Trustees appoint part-time fiscal officer, review JEDD recommendations

by Alex Vukoder

Nov. 12 township trustees meeting

Bath Township trustees appointed Doris Lewis as part-time fiscal officer with an effective start date of Nov. 13 at the rate of $28 per hour with a one-year probationary period.

Township Administrator/Police Chief Vito Sinopoli explained that the Ohio Revised Code authorizes the fiscal officer to appoint one or more assistants to support the role. Fiscal Officer Laura Tuttle appointed Lewis as her assistant. Sinopoli said Lewis has “extensive experience in private sector accounting and has a degree in mathematics.”

The trustees announced the completion of the Bath JEDD Advisory Committee’s work, which included reviewing a 22-year-old report. Final recommendations for how to use JEDD funds included recreation, possibly including pickleball and tennis courts; meeting facilities within the parks; and improvements for fire, safety and emergency services for residents.

Other potential uses the committee considered were farmers’ markets, establishing buffer properties to define commercial areas, branding the township and its hamlets, condensed housing for older community members, internet service options, cemetery expansion and the potential purchase of the Bath Church Community Hall.

Police and Fire

Trustees accepted a $10,000 anonymous donation for police training aimed at enhancing township safety.

Police also accepted a DJI Avata 2 UAS drone donation from Roger Mortimer of Ohio Drone Repair. This drone, initially a raffle prize, will support public safety efforts.

Fire Chief Rob Campbell shared updates on the department’s recent trailer training at Station 2, which involved personnel from Bath, Copley and Fairlawn. The training, provided at no cost by the state, featured a fire truck simulation trailer surrounded by TV screens, offering a realistic environment for refining skills.

Campbell also discussed a volunteer trip with Team Rubicon, a veteran-led organization focused on post-disaster recovery. He spent a week in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina helping clean flooded homes and remove trees in areas devastated by floods, tornadoes and severe winds.

“It’s amazing the impact we could make,” Campbell said, noting the organization helped uninsured, elderly and vulnerable families.

Service

Service Director Caine Collins provided an update on the department’s building expansion project, noting that footers and expansion walls are in place, with work on schedule. Underground work will continue through December, and framing is expected to begin after the holidays. Collins also reported the relocation of a well and the discovery of a compromised time capsule during construction. Unfortunately, most of its contents were damaged by water.

During the citizen comment period, trustees responded to a resident’s question by confirming they have not chosen a consultant to review pickleball courts and other areas in Bath Community Park. Interviews are ongoing, with parking remaining a key consideration in the planning process. ∞