SWANTON TOWNSHIP – Swanton Township’s website and email domain has switched from .org to .gov., Trustee Matt Beil announced during the June 1 meeting.
The new website will be swantontownshipoh.gov, which is more secure and gives people more confidence that the site is a government entity, he said.
The site will have a sign-up for a texting feature that will allow residents to receive text messages regarding meetings, special events, safety issues and road closures, Beil said.
“We want to be transparent and communicate fully,” said Beil, asking Fiscal Officer Mindy Curry about sending post cards to send to all residents to notify them of the change. “We want to provide as many options for notice as practical.”
The website re-design was suggested and recommended by the board to make the site more in line with current standards, such as ADA requirements, and to allow the board to make daily changes to the site, he said. A webmaster will be contracted for reviews and ADA compliance, he added.
The township has also implemented steps to become compliant with Ohio House Bill 96, which outlines steps for local governments to address cybersecurity. FalconForge AI is preparing the township to be compliant by July 1, while TrioTech of Whitehouse will manage IT on an ongoing basis. The township will continue to undergo mandatory training for cybersecurity throughout the coming months.
During the June 1 meeting, the trustees also:
-Agreed to look into offering a bulk drop-off for larger refuse items by having dumpsters placed somewhere in the township for a day. The rate quoted to Beil was $500 per rolloff per day. He will look into other quotes and possible days to offer that service and announce it on the website and Facebook pages.
-Held a public hearing on the 2027 budget that Curry will submit to the county auditor. Residents, including Colleen Baird, asked about some changes she noticed in the funds from one year to the next. Curry explained that she worked with the state auditor to make sure funds were assigned to the correct fund, such as placing the garbage fees in the General Fund not the Roads and Bridges Fund as it was previously. Curry noted that the state auditor does not review the full budget, but just a sample, when doing an audit of the books – someone one resident pointed out was disconcerting.
-Heard that work on a roundabout at Providence-Neapolis-Swanton and Archbold-Whitehouse is set to start on Monday, June 15 with a 45-day closure. The start date of a roundabout at Monclova and Wilkins has not yet been set.
-Listened to Springfield Fire Chief Jonathon Ziehr say that the department responded to 13 calls for service in the northern half of the township in May, including two fire-related incidents and 11 EMS. The department has undergone training at the Baymont Inn in Spring Meadows, which is set to be demolished. Crews trained with breaching doors and walls, search and rescue and other exercises.
-Heard a resident ask Ziehr about training with the railyard, in light of a 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio that led to the spill of hazardous chemicals. Ziehr said that as a result of that incident, all departments now train continuously. Norfolk Southern offers local training and railyard training in Texas. Ziehr made the railroad aware of issues with rail cars that were filled with coal and sitting in the local railyard. If the stock is not being rotated as needed, this can pose a fire risk. Since his discussion with Norfolk Southern, changes have been made to lessen that risk, he said.
-Discussed a need to chip and seal Sager Road and the east side of Reed Road.
-Learned that Interstate Capital acquired 15 parcels totaling 112 acres in the Land-Air Commerce Park and is interested in changing the zoning. The township zoning board is requesting that the rezoning be done for each of the parcels rather than as a whole.
-Heard that Zoning Inspector Ben Mooney is working with the owner of 12565 Airport Hwy. to address issues.
-Learned that a ditch near Brindley Road is washing out the pavement and undermining the integrity. Trustee Bill Anderson is working with the county to come up with mitigation solutions. One resident asked whether Brindley was a village property – a matter that Anderson will check with the county.
-Approved policies that require the township zoning board and Board of Zoning Appeals to post any public hearings or meeting dates 24 hours in advance online and on Facebook, as well as a posting at the township hall.
-Discussed how none of the members of the BZA have responded to requests to see if they are still interested in serving on the board. The terms are five years and the BZA has not met in several years. The BZA will now be required to meet every January in an organizational meeting. Mike Nowicki said he will try to contact the members via letter.
-Heard a resident ask that the crews mowing the cemetery look out for the poles holding flags for military veterans, as she noticed some that were bent.
-Learned that Mooney is beginning the process to update the township zoning resolution to bring it up to standards. It was last updated in 2008.
