By: John Fryman
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
john@thevillagereporter.com
Center Township Trustees met in a regular session on Tuesday, July 7, at the township office. Trustees present were Matthew Grube, Ryan Muehlfeld, and Julie Davis. Also present were cemetery sexton Kurt Roan, Zoning Inspector Todd Burkholder, and Fiscal Officer Terry Collins.
Trustees approved a resolution accepting the amounts and rates as determined by the Williams County Budget Commission and authorizing the necessary tax levies and certifying them to the County Auditor.
The Budget Commission will conduct tax rate hearings on Monday, August 3, in the Auditor’s Office at the Williams County Courthouse.
The County Auditor’s estimated tax rates to be levied for the township include 0.9 mill for the general fund, 1.5 mills for roads and bridges, and 1 mill for fire protection dating back to 2018.
Zoning Inspector Report
Burkholder reported that a zoning permit has been issued to a township resident to construct an accessory building.
He also informed trustees regarding reports of a township resident on Pine Lane conducting a business out of their residence.
Burkholder had already spoken and then sent a letter to the resident, who had been selling clothing out of the residence for about a year now.
In the letter, it was mentioned that if the resident wanted to do this, they would need a conditional use permit.
Cemetery Sexton Report
Cemetery sexton Kurt Roan reported there were four burials in township cemeteries since the last meeting. He also said the township hall was rented three times in June and has five rentals for July.
Old Business
Grube had spoken with Oberlin-Turnbull Funeral Home and to Gary Burr at Krill Funeral Home and noted there is a movement to do cremation burials on Saturdays in township cemeteries.
“They’re starting to pick Saturdays and Sundays when they can have family members available,” said Grube. “I think it’s something that we need to talk about.
“We may have to look at a fee schedule because he’s (Burr) already booking up on Saturdays. If it looks like the trend, he (Burr) had told me there are a lot of cemeteries have gone only to do burials until 2 p.m. on Saturdays.”
He then added, “Because families can be there on Saturdays and instead of doing them during the week, they want to do it on Saturday and Sunday, which we do pay overtime. But the problem is on Sundays, it’s time and a half.
“We may look at do we want to charge extra for Sunday because the trustees can’t charge, but we got to come in and do we want to put a time limit on nothing after 2 p.m. It’s just something for us to start thinking about because it has become a big deal.”
New Business
Trustees approved repairs to the flagpole located at Brown Cemetery. They will be providing the labor and doing the work.
Approval was also given for the removal of three vehicles from a property located in Williams Center.
An executive session was held to discuss personnel. No action was taken. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, July 21, at 8 p.m.