At the February 10, 2015 meeting of the Bethel Township Trustees, the trustees approved a payment to Access Engineering for the design work on the Phoneton Water System. The payment was for $36,350. The township office will send copies to the Miami County Commissioners’ Office and Paul Huelskamp, County Engineer, for their records. The total cost of the project is estimated at $2.3 million with construction projected to start Summer 2015.
Jerry Hirt, Trustee, reported that a resident on Mann Road had sewage backing up into his basement through a gravity flow drain. On investigation of the situation, Hirt discovered that the tile draining the area was broken in several places. The tile is 100 years old. Bowman Construction repaired the tile. The residents in the area have until March 17, 2015 to tie into the sewer line in Brandt. Once they tie in to the line, sewage backup should not be an issue for the residents.
Sheriff’s Deputy, Keith Carter, also reported that a little girl in the township asked if she needed a permit to keep chickens as pets. He said, “I was impressed that she had the courage to approach me and wanted to keep the chickens legitimate.” Jeff Green, Planning and Zoning, told him that no permit was required.
In addition, Carter reported that during the last month, they received 168 calls for service in the township. Most of the calls were for burglaries. He said, “Most of the burglaries appear to be crimes of opportunity. People are leaving valuables in plain view when they leave and are not properly securing doors and garages.”
Beth van Haaren asked if the sheriff’s department had made any arrests in the robbery at Big Mike’s. On February 5, 2015, two men crashed a truck into the store and stole an ATM from the facility. Carter reported that no apprehensions have been made at this time; however, the sheriff’s department believes that the break-in is related to similar crimes in the Miami Valley.
Green, reported for Andy Ehrhart, Township Administrator, that the fire department made 21 runs between January 24, 2015 and February 6, 2015. With the exception of four runs, they were all for emergency medical services.
In addition, Green reported that no zoning certificates were received since the last meeting. However, he issued three violations. A barn was constructed at 8235 New Carlisle Road without a permit and two illegal signs were removed. He also reported that the Bethel Township Zoning Commission and the Bethel Township Board of Zoning Appeals will hold a joint meeting on February 26, 2015 to review the zoning regulations to determine if changes need to be made.
The next schedule meeting of the Bethel Township trustees is set for February 24, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. in the township meeting room.
