Welcome to Suffield Township

On Tuesday February 12th the Suffield Township Board of Trustees met in special session to review the final draft of the long awaited "Land Use Plan".  Zoning Inspector Adam Bey and Zoning Commission chairman John C. Yeargin gave a power point presentation of the document that the Zoning Commission has worked on for almost a year.  About twenty people showed up for the hearing.  

The trustees then held their regular meeting.  Fiscal Officer Lori Calcei read a letter from Judy Calcei of the Historical Society thanking the township for leasing the township's oldest fire station to the Society for use as their museum.  Judy Calcei also outlined some of the Society's programs and activities that benefit the Suffield Township community.  Chief Bob Rasnick gave the fire report for the month of January.  The department handled 59 call for service.  They also received a grant for $9,062.50 from the Bureau of Workers Compensation to replace washer/extractors.  The township will have to match that grant with $1,812.50.  This was certainly good news.  Rasnick also congratulated three of his firefighters for being January's Summa Health System Stemi Team award winner.  The firefighters were Captain Keith Emhoff, Sean Barber and Ben Feeman.

On the zoning report by Adam Bey, the zoning inspector said that the Board of Zoning Appeals had three hearings in the past couple weeks.  Tim Thomas was granted a conditional use permit to operate a car lot at the old township administration building.  John Kassinger was granted a conditional use permit to operate a construction company on the property at 1188 State Route 43, and Transitional Healthcare Solutions was granted a variance to operate a senior care facility at 2094 Randolph Road.  Road Department foreman David "Pete" Einloth was introduced to the crowd.  He stood and told of his many years in Suffield and his love for the community.  Trustee Jared Phillip said that the new wiring for the new electronic sign is in place and that the sign will be installed as soon as the temperature climbs above the freezing mark.

The trustees passed a resolution approving the "Land Use Plan".  They also voted to lease the old Administration building to Tim Thomas for one year. 

Many of the twenty people that had shown up for the "Land Use Plan" hearing had stayed on for the regular trustee meeting.  In a slight change from the past, trustee chairman Jeff Eldreth announced early on that those in the audience were to hold their comments and questions until after the trustees had conducted their normal business.  For the most part, his request was honored.  When the time arrived, Jay Abercrombie mentioned that he thought an electronic sign in front of the historic Town Hall was incongruent with the residents desires to keep Suffield a rural farming community.  Jeff Eldreth acknowledged that he had once harbored the same sentiment, but the need to get information out to the public was just too important to not go with the advanced technology.   Concerning the sign, the trustees voted to spend up to $1,000 to buy a laptop computer dedicated for use with the electronic sign.  

The subject of the recycle program was broached.  Trustee chairman Jeff Eldreth explained that the cost of the program has not changed.  Each resident is charged $27.00 for a year's service.  This is paid through the homeowners county tax bill.  Each half the resident is billed $13.50.  Some received a tax bill at some point in the past that had a $6.75 charge.  Eldreth said that this was due to the first year's service being pro-rated.  He said that the Suffield Township has about two years left on their five-year contract with the county.    

It was good to see some old faces in the crowd.  Mary Lohr, Laura May, Margee Kimmel, Marco Massoli and Janelle Albertoni sat in tonight. 

The trustees next meet on Tuesday February 26th at 7:00 AM.  The Zoning Commission meets on Wednesday February 13th at 7:00 PM.  There are no Board of Zoning Appeals scheduled.

The Suffield Township Board of Trustees met on Tuesday January 8th before a crowd of ten people.  Newly anointed Chairman of the Board Jeff Eldreth presided over a meeting that was primarily routine in nature.  Some housekeeping matters, literally and figuratively, were worked out as to the responsibilities of the Fire Department and the Township Facilities Administrator on who would keep the Community Room spiffy and clean.  After some discussion, it was determined that this would be a collaborative endeavor and that communication between the various parties would be the key issue. 

Fire Chief Bob Rasnick said that the fire guys handled 59 calls for service in December and a total of 820 for the year 2018, which is an all-time high.  He also congratulated T.J. Fox and Ben Feeman for their hard work in earning their certification in the State of Ohio Paramedics program.  They also passed their tests and are now on the National Registry.  The Chief did some followup research and reported that in 2018 the Fire Department responded to nine calls for overdoses.  He did not have the exact data, but said that not all these persons were transported to the hospital.  Jeff Eldreth added that the cost of the Narcan (naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray) kits used in these overdoses is not paid by the township or the Fire Department, but from the various hospitals.

Jared Phillip said that the new electronic sign is on schedule to be put up and into service in about two weeks.  Some minor electrical wiring needs to be replaced prior to installation.  He also said that the man along Mishler Road known as the "Can Man" has cleaned up his collection of recyclable cans.  Adam Bey, zoning inspector, said that there is a Board of Zoning Appeals hearing set for Tuesday January 22nd at 8:00 PM.  Bey also said that the power point presentation of the Zoning Commission's new Twenty Year Plan is ready for the trustee's and public view.  The trustees decided to make this presentation into a special meeting to be held on Tuesday February 12th at 6:00 PM. 

The annual discussion of water levels in and around Wingfoot Lake is already beginning.  Jeff Eldreth said that the township is working with the Portage County Engineer's Office to eliminate some beaver dams that are partially to blame for high water levels.  Jared Phillip said he is working, also with the Engineer's Office, to get a marker placed in Wingfoot Lake to show the actual water level and how it relates to the standard level establish for that body of water.  Eldreth said that the Road Department paved over the new culvert on the far-north end of Palm Road.

The trustees next meet on Tuesday January 22nd at 7:00 AM.  The Zoning Commission meets on Wednesday January 9th at 7:00 PM.  The Board of Zoning Appeals has a hearing set for Tuesday January 22nd at 8:00 PM.  All these meetings are in the Suffield Community Room at 1256 Waterloo Road.  The trustees will host a special meeting to review the new Twenty Year Plan on Tuesday February 12th at 6:00 PM. 6:00                                                                                                                                                                                            

With no newly elected trustees on board for 2019, the Suffield Township Board of Trustees could set the tone for 2019 a couple days early this year.  For 2019, the trustees chose Jeff Eldreth as the new CEO and Chairman of the Board and Jared Phillip as the Vice Chairman.  Bob Rasnick was rehired as Fire Chief, Adam Bey as Zoning Inspector, Shannon Eldreth as Township Facilities Administrator (new title, same job) and Jeff Childers as Webmaster.  The existing firefighters and EMS personnel were re-appointed.  David L. Duma was reappointed to a new five year term on the Zoning Commission and Vicki Vincent was reappointed to another five year term on the Board of Zoning Appeals.  Mason Kisamore and Bill Evans will be alternates on the Zoning Commission for another year, and David (Pete) Einloth and Matt Loos will return as alternates on the Board of Zoning Appeals.  

Scott McBroom has retired as Road Foreman at the Road Department and in his place David Einloth was appointed to that position.  Mike Osborn was rehired as the full time Road Department worker.  Otherwise, the personnel and operation of the township government should remain pretty much as it was in 2018.  On the financial side, the temporary appropriations for the first quarter of 2019 show expendable funds for 2019 in the amount of $2,385,534.  All members of the Road Department and the Fire Department received meager but well deserved raises in pay.

The trustees also changed the times of their meetings.  Beginning on January 8, 2019, the trustees will meet at 7:00 PM on the second Tuesday of the month.  This time change will remain until the scheduled meeting on Tuesday March 12, 2019.  The meeting on November 12, 2019 and December 10, 2019 will also be at 7:00 PM.  Beginning on April 9, 2019 through October 8, 2019, the time of the meeting will change to 8:00 PM.  The second meeting of the month will remain on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 7:00 AM. 

The trustees next meet on Tuesday January 8th at 7:00 PM.  The Zoning Commission will meet on Wednesday January 9th at 7:00 PM.  The Board of Zoning Appeals currently has no hearings set.

The Suffield Township Board of Trustees held their regular meeting a couple days early on Friday December 21st due to the Christmas calendar.  Four residents came out on an unseasonably nice winter day (winter didn't officially begin until about ten hours after the meeting).  The high point of the meeting was the homemade cookies and coffee that Ed and Vicki Vincent brought.  

On zoning matters, Trustee Jared Phillip and the trustees decided to pay for the new electronic sign in two payments instead of one.  Trustee Jeff Eldreth brought in a handful of "thank you" notes that were made by the girls of the Girl Scout troop that uses the historic Town Hall for their meetings.  He was especially pleased with one card that read, "I love you Suffield".  Eldreth posted the cards in the lobby of the Suffield Community Room.  Trustee Tom Calcei urged the other trustees to think ahead to next week's Re-organizational Meeting as he feels some of the pay scales for employees need to be reviewed, particularly for the Fire Department. 

The trustees next meet on Friday January 28th at 7:00 AM.  There will actually be two separate meetings.  First they will hold the year end meeting to wrap up this year's business and pay the bills.  The second portion will be the Re-organizational Meeting.  The Zoning Commission will meet on January 9th at 7:00 PM.  There will be a Board of Zoning Appeals hearing in January, but no date has been established.  All the meetings are in the Suffield Community Room at 1256 Waterloo Road.  They are open to the public.

The Suffield Township Board of Trustees met on Tuesday December 11th before a crowd of 17 people.  Kyle Kreiner, Terry Chitty and Scott Savage from the Suffield League were on hand to present a check for $5,000 to the Township to be used for the new electronic sign.  Shortly thereafter, the trustees voted to to buy a new electronic sign for in front of the historic Town Hall.  

Trustee Jeff Eldreth said that the new roof on the Road Department garage has been completed.  After an executive session, Eldreth motioned to hire Michael Osborne as the new Road Department full-time worker.  Osborne is to start on the payroll on January 1st.  Fire Chief Bob Rasnick reported that there were 81 calls for service in November.    Tom Calcei said that NOPEC is again offering $1,500 to Suffield Township in 2019 to help pay for a community event.  The trustees must apply for the money by March 1st.  This past year, NOPEC gave the township $1,500 and it was used to help pay for the Fire Department Open House. 

It was nice to see the return of some familiar faces in the crowd;  Don and Anne Monroe, Fred Herro, Bernie Trares, and Dave Vartenuk.

The Zoning Commission meets on Wednesday December 12th at 7:00 PM.  The Board of Zoning Appeals has a hearing on Tuesday December 18th at 8:00 PM.  The trustees next meet on Friday December 21st at 7:00 AM for their regular meeting.  Then on Friday December 28th the trustees hold their 2019 Re-organizational meeting at 7:00 AM.  All these meeting are in the Suffield Community Room at 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. 

With snow covering the lawns and trees and a thin layer of ice on the roadways, the Suffield Board of Trustees met before a dwindling crowd of four people on Tuesday November 27th.  Those hearty enough to come out at 7:00 AM were witness to the trustees discussing and in-general principle agreeing to buy a new electronic sign for in front of the historic Town Hall.  Randy Snyder, of Graphic Detail, Inc, had come to the last trustee meeting to offer some ideas, and on Friday November 16th Snyder brought an actual sign to the Town Hall so the trustees could examine it.  A cost estimate was presented to Jared Phillip in the amount of approximately $26,000.   While the trustees seemed poised to accept the bid and move toward installation of the sign, chairman Tom Calcei postponed the final vote of accepting the bid until the next trustee meeting.  The trustees have several community based organizations that have indicated that they will contribute to the cost, but as if this date, no money has exchanged hands.  Calcei said that they would gladly accept contributions from organizations or individuals to help pay for it. 

Trustee Jeff Eldreth said that the project of eliminating water leakage on the "Nine Foot" section of Martin Road has been completed and that the culvert recently replaced under Palm Road will be paved with asphalt as soon as the weather allows.  The current fill over the culvert needed time to settle before the paving phase.  Eldreth also announced that Road Department superintendent Scott McBroom suffered a stroke and is likely to leave the township's employ.  With that eventuality in mind the trustees voted to allow McBroom to use four weeks of vacation that he has already earned, but would not be credited to him until January 1, 2019.  Everyone in the crowd wished McBroom the best.

Jared Phillip and Jeff Eldreth spoke on some ongoing discussions with the Ohio Department of Transportation.  Suffield Township and ODOT are looking into the possibility of ODOT sharing the use of the proposed new salt barn.  Along those lines, Eldreth said he hasn't yet made a final decision on the size, location or configuration of the proposed salt barn.

The trustees also revised the dates of several trustee meetings.  In December, there will be three meetings.  They will be:  Tuesday December 11th at 8:00 PM, Friday December 21st at 7:00 AM (mostly a bill paying session), and Friday December 28th at 7:00 AM (the annual re-organizational meeting).  Other important township dates are:  December 7, 8 & 9th from 2:00 PM to 9:00 PM is Toys For Tots at the Goodyear Blimp Base 1, Sunday December 9th from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM is the Suffield League's Christmas With Santa at the historic Town Hall.  The Suffield Township Historical Society will meet at 2:30 PM for planning and elections on Sunday December 9th at the Historical Society's museum.  The Zoning Commission will meet at 7:00 PM in the Suffield Community Room on Wednesday December 12th.