October 2025
NEWTON TOWNSHIP MINUTES 10-14-2025
Newton Township Trustees met in regular session on Tuesday, October 14, 2025. Those in attendance were Fire Chief, Craig Knox; Larken Slack, Derek Dozer and Randy Elson; Township Trustees and Paula Frank, Fiscal Officer. Also in attendance were Township residents: Shane Stephenson, Brandon Stackhouse, and Sam Lantz.
Meeting was called to order by Trustee Elson at 6:00 pm.
Pledge to the flag was led by Randy Elson.
Agenda: approved.
Minutes: approved.
Public Participation:
· None
Fire Department Business:
· There were 164 dispatched calls in September – 101 in Muskingum County and 63 in Perry County --- 1235 for the year.
· There was one uncovered 12-hour shifts in September after 7 call-offs.
· 36 hour class is finishing up and an EMT class is starting in November.
· SCBA compressor mother board is completely fried. The part is being sent so it can be replaced.
· Mailers went out about the levy and signs are up. They created an informational form that was published today about the Constitutional amendment proposal to abolish property taxes. The Ohio Fire Chiefs Association is going to use the form state-wide about the abolishment of taxes.
· There have been several tax reform bills introduced in the legislature since October 1st. the only thing that has passed so far are the veto overrides.
· Craig sits on the legislative committee for the Ohio Fire Chiefs Association. There are proposals that will affect township government under the reform.
· The roof over the gym – Monarch wants to put a new membrane on that area. They did patch it and it should hold through winter but there is no warranty or guarantee. To patch that section, it is going to cost $13,937.28 to cover pressure washing and cleaning roof, inspect for other damage, prime surface, repair remaining damage, and apply a top coat to all sections. Larken asked if there were any other options for repairing the roof. Craig stated they could truss and put a metal roof over the existing flat roof, but that will involve architects, engineers, and a lot more expense. Craig is afraid if more leaks open up over the winter and it freezes, it could become a bigger issue. Larken asked how many years the new roof would be warranted and Craig said he believes it is only the remaining 3 years on the existing warranty. Larken made a motion to repair the roof. Randy seconded the motion and the motion carried.
· They re-inspected the Boyd property and not much has been done.
· Almost the entire FD building has been painted on the exterior.
· Trunk or Treat is happening on October 26th at the FD.
· Auxiliary craft bazaar is November 8th
· Christmas party for department is on December 7th.
· Craig looked at the trailer on Charles Street but was not able to make contact with anyone. He is going to mail a certified letter.
· Fat Boyz property in Avondale also needs inspected because the roof is caving in.
Assistant Chief: None
Road Report:
· First round of salt has been delivered.
· Shelly started paving in Avondale on Monday but then the plant went down.
· The rubber tire hoe is down and Jason thinks he can get it repaired.
· The beginning of Opera is widened.
· They have been on Bush Run and Porter and fixed a bunch of spots. Also fixed a culvert on Bush.
· They have been on Workman fixing some bad spots.
· They are heading to Chadwick tomorrow.
Old Business:
None.
· If there are any small roads that need chip sealed, Brent Sidwell is doing excellent work, per Derek. He encouraged the other two trustees check out his driveway for reference.
New Business:
· None.
Trustees Reports:
Elson –
Asked Jason about Sunset and Stine Road signs.
· Asked Jason if the holes in the bottom on Slack had been filled in.
Dozer –
Karen Gill called and thanked them for mowing on Foxfire.
· Shannon Carrol – Hoover Ave. – calling about farm animals and if permits where needed.
· 7225 Lower Kroft – wants no more gravel in front of his house. It is causing too much dust.
· Nicholas Horin – asked for road repair in B & N Coal property. Derek told him it was a non-maintained road.
· Bernard Magalaski – holes on Payne that need repaired.
Slack –
Larken is pretty sure Boyd is parking on the road again with his trash trucks. Derek asked Craig how they should handle that. Craig said to just call the Sheriff’s office and let them take care of it.
· Larken had the Sheriff’s department serve the Talbert property owners with paperwork that they were going to clean up for him. Derek said he had called and asked for a little more time to clean up before the township takes over.
· The crack filling machine that John Stottsberry owns – he would like to sell it for $2,500 to include all the leftover tar that he has. The tar alone would retail for $1,700. Derek made a motion to purchase the machine. Randy seconded the motion and the motion carried.
· Paving in Avondale has halted due to the Shelly plant being down. They will still be down tomorrow. They plan to work on Saturday so they can get done before it rains on Sunday.
Fiscal Officer Report:
· Distributed Grassroots Clippings
· Kandra Talbert’s Nuisance Abatement letter has been returned unclaimed. Christopher Cannon’s Nuisance Abatement letter has also been returned.
· FO presented a Cybersecurity Policy for Trustee review and approval along with Resolution 13/2025 to formally adopt said Cybersecurity Policy.
Trustee Elson made a motion to pay bills. Trustee Slack seconded the motion. Motion carried.
All bills presented were deemed to be valid expenditures and were to be paid as presented.
The next monthly meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 11, 2025 at 6:00 pm.
Meeting adjourned at 7:05 pm.
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