Welcome to Suffield Township

The Suffield Township Board of Trustees met before nine people on Tuesday January 12th.  The evening meeting featured the fire chief's monthly and yearly reports.   Chief Rasnick said that December' calls for service totaled 86, which was higher than usual.  The calls for service in the year 2020 set a record for calls, with the Fire Department responding to 862 calls.  EMS response calls weighed in at 71% of the total.  Rasnick said that the Fire Department has purchased a UVC light, which will help to eliminate germs and viruses from their ambulances.  New phones were discussed and the trustees decided to switch from AT&T to Spectrum.  The subject of getting internet service to the Road Department also merited some talk, and ultimately, it was decided that a "hard wire" connection would be made from the Historical Society Museum to the Road Department office.  Chief Rasnick also asked the trustees for permission to look into getting a new chassis for a 27-year-old truck.  The stainless steel body is still very serviceable and does not need to be replaced, but the cab and the under chassis does.  Lori Calcei, fiscal officer, said the township has money set aside for this sort of matter.  To re-chassis the fire truck will be in the $250,000 range.

Jeff Eldreth motioned for the trustees to accept and set aside the money ($1,500) that NOPEC is willing to grant us for 2021.  This money is to be used for community events.  Some discussion was had on signs that are in the township right-of-way, specifically those nailed to utility poles.  

The trustees next meet on Tuesday January 26th at 7:00 AM for a regular meeting.  Later that same day the trustees will hold the postponed Zoning Resolution Change hearing at 7:00 PM.  The only change to be considered pertains to "temporary permits" for things such as food trucks, etc.  The Zoning Commission will meet on Wednesday January 13th at 7:00 PM.  They hold their own re-organizational meeting, immediately followed by their regular monthly meeting.  No Board of Zoning Appeals hearings have been set.  As usual, all meetings are open to the public and are subject to social distancing.  All meetings listed are in the Suffield Community Room at 1256 Waterloo Road. 

The Suffield Township Board of Trustees met on Tuesday December 29th at 7:00 AM to re-organize for 2021.  Jeff Eldreth will remain the Board's chairman, and Jared Phillip will again be the vice chairman.  These trustees will have the same set of responsibilities for 2021 as they held in 2020.  Meetings will follow the same evening and morning format as in 2020.  Fire Chief Bob Rasnick was re-appointed for 2021 and the Fire Department roster was adjusted to reflect new firefighters and ones who have departed for other jobs.  All rank and file firefighters received a pay raise, as did the Chief.  New members  to the two zoning boards are Byron Wine, Brian Cheshire and Eric Voiers.  Zoning permit fees remain the same as does the permit fee compensation for zoning inspector Adam Bey.  Shannon Eldreth was re-appointed as the Townhall Administrator.  Road Department employees remain the same with David Einloth as the Road Department foreman.

The mutual aid pact with Portage County, Mogadore and Springfield Township was renewed.  The temporary appropriation resolution for the first three months of 2021 was set a $1,500,000.  The trustees voted to give the fiscal officer the authorization to adjust funds as necessary to meet expenses.  Emily Lashley was re-appointed as the assistant fiscal officer.  The trustees, during the year-end meeting, voted to spend $10,000 on Christmas decorations.  This additional lighting is meant to make Suffield Township more attractive with Holiday Tourism Displays.

The trustees next meet on Tuesday January 12th at 6:30 PM (this meeting will be to hear from the public on a new zoning "Temporary Use Permit").  At about 7:00 PM on that same date the trustees will hold their regularly scheduled meeting.  The Zoning Commission will meet on Wednesday January 13th at 7:00 PM.  All meetings are at the Suffield Community Room, 1256 Waterloo Road.

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. 

The long awaited salt barn has been completed and ready for use by the Suffield Township Road Department.  The barn is designed to hold approximately 1,000 tons of salt, which, of course, is a lot more than the township typically uses in one year.  But now the township will be able to buy and store salt when the salt offered at reduced prices.  Salt for this year sold at about $67.00 per ton.  In the past the price sometimes soared to over $100.00 per ton.  Still left to be done is graveling the outside yard, filling some dirt around the west and north sides and planting some shrubs and other plants to hide most of the structure from public view.  Trustee Jeff Eldreth spearheaded getting the project started through it's completion.  Currently the township's salt supply is stored in the Road Department building, which is directly across State Route 43 from the new structure.  Some salt for this year's use has already been purchased, delivered stored in a pile to the west of the Road Department garage. 

Eleven people came out to the view the Suffield Township Board of Trustees conduct their bi-monthly business on a cold and dreary Tuesday evening on December 8th.  The meeting kicked off on a somber note as trustee chairman Jeff Eldreth called for a moment of silence in order to honor the passing of Fire Department Captain Matt Moulton.

Fiscal Officer Lori Calcei reported that the township has received another adjustment in the CARES Act appropriation, this time to the tune of $8,892.  The trustees must spend this money by the first of the year or forfeit it.  No precise decision on how to expend the money was made this evening.  After Lori Calcei's rendering of communications, the trustees went into executive session for about ten minutes and came back to resume the regular meeting.  Fire Chief Bob Rasnick thanked the public for their support during these hard times following the death of Captain Moulton.  He said that the family would hold a private service and that on Sunday December 20th the public would have the opportunity to drive through the Fire Department to offer condolences to the family.  Rasnick said that there were 62 call for service in November.  He also asked the trustees to re-instate Matt Leidel to the department.  Since Leidel recently served on the department and according to Rasnick will be a welcome addition, no restrictions or probation will be required for him.  The Chief asked for $6,000 to build a privacy fence along the south border of the Fire Department property.  The trustees voted in favor of the $6,000 purchase order.  Rasnick said that 297 people showed up for free Covid testing at the Fire Department on November 24th.

Trustee Tom Calcei said that the format for Christmas With Santa has changed this year.  There will be a drive through at the Fire Department on Saturday December 12th from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM.  Children will be allowed to speak to Santa.  Santa will stand next to the cars and the children will speak though the car windows.  Expense money for this event is provided by a grant from NOPEC and funds from the Suffield League. Cars are asked to enter the township complex from the driveway next ot the Historical Society Museum on Route 43.

Jared Phillip said that the gas company is extending a gas line along Martin Road near Etter Road.  He reported that there is nothing new to report on the Route 224 mining operation.  Zoning Inspector Adam Bey said that the Hamrick Manufacturing Company is paying for a traffic study along Route 224 in hopes that ODOT will allow them to widen the right-of-way from that road to a property they want to relocate to.   He also said that the Dry Dock is expanding their storage facility by adding one new building.  Bey reminded the trustees that there will be a public hearing by the Zoning Commission on an amendment to the Zoning Resolution on Wednesday December 9th at 7:00 PM.  This amendment, entitled "Temporary Use Permit," is geared mostly toward regulating food trucks and similar short term sales events.

The Suffield Light Up The Night contest has attracted 20 houses to be judged in Suffield.  Go to the township's Facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/Suffield-Township-779053555578841/ ) for more info. Jeff Eldreth said that the new salt barn is well under way.  The concrete walls and concrete floor has been poured.  The driveway and hoop roofing will be installed shortly.

The next trustee meeting will be on Tuesday December 22nd at 7:00 AM.  The Zoning Commission meets on Wednesday December 9th at 7:00 PM for the above mentioned public hearing to be immediately followed by the regularly scheduled Zoning Commission meeting.  These meeting at the the Suffield Community Room at 1256 Waterloo Road.  The Christmas With Santa event is Saturday December 12th from 5-7 PM at the Fire House.  The Memorial Drive Through for Captain Moulton will be on Sunday December 20th beginning at 1:00 PM at the Fire House.