Township asks for residents’ help as winter descends
At the Dec. 12 meeting of the Lawrence Township Board of Trustees, Road Supervisor Perry Myers urged residents to prepare curbs and streets for snowplows this winter.
“In cul-de-sacs, if cars or big trucks are parked on the street, it gets hard to turn the snowplow trucks around,” he said. “The other issue we have is with basketball hoops in the street or on the backside of the curb with the backboard and rims hanging out in the street. If a car or truck goes through there at night, there’s no issue, but our bigger trucks will hit them, so we’re asking people to please remove them for the winter.”
In his report to the board, Myers also said the seal coating on township streets has been completed, and residents have been complimentary both to the township and to T&G Sealcoating.
“I think it really does help the roads,” Myers said. “It seals the cracks and keeps water from getting in the cracks and freezing, so I think it’s a good thing to possibly look at continuing in the coming years.”
Myers also said the township could buy the material and do the work now that there is a third full-time road crew worker on the team.
Public comments
Brian Tipka addressed the board, seeking more information on township lodging taxes as they apply to short-term rentals. He said the Tuscarawas County Commissioners had recently sent certified mailings to short-term rental property owners stating they are amending the definition of a hotel to include those with five rooms or less.
Tipka said he owns properties in Lawrence and Dover townships, and while he is not concerned about paying a lodging tax, he has concerns about the owners of smaller short-term rental properties and their ability to pay the tax.
Township Zoning Inspector Ron Weekley gave Tipka a copy of the most recent zoning resolution passed by township trustees in 2015. The rate of lodging taxation was fixed at 3%, and the funds were allocated to a new fund called Lodging Tax/Recreational Operating Budget.
The resolution also stated collected lodging taxes were to be appropriated to the maintenance, improvement and promotion of parks, green space and trails. The resolution did not establish a hotel definition in terms of number of rooms.
According to Trustee Don Ackerman, the township does not currently send any of the collected tax to the county, which also may be assessing a tax. The county uses lodging taxes to support the CVB’s marketing efforts.
Don Ackerman said he would talk to the county commissioners about the matter. Tipka said he plans to attend the next Dover Township meeting hoping to get more information.
Reports
Ackerman reported having attended the Regional Planning Commission meeting earlier in the week, where discussion took place around possibly establishing a county planning commission to replace the regional commission. According to Ackerman, the matter is still in the discussion stage.
Ackerman said the commission also discussed a possible allotment being planned for construction in Wilkshire Hills at the top of Kerns Drive Northeast.
Weekley told trustees the board of zoning appeals approved a variance request made by the owners of the old car wash property on Edgebrook Drive. He said the plan is to build a new car wash, and he expects construction may begin soon.
Voting
Trustees voted to approve temporary appropriations for 2025 in the amount of $200,000, along with a contract for next year with Bull Country Compost at the same rates of $200 per box and $40 per load.
The Lawrence Township Board of Trustees meets the second and last Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Charles E. Lundenberger Hall, 10867 Industrial Parkway NW, Bolivar. The next meeting will be Dec. 26. All meetings are open to the public.