September 2025

NEWTON TOWNSHIP MINUTES 9-9-2025

Newton Township Trustees met in regular session on Tuesday, September 9, 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:  Bernadine Swingle, Brandon Stackhouse, Shane Stephenson, Sam Lantz, Roxie Barnes, and Randy Allen.

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: 

·        Mr. Allen was asking what the plan was for Workman Road.  Resident wants to purchase some property on the road and isn’t sure he wants to do that with the condition of the road.  Derek said there are others that are just as bad and they are doing the best they can.  He told Derek he would meet out there to discuss the condition.  Jason said that road has been chip and sealed every year until last year.  Mr. Allen suggested more ditch cleaning and adding more culverts.

·        Roxie Barnes was also asking about the ditches on Workman Road.  She does not feel that all the ditches have been cleaned.  She is referring to the area between Bailey’s to Johnathan Creek bridge.  Derek stated that they have sealed a lot of cracks on some of the paved roads this year to hopefully prolong the life of those roads and be able to chip seal more roads next year. 

Fire Department Business:   

·        There were 145 dispatched calls in August – 100 in Muskingum County and 45 in Perry County - 1071 for the year.

·        There were no uncovered 12-hour shifts after having 8 call-offs.

·        The Boyd property – there have been no changes since the August 1^st inspection.  There are still 3 areas that need addressed.  He will likely be getting a citation from the state.

·        The property in Roberts Addition has been sold – the Pete Huff property and the new owner has cleaned up considerably.

·        The training division is starting a 36-hour Volunteer Fire Course mainly for Crooksville FD and it is starting this Sunday.  It is open to other departments too.  The class is pretty well full.

·        The SCBA compressor has a broken mother board and it will need to go back to the manufacturer to see if it can be repaired.  If not, a new one will have to be put in it.  The compressor and everything else is still good.  There is a cascade trailer housed at ZFD and they will see they will allow Newton to house it here so they can at least fill bottles here. 

·        September 27^th – Touch a Truck at Walmart

·        September 28^th – Chicken BBQ

·        October 26^th – Trunk or Treat

·        December 7^th – Family Christmas for department employees and their families.

·        The school is going to letter the new utility truck for $200.

Assistant Chief:  none.

Road Report:  

·        Rabbit Rd – they replaced the stop sign and there is a culvert there that has some sediment in it.  They are going to take a firetruck over and flush it out and see if it needs replaced.

·        The radio in the truck is broken.

·        They patched Workman, Ridgley, and Slack Roads.

·        There were 2 or 3 trees on Huggins that fell over that needed cleaned up.

·        Moxahala has been widened and is looking good.

·        Replaced a culvert on Carson Road. 

·        Jason called the water department about risers and he has called the sewer department but they don’t have what they need to supply to Jason– for Avondale streets paving project.  They aren’t sure they will be in in time for the paving.

·        Jason said there is a tree on Workman that needs taken down and Jason isn’t sure if they can handle it or not.

Old Business: 

·        None.

New Business: 

·        None.

Trustees Reports: 

Elson –

·        None.

Dozer –

·        Logging is going to begin on Lewellyn Road – asked Jason to check it out so they can bring it back up to standards once completed.

·        There is a homeless man living in a barn on Ted Murphy’s property on Chadwick Road.  Ted has okayed it and residents are not happy about it.  He has received some calls asking if there is anything the Township can do about it.  Derek told him not really.  The man has been trespassing on other properties.

·        3655 Charles Street has a roof collapse and there are cats everywhere.  Craig said they are delinquent on their taxes so they can get the County involved on getting that cleaned up.  Derek says it is a 1960’s mobile home with a collapsed roof.

·        Larry Havens – called about a light pole but it is now fixed.

·        Matt Kousmal - 4405 Huggins – asked Jason if he got the culvert length yet.

·        Rebecca Drive – ditch – thanked Jason for getting that done.

·        Mr. Fletcher called about mowing on Payne Road.  Jason has cut that back as far as he can reach.

·        Brennstuhl Construction – called Derek asking why they were not awarded the bid on the Avondale Streets.  Derek told him that since they had never heard of that company, that is part of the reason they did not choose them.  The overall bid price for all projects was lower by awarding Shelly.

Slack –

·        Tree in Avondale that he would like removed before they pave.  Jason thinks he can take it down.

·        He wants all issues addressed in Avondale prior to October 1^st when paving is to take place.

·        They cleaned up the Cannon property on Limestone Valley.  There are two cars left – Derek says that once the Nuisance Abatement is issued, they lose it all.  FO will send a Nuisance Abatement Resolution

·        Discussed replacing the solar powered stop sign at Thompson Run and Foxfire.  They decided to wait a while before replacing it.

·        Larken re-measured Avondale streets and there is one street that does not have a name.  That street is 3/10 of a mile long and he is going to make sure that the contracted amount with Shelly will cover that street.

·        Larken asked if we had received the certified receipt back on the Talbert / Workman Road property.  We have not received the letter back or the green card.

Fiscal Officer Report:

·        Grassroots clippings distributed.

·        Prior month bank reconciliation presented for review and signatures.

·        FO presented amended Resolution numbers 08/2025 and 09/2025 as requested by the County Auditor’s office, for signature.

·        FO presented Resolution 11/2025 accepting amounts and rates determined by the Budget Commission and authorizing the necessary tax levies and certifying them to the County Auditor, for signature.

·        FO presented Resolution 12/2025 for Nuisance Abatement for the Christopher Cannon property located at 5100 Limestone Valley Road, to be mailed via certified mail to Mr. Cannon on 9-10-2025.

·        FO placed order for salt from Cargill and gave them Jason’s cell phone number to contact for delivery.

Trustee Dozer made a motion to pay bills.  Trustee Elson 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, October 14, 2025 at 6:00 pm.

Meeting adjourned at 7:14 pm.

Newton Township has made every effort to ensure all the information listed on this website is accurate and up to date.  This information can and may change without notice.  Meeting overviews are meant to serve as short informational updates on township business.  We can not be responsible for any inaccurate or omitted information.