabis. Mr. Swan noted that there could be a financial benefit to the township if such a facility could be housed here, but that decision making should be based on as much information as possible. More discussion followed, and Mrs. Geist thanked the trustees for their responses and will continue to lead the commission toward researching financial benefits, law enforcement impact, and possible locations moving forward.
Jill Grimm representing the Twin Lakes Association asked Mr. Akerley if berming will be done on roads which have been resurfaced in the area. He replied that it is on the “to do” list. She also asked if some Japanese knot wood growing on township property would be sprayed; he answered in the affirmative.
A Brady Lake area resident asked for permission to post signs advertising a Brady Lake church craft show 2-3 weeks prior to the event. All trustees were supportive of this.
ZONING, ROAD AND FIRE REPORTS
Mr. Ciccozzi has received a few grass complaints, two VRBO notifications in the township, and a communication with the Ravenna Township zoning inspector about fee restructuring.
Mr. Akerley received a call from a representative of Portage DD about residents doing donuts in the field at Brady Lake Park. He would like to post cameras at the park powered by solar energy and with images that are able to be loaded to the cloud or to his own phone. The trustees supported the request, and Mr. Akerley will move forward.
Mr. Smith reported that in response to the hazardous spill at Schneller last month, new protocols have been put in place to prevent such a spill from happening again. AED’s for Phillips and Brady Lake Park have arrived and are ready for temporary mounting until electricity can be installed for permanent mounting.
NEW BUSINESS
Mr. Swan will be retiring from his OPERS position, but will continue in his tenure as trustee.
Mr. Russell presented a quote related to electricity for the two parks for the AED’s. The estimate is $29,000. He also presented an estimate for pavilions to be placed near the pickleball courts; these range from $28,000 to $48,000 depending on the size. Mr. Swan suggested that the pavilion be named after Keith Benjamin, to honor his many years of service as a township trustee.
CORRESPONDENCE
Mrs. Kapusta read aloud a letter from Michael Jones announcing he will be resigning from the road crew on August 31, 2025.
FINANCES
A brief discussion developed regarding the 2026 Tax Budget hearing. Mrs. Russell will take another look at budgeting for a pavilion at Phillips Park, for AED installation at Phillips and Brady, and for repair or rebuilding of the Chase Park boardwalk.
Payment of bills totaling $141,317.02 were approved by a vote of all three trustees.
The members of the board/council were present: Glenn Russell, Kellie Kapusta, Scott Swan
Was there a public notice of the meeting that included the time and place of meeting: Yes
Was an agenda of the meeting or handouts available to visitors: Yes
Are minutes from previous meetings posted/available: Yes
https://www.franklintownshipohio.org/minutes
Name of Observer: Anne Reid