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Volume 52, No. 3
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CHESTERLAND NEWS Wednesday, July 10, 2019
Your Community Newspaper Since 1967
Viewpoint West Geauga Board Approves Newbury Territory Transfer ‘If You Fail to Plan,You are Planning to Fail.’
By Tom Basista Volunteer & Business Owner I find it troubling that a handful of people in Chester Township have essentially fed our local newspapers (Geauga County Maple Leaf and Chesterland News) with untruths about the work of the Chester Township Planning Committee (CPC). I find it even more alarming that news reporter Beth Brown and the Geauga Maple Leaf and Chesterland News have failed to fact check the information before writing and printing a story on the work of the CPC. For the past year, the CPC has spent a considerable amount of time collecting data, maps, reviewing prior Chester Township surveys and attempts at planning, reading the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) to educate us on what Ohio townships can and cannot do, walking parts of the commercial district, identifying some buildings that are in disrepair and finding out our limitations as a township to deal with them, and searching for grant opportunities and applying for those grants that we can. The CPC has identified the following areas of concern in Chester Township based upon our fact finding to date: (1) Our population has declined and will likely continue in that direction: 1990 - 11,049; 2000 - 10,968; 2010 - 10,255. (2) Our population is aging, with residents age 60-plus continuing to comprise a larger segment of our population: 2010 - 26.28 percent; 2015 - 31.64 percent; 2020 - 36.40 See Basista • Page 5
By Diane Ryder editor@geaugamapleleaf.com With little discussion, the West Geauga Schools Board of Education voted unanimously June 24 to approve the proposed transfer of Newbury Schools to the West Geauga district. The meeting room at the board office was packed, primarily with about 70 Newbury residents. One side of the room appeared to be occupied by members and supporters of It’s Time, a pro-consolidation group, including two announced candidates for the Newbury school board: Dave Lair and Terri Rice. Both candidates are pledged to facilitate the transfer process. West Geauga school board President Ben Kotowski explained
DIANE RYDER/KMG
A room divided: Half of audience at the West Geauga Schools Board of Education’s June 24 meeting abruptly left the room immediately following the board’s vote to approve the transfer of the Newbury Schools into the district.
Ohio Revised Code section 3311.22 allows for territory transfer of one school district within a county’s educational service cen-
ter into an adjacent district served by the same ESC. “It is allowed as long as the See Transfer • Page 5
Radtke Explains Kolk Appointment Not ‘Pre-Orchestrated’ by Trustees Farm Market Zoning Amendment Fails By Beth Brown beth@geaugamapleleaf.com At the Chester Township Trustees meeting June 20, both residents and trustees buckled in for a long ride discussing multiple issues and concerns. Trustee Ken Radtke took a moment before the meeting — which lasted over two hours — was officially called to order to address recent resident feedback over the appointment of Trustee Frank Kolk to replace former Trustee Bob Rogish, who resigned from his post in May. Reading from a prepared statement that was later emailed to the
Geauga County Maple Leaf, Radtke said: “Since the June 6, 2019, meeting, I have heard from some people and also read that Trustee (Joe) Mazzurco and I had invited two trustee candidates to the meeting, and the appointment of Trustee Frank Kolk was a pre-arranged and staged event. Both of the statements are absolutely false. “Regarding the appointment of Frank Kolk, I recognized that Trustee Mazzurco and I were not making progress coming to agreement in executive session and it was my unilateral decision to attempt to resolve this matter in the
public meeting. Trustee Mazzurco knew nothing about the actions I planned to take. If Trustee Mazzurco did not second or vote for the candidate I offered up, I was going to accept whomever he proposed, if he proposed someone. That is exactly what happened. “I am certain I surprised Trustee Mazzurco with this approach, and I can tell you I was surprised and pleased by his motion to appoint Mr. Kolk. I believe if you spend any time with Trustee Kolk and listen to him, you will find him to be personable and earnest. Each of you owes it to Trustee Kolk to judge him objectively by his words and actions, not by false rumors spread by others. See Trustees • Page 10
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