In 1802 , the community of what was later to be named Suffield Township was founded by Royal Pease, who was originally from Suffield, Connecticut. From 1802 until April 6, 1818, our community was known as Peasetown. In 1818, the name was changed to Suffield Township and governing officials were elected. Suffield is one of 18 townships in Portage County and lies in the southwest corner of the county. We are uniquely situated in close proximity to Akron, Ohio to the west and to Hartville, Ohio to the south. This gives our community a great mix of big city opportunities combined with rural charm.
With a population of 6,315 as estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2015, Suffield Township is a close knit community - a community where neighbors look out for one another and wave when passing on the road. Township services include a highly trained Fire Department, led by Chief Robert Rasnick, providing fire and EMS protection to the township, as well as a hard working Road Department, supervised by David (Pete) Einloth, that takes care of the roadways and other services related to the needs of the community.
We welcome you to our community. Please explore our website and see what Suffield has to offer.
Congress Lake Road will be closed to all traffic on Monday June 1st from about 7:00 AM until 4:00 PM for replacement of a crossover pipe. This actually will be at 194 Congress Lake Road, but the road will be closed between Kehner Road and Steffy Road.
The Suffield Township Board of Trustees met on Tuesday May 26th for a meeting that lasted just over six minutes. Basically there were two items that needed some attention. Trustee chairman Jeff Eldreth asked for a purchase order in the amount of $5,000 to pay Seal Masters for part of the upcoming crack sealing program. Secondly, he said that the trustees are hopeful that normal meetings could begin as soon as Tuesday June 9th, but this is dependent on what the governor has to say on crowd size and social distancing standards. As soon as a decision is made, this website, the electronic sign and the township's Facebook pages will let you know.
Trustee Tom Calcei was pleased with the Memorial Day Service held in front of the old historic Town Hall. He mentioned the efforts of the Suffield League in getting up the new flags that line Waterloo Road and State Route 43. The community raised about $4,000 in about two days to finance this much needed endeavor.
The trustees will meet gain on Tuesday June 9th at 8:00 PM in the Suffield Community Room. If the public is prohibited from attending, the meeting will be streamed on Facebook. The Zoning Commission is scheduled to hold a meeting on Wednesday June 10th at 7:00 PM. There are no Board of Zoning Appeals hearings scheduled at this time. Stay safe!
June 18, 1970, a young Bob Dudley joined the Suffield Fire Department. Won't you join us in taking a full month to gratefully acknowledge 50 years of dedicated service to his neighbors and our entire community. Bob understands what it means to be a public servant. It would be mind numbing to think about the number of times sleep has been interrupted, family events delayed or canceled due to emergencies, and the uncountable hours of training this man has submitted to through these years. We are so honored to have a man of this caliber serving us, and through the years our members have harvested some of his wealth of knowledge. Bob, our hearty congratulations to you and ALL of Suffield Township sends our most sincere "Thank-You" for taking such good care of us for such a long time.
Sadly, There Will Be No Memorial Day Parade, however....
As most of you know, the annual Suffield League Memorial Day Parade has been canceled this year. The Suffield League did undertake a very successful drive to raise money for the replacement of the flags that line the downtown area. Thanks to all that donated to the cause, and special thanks go out to the volunteers that replaced the flag pole hardware and put up the new flags.
Township officials (left to right): Tom Calcei, Chief Bob Rasnick, Lori Calcei, Jeff Eldreth, Jared Phillip & Pete Einloth.
The Suffield Township Board of Trustees met on Tuesday May 12th, and thanks to Shannon Eldreth the meeting was available to the public through the wonders of the internet and Facebook in particular.
Fiscal Officer Lori Calcei said that the Bureau of Workers Compensation returned the township's entire $19,000 premium that was billed and paid for in 2018. The BWC had generated an excess of funds and was returning money to the communities that had paid into the system. Calcei also said that with the Covid-19 situation and related fiscal matters, she will be monitoring the gas tax revenues and Local Government Fund allocations, both of which will generally affect the 2021 fiscal budget. Fire Chief Bob Rasnick reported that the Fire Department had participated in 58 calls in April. This is approximately the same number of calls for service as this time last year. Rasnick said that the fire fighters had been doing training online. He also asked that the trustees hire Kasey Beaver. She will be required to serve the normal one year probationary period. Trustee Tom Calcei motioned that Beaver be hired. The trustees voted 3-0 to hire Kasey Beaver.
Tom Calcei also mentioned that the Suffield League's campaign to raise money for new flags to be used in the downtown area was a huge success. The Suffield League has ordered 200 flags and some new mounting hardware, and hope to have these new flags in place by Memorial Day. He also confirmed that the Memorial Day parade will not be held this year. Trustee Jared Phillip said he had received a noise complaint caused by dirt bikes being operated along Etter Road. After some discussion, it was decided to table the complaint.
The Zoning Inspector said that the Portage County Land Bank has implied that the Land Bank will likely demolish the derelict property at 2412 Sunnybrook Road by the end of this year. The cost will be borne by the Land Bank. The Zoning Inspector also said that the old West Country Club property, of which about nine acres is in Suffield Township, is moving forward and that some zoning moves will need to take place. He said that the Zoning Commission will take up this matter at their next meeting, which is Wednesday May 13th. The Zoning Inspector also said that the "food truck" issue will be discussed at the Zoning Commission meeting. This concerns a man who has been operating a food truck at the Double D Plaza without the benefit of a permit.
The next trustee meeting will be Tuesday May 26th at 7:00 AM. The Zoning Commission next meets on Wednesday May 13th at 7:00 PM. There are no Board of Zoning Appeals meetings scheduled.
Advertise yourself, your business or where you work by sending us your business card. We will put it in the section above on the title bar that is entitled "Business Cards". There is no cost to you, and the card will remain there until you ask that it be taken down, or when you ask us to replace an old card with a new, more up-to-date card. You can e-mail the card to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or snail mail it to Jeff Childers, 229 Waterloo Road, Suffield, Ohio 44260.
Governor Michael DeWine has announced that the re-start of businesses throughout the State of Ohio will begin shortly. Trustee Tom Calcei brought forward the below listed program that may be of assistance to local Portage County businesses.
PORTAGE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
COVID-19 RE-START
Assistance Loan Program
In an effort to assist those businesses preparing to re-start their business after the government mandated shutdown, the Portage County Commissioners are offering working capital loans to assist small businesses re-start operations.
These loans are 24-month amortized repayment period at an interest rate of 2% with an initial 3-month deferral of principal and interest.
Loan Criteria:
Businesses will be eligible for up to $10,000 in Economic Development Revolving Loan Funds for working capital to restart their businesses.
Interested businesses should contact:
Jen Davis
Jim
In an effort to assist those businesses preparing to re-start their business after the government mandated shutdown, the Portage County Commissioners are offering working capital loans to assist small businesses re-start operations.
These loans are 24-month amortized repayment period at an interest rate of 2% with an initial 3-month deferral of principal and interest.
Loan Criteria:
Businesses will be eligible for up to $10,000 in Economic Development Revolving Loan Funds for working capital to restart their businesses.
Interested businesses should contact:
Jen
Shank
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
(330) 671-0540
(330) 389-9480
Most of the articles, photos and images shown on this website's "front page" are stored so that you can read them later. To see older information, click the "READ MORE" button at the top of the page and a list of articles will appear. Click on the article you are interested in reading.
Recycle Pick Up Monday June 1st & Tuesday June 2nd
Trustee Meetings Are Indefinitely Closed To The Public, But Will Be Aired On Facebook
Effective with the trustee meeting set for Tuesday March 24th at 7:00 AM, the trustee meetings will be closed to the public. They will be streamed live on the township's Facebook page, which is https://www.facebook.com/Suffield-Township-779053555578841/. This is in response to the corona-virus crisis and in particular to the order by Governor Mike DeWine to limit public gatherings to ten persons or less.
Annual Township Clean-Up Day Canceled For 2020
The Portage County Solid Waste Management District and the Suffield Township Board of Trustees announced that the annual "Clean-Up" Day for 2020 has been canceled. You can bet that the COVID-19 coronavirus played a major part in this decision, but trustee Jared Phillip speculated that the Solid Waste District has been considering doing away with the collection of old tires as another likely reason. Regardless, these governmental agencies are hoping to have a "Clean-Up" Day in 2021.
Saint Joseph's Cancels Annual Festival
The annual Saint Joseph's Festival has been canceled for 2020.
Suffield Township Historical Society Cancels All Events Until Further Notice
In accordance with Governor DeWine's decree to cancel all meetings, the Suffield Township Historical Society has canceled all future meetings until Governor DeWine lifts this ban. We will advise when future meetings are scheduled. Thank you for your past support and please keep safe during this trying time. For more information please contact Elizabeth Vence at 330-354-3625.
Board of Zoning Appeals Okays Conditional Use Permit
Kyle Conrad came to the Suffield Township Board of Zoning Appeals on Tuesday April 21st and asked for a conditional use permit to allow a tenant to use his building at 1137 State Route 43 as a Electrical Supply business. The Board limited itself to three members due to the Covid-9 corona-virus and voted 3-0 to allow the conditional use.
License Plate Renewals
When buying new license plates, or renewing them, be sure the registrar at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles knows that you live in Suffield Township. If you simply state your address as Mogadore, the road tax funds, which should go to Suffield Township, will go to Mogadore Village, due to your zip code. Keep your tax money in the township!
Suffield Township Website Passes 535,000 Visitors Since April 1, 2015
As of May 23, 2020, Suffield Township's website had 535,025 visitors since April 1, 2015. Since the "new" website was adopted, the daily viewership has risen from about 40 per day to over 427.36 per day. Thanks for taking a look at "suffieldtownshipohio.com". Tell your friends about us.
Wingfoot Lake State Park is Suffield's only park. It was opened by the Ohio State Parks & Recreation Department in 2009. Goodyear had operated the park since the 1960's as a private playground for its employees and for corporate retreats. As the company footprint grew smaller in the Akron area Goodyear decided to close the park in 2006. To learn more about the park, such as rental of the facilities, visit the park's website: http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/wingfootlake
The historic Suffield Town Hall can be rented by residents and non-residents for various events. For complete information on the availability, costs and regulations on renting the Town Hall, please call the Town Hall administrator Shannon Eldreth at 330-807-0384.
Front Page Articles
The articles on the Front Page of this website are written for informational purposes. While most of these articles chronicle the discussions and actions at the township trustee meetings or zoning meetings, they are not the minutes of those meetings. The articles are intended to summarize what was said or done. The actual minutes of the meetings can be found on the "Trustees" page or the "Zoning" page. Keep in mind that these official minutes are posted only after they are approved by their respective boards and submitted to the webmaster for publication.
Who to contact in case of emergency and assistance when you need it.
A great opportunity for community involvement, and many free activities for everyone! Click on the logo to learn more about the Suffield League.
