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RESS October 9, 2017
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Coffee with a cop
The Oregon Police Division participated again this year in the 2nd Annual National Coffee with a Cop Day. The get-together offered no agenda or speeches, just a chance for people to ask questions, voice concerns, and get to meet the men and women who protect and serve them. Top photo, at Tim Horton’s, Dyane Mikolas chats with Chief Mike Navarre. Bottom left, Evanka Dimitroff and her sister Panka Eneff, both of Oregon, are greeted by Officer Kallin St. John. Bottom right, Frank Pezzino, Genoa, shares a photo with Officer Paul Magdich. (Press photos by Ken Grosjean)
Jerusalem Twp. forum
Trash pickup, drainage among topics By Katie Siebenaller Press Staff Writer katiesieb@presspublications.com
Refuse collection Refuse collection is one of the town-
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I’m glad to see all these people here. I just wish that we would see a few more at our meetings.
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Four candidates running for two seats on the Jerusalem Township Board of Trustees discussed various topics at a public forum on Thursday at the Christ Dunberger American Legion Post. The Oregon Republican Club sponsored the event. Julie VanNest and Beau Miller are challenging trustees David Bench and Ronald Sheahan, who are running for re-election. Both the Oregon Republican Club and the candidates were pleased with the event turnout. “I’m glad to see all these people here. I just wish that we would see a few more at our meetings,” Bench quipped. “Government’s main responsibility is the health and safety of the people,” said Bench. There are many services and issues the board of trustees must be aware of and strive to maintain or better for the township. One such service is trash pickup.
ship’s largest expenses. Currently, the cost is covered by revenue the township receives from Maumee Bay State Park. However, trash pickup is not unlimited. There is unlimited pickup on set dates, but each occasion cost the township an additional $5,000 to $6,000. Residents are restricted to setting two 30-gallon trash bags at the curb each pickup, something they would like to change.
Options to resolve this issue include funding a different service for trash pickup, or paying additional fees to have larger quantities collected. Sheahan defended the township-wide collection. “Providing refuse pickup keeps the township clean,” he said. If elected, Miller would like to see the township gain curbside recycling. If it is outside of the township’s budget, opening two more recycling centers is an alternative. Bench and Sheahan addressed drainage and ditch cleaning, since the township has seen more flooding in recent years. The incumbents described efforts to curb and prevent flooding, as well as new equipment purchased to better groom ditches, since 2011. New equipment and updates have not only made the upkeep of ditches easier, but have saved the township money. Lack of funds With a budget of just over one million dollars, many of the township’s departments do not have the funds to immediateContinued on page 2
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Oregon
No parking on the front lawn By Kelly J. Kaczala Press News Editor kkaczala@presspublications.com Oregon is looking at an amendment to the zoning code that gives police the authority to enforce a parking ban on unpaved portions of the front lawns of residentially zoned property. Currently, the zoning code prohibits parking of vehicles on unpaved areas of a front lawn. The code states that “No person shall park or stand, or leave unattended, or cause to leave parked or unattended, a vehicle, motorcycle, boat, recreational vehicle, or vehicle of any kind within a front yard except on paved or gravel surfaces on any residential property or vacant lot.” Due to the notice requirements and time parameters to take corrective action under the zoning code, the primary thrust of the amendment would be to broaden the authority of the Oregon Police Division to enforce the parking ban. “This is something that can be enforced in the zoning code, but it also allows police to enforce parking in Oregon that is not on gravel or a paved surface,” said City Administrator Mike Beazley. “Clean and simple. Police would have that authority.” Although the amendment would essentially give police the authority to ticket cars that are parked on dirt or grass, police can exercise discretion whether or not to do so, he added. He compared it to the police using discretion to ticket a motorist going 37 mph in a 35 mph speed limit zone. “They don’t have to give me a ticket,” he said. Party or event Police would have the flexibility to allow parking on grass if there is a party or event at the address, said Beazley. “If there’s an event, they’ll have the discretion to move beyond that. We could even include a reference in the code to parties and events, implying flexibility. Same Continued on page 5
Q uote
of The Week
Last year, they brought a giant rabbit. Patrick McGaharan
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