AMHERST TOWNSHIP NEWSLETTER

Winter 2008
Vol. XIII No. 4
Recycling Report

Amherst Township recycled the following quantities in the 3rd quarter of 2009:

1.52 tons of various paper through the "ABITIBI Paper Retriever" program
1.31
tons of aluminum cans
6.52
tons of bi-metal cans
12.34
tons of glass
3.53
tons of HDPE plastics
2.82
tons of PETE plastics
27.83
tons of newspapers
6.0

tons of scrap metal through the "dumpster" program
25.0
tons of Yard Waste

For questions concerning the "Curbside Recycling Program", contact Allied Waste Services at 458-5191 or David Urig at 988-8256.

Dumpster Days

Amherst Township has set the following dates for “Dumpster Days” in 2009:

April 2, 3, 4
July 9, 10, 11
October 1, 2, 3

Hours are from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Please note:  NO TIRES WITH RIMS!
                    NO PROPANE TANKS!

Drop-Off Hours for Yard Waste!!

Christmas Trees, brush, limbs, grass clippings, and leaves may be brought to the rear of the Amherst Township Garage, located at 7530 Oberlin Road, at the following times:

  • 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Mon – Fri
  • 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Saturday
  • Amherst Township Residents only
  • I.D. may be checked
  • No Commercial

Compost & Wood Chips Available

Free compost and wood chips are available from the Township. If you are interested, contact John Szefcyk, Road Superintendent, at 988-5833.

Have a problem?  Complaint forms are available at the Township Hall, inside the white bulletin board, or may be downloaded from the Township’s website.

Township Hall & Garage
Fax......................................988-5877
Fiscal Officer ........................988-5894
Email: amhersttwpfo@oh.rr.com
Road Superintendent (garage)..988-5833
Email: amhersttwproads@oh.rr.com
Office (Zoning Inspector).........988-5866
Office Hours for Zoning Insp:
Mon., Wed. & Sat. – 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Voice Mail is checked daily
Email: amhersttwpzoning@oh.rr.com
Don Gargas, Zoning Inspector

Trustees
Dennis Abraham...................986-4555
(Ambulance, Cemetery, Park, Water, Roads,
Ditches, Buildings, Land, Enterprise Zones,
County Health Rep. Phase II Storm
Water/ Environmental Strategy)
Neil Lynch.............................988-7681
(Zoning, Sewer, Fire, Equipment,
Personnel, LORCO, Senior Services,
Lorain County Community Alliance Rep,
NIMS Primary Contact)
David C. Urig.........................988-8256
(Lighting, Solid Waste)

Fiscal Officer
Howard Akin.............................233-7624

Road Superintendent
John Szefcyk.............................988-7045

Amherst Twp Senior Services Office
Carol Schmitkons......................988-5822
Email: amhersttwpseniors@oh.rr.com
Office Hours – Mon thru Fri – 8am to 12 Noon

Fire Prevention Officer
Wayne Eppley...........................324-3921

LifeCare Ambulance, Inc.
Maude or Herb DeLa Porte........323-6111

Sheriff's Department................329-3710

Ohio Edison
Automated Outage Reporting Line
1-888-544-4877

TRUSTEE MEETINGS:
2nd & 4th Tuesdays of each month at 7:00 p.m.

Amherst Township Trustee Meetings may be viewed on Amherst Cable Channel 12. They will air for 7 days, running Mon thru Mon, following the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month. Air times are at 9 am, 4 pm, & 11 pm. Zoning Commission meetings will be shown 8 am, 3 pm & at the conclusion of the 11pm Trustee meetings. All airings are subject to change.

Snow Ban

Residents are reminded that there is a "Snow Ban" in effect in Amherst Township. If there are two inches of snow or more, vehicles should not be parked on the street.
Christmas
Tree
Disposal

Amherst Township residents may bring their live Christmas Trees to the rear of the Amherst Township Garage Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and on Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Residents may also leave live trees on their lawn near the road. The township road crew will be picking up these trees Dec 26th thru Jan 4th.

New Use for Old Phones

The Lorain County Sheriff's Department is seeking donations of used cell phones from township residents. The phones will be collected and redistributed to people who need a way to contact emergency services. Phones can be dropped off at the Amherst Township Hall at 7530 Oberlin Road during normal business hours.

Your donation will help the National Sheriffs' Association, the National Association of Triads, and the 911 Cell Phone Bank. The Lorain County Sheriff's Department will provide the phones to senior citizens, handicapped citizens, or people in abusive situations.

City of Amherst Fire Contract

Amherst Township and the City of Amherst have agreed to a new 5-year Fire Contract, beginning January 1, 2009 and ending December 31, 2013. The City of Amherst has for many years provided fire service to the unincorporated area of Amherst Township north of the Ohio Turnpike, and will continue to do so. This contract provides for fire protection and "First Responder" emergency medical service. Minor changes to this contract include defining the roads that are to be covered in the Amherst Township Fire District as well as coverage for Quarry Road south of the Turnpike in the event that future "Quarry Development" requires the closure of Quarry Road.

Lots Available

Cemetery lots are available at Kendeigh Cemetery, located at the intersection of Quarry Road and Middle Ridge Road. Lots may be purchased by contacting the Township Office at 988-5833.

$391 – Resident

$673 – Non-Resident

Twp. Bulletin Board

Scheduled meetings and Trustee Work Sessions are regularly posted in the bulletin board at the Township Hall. These are public meetings and residents are welcome to attend.

Featured Employee

Glenn Thome is our featured employee. Glenn has worked for the Township for 2 years as an alternate member of the Zoning Commission. As a member of the Zoning Commission, Glenn needs to study and be familiar with the Amherst Township Zoning Resolution. The Zoning Commission makes decisions on rezoning, handles special requests from individuals on land use, and reviews "Site Plan Reviews", signs, and text changes to the Zoning Resolution. They are also looking at the goals and vision of the overall "Comprehensive Use Plan" for the future of the Township. As an alternate, Glenn attends all Zoning Commission meetings and many times has had to sit on the board in another s absence. Glenn has also volunteered to take the meeting minutes for all Zoning Commission meetings. As a Zoning Commission member, Glenn enjoys managing the growth of the township.

Glenn is a CNC machinist and has worked at Wonder Machine Services in Avon for the past 6 years. Glenn was raised in Avon, Ohio. He graduated from Avon High and attended Lorain County Joint Vocational School. He has lived in the township for the past 4 years. Glenn enjoys camping, traveling, and going to flea markets. He also enjoys walking his two dogs, Baylee and Lola.

We would like to thank Glenn for being a valuable part of our township and for taking the time in his busy schedule to serve on the Zoning Commission!
                                 

Erosion & Sediment
Control Rules

Earlier this year, the Lorain County Commissioners adopted the "Lorain County Erosion & Sediment Control Rules" that affect all of Lorain County, including Amherst Township. The rules apply to soil-disturbing activities on land within the unincorporated area of Lorain County used or being developed for non-farm commercial, industrial, residential, or other non-farm purposes. These rules are affective for any land disturbance of one acre or more. Please contact the "Lorain Soil & Water Conservation District" at 326-5800 or visit their website at www.lorainswcd.com if you feel these rules may affect you and you would like more information.

Zoning Commission Meetings

The Amherst Township Zoning Commission is currently investigating "Riparian & Wetlands Setbacks" zoning regulations that would support the EPA Phase II Storm Water requirements. Zoning Commission Meetings are held the first Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. and are open to the public. These meetings also air on local cable television. This is an educational phase that is investigating how these regulations would impact our community so that the board can make an informed decision regarding implementation of such regulations.

"Going Green" with New Curbside Recycling Program

"Going Green" is a commitment to protecting the environment. The easiest way for Amherst Township residents to become part of the "Green Movement" is through recycling. The conservation of our natural resources is available to all Amherst Township residents through the Township's curbside recycling program. Recycling conserves landfill space and reduces the amount of energy required to manufacture new products.

Since 1994, Amherst Township's recycling program required residents to place recyclable items in blue bags, and place the blue bags at the curb on the regular rubbish collection day. Newspapers would be separated in one blue bag, while glass, metal cans, and number 1 and 2 plastics would be commingled in a different blue bag. The blue bags of recycled materials would then be collected by BFI/Allied Waste, and transported to their recycling center in New Russia Township for further processing.

This "Blue-Bag" method of recycling was not free, as the Amherst Township Board of Trustees paid BFI/Allied Waste approximately $2.50 per month per household for the recycle collection cost, resulting in an annual cost of $70,290. Grant money received from the Lorain County Solid Waste Management District (LCSWMD) fully funded the Amherst Township recycling program, until 2004.

A new LCSWMD Plan resulted in reduced grant funding for Amherst Township's curbside recycling program. The reduced grant funding required the Amherst Township Board of Trustees to subsidize the recycling program with approximately $17,590 from the township's general fund.

The Trustees realized that funding the curbside recycling program with township general fund revenues could not be a long-term solution. Various options considered were the elimination of the program or reducing the program to every other week pick-up.

After a considerable amount of discussion and negotiation with BFI/Allied Waste, a reasonable agreement was reached that will improve the township's recycling program and eliminate the general fund subsidy, without increasing the cost to the residents.

The new curbside recycling program will consist of a "GREEN" cart, and will allow all recycled materials to be commingled in the "GREEN" cart. In addition to the previous recyclable material, cardboard, paperboard, magazines and junk mail can now be placed in the "GREEN" recycling cart.

"GO GREEN", and join your neighbors in increasing your recycling effort and protecting our environment!

                           

Winners of the Fall 2009 Recycling Incentive Program
In October, Amherst Township held a raffle in conjunction with the township's "dumpster event" as an incentive program to encourage residents to recycle more. Residents brought a raffle form along with a blue bag of recyclables or recyclable yard waste to the dumpster event. This incentive program is an eligibility requirement of the "Solid Waste Grant" award received by Amherst Township.

Winners of the "Incentive Contest" received a $25 Gas Card from "Law's Auto Service, Inc." located on Middle Ridge Road near the State Route 2 interchange.
The Winners were:
Philip & Angela Bak
Charles Barckert
Charle Baker
Jay Bardar
Elaine Birkline Denise Bringman
Lu Bringman
Roland Camarillo
Mary Carek
Dave & Estel Cary
Tony & Nora Coiffi
Liz Cupp
Tom Flanagan
Dave Fly 		Dennis Gabrie
Jan Gargasz
Michael Gargasz
Don Garretson
Dean Hastings
Dennis Hodkey
Diana Horn
Jeanette Kosakowski
Gary Lamier
Robert Landrum
Richard Metzler
Frank Papay
Richard Podlich
Jacki Rich 		Richard Rockwell
Charles Sapienza
Thom Scheidler
Barbara Shauck
Barb Shinsky
Virginia Szilvasy
Vien Waldrop
Michelle Walsh
Pam Welton
Dorothy Wilford
Jack Withum
Walter Szewczyk
Pat Young

Amherst Township
Automated Trash and Curbside Recycling Collection Program
Beginning the week of January 5, 2009, 96-gallon blue trash carts will be delivered to Amherst Township Residents who contract with Allied Waste Service for solid waste collection. A 68-gallon blue trash cart will be made available at a discounted solid waste collection cost. Contact Allied Waste for details.

In addition to the blue trash cart, a 68-gallon green cart will be delivered to all residents of Amherst Township for curbside recycling requirements.

PERMITTED REFUSE
IN BLUE TRASH CARTS

  • Yard Waste
  • Food Waste - drained, wrapped and placed in a plastic bag
  • Other trash - juice boxes, paper containers, waste paper, etc.
  • Sharp items, broken glass, syringes, etc. Place in puncture-proof container prior to placing in cart.

PERMITTED RECYCLABLE MATERIALS
IN 68-GALLON GREEN CART

  • Cardboard
  • Cereal boxes/Paperboard
  • Newspapers
  • Glass bottles and jars
  • Junk-mail
  • Aluminum and steel cans
  • Magazines
  • Numbers 1 and 2 plastics

Place all items loose in recycling cart.

ONCE-A-MONTH
LARGE ITEM PICKUP

This pickup will occur on your regular pickup day once a month, as determined by the "Allied Waste" brochure. These large items include:

  • Household furniture, carpeting, tables, swing sets, television sets, etc.
  • Washers & Dryers
  • Refrigerators, freezers - DOORS & FREON REMOVED
  • Window AC Units & Dehumidifiers - FREON REMOVED
  • Christmas trees picked up the second full week of January (2009 will be week of Jan 12th)

NOT PERMITTED AT CURB

• Extra bags or cans of trash or recyclable materials, • large car parts, • tires, • batteries, • liquids, • hazardous waste, • etc.
GENERAL INFORMATION

Time of Collection: To ensure your recycling and rubbish materials removal, please place the rubbish on the opposite side of your driveway from the recyclables, by 6:00 A.M.

Day of Collections: Recycling and rubbish materials will be picked up on the same day each week EXCEPT when a holiday falls on or before your regular pick up day. Then your recycling and rubbish materials will be collected one day late.

HOLIDAYS THAT AFFECT COLLECTIONS ARE THE FOLLOWING:

• New Year's Day • Memorial Day • July 4th, • Labor Day • Thanksgiving Day • Christmas Day

CONTAINERS

Blue trash containers are available in 96-gallon and 68-gallon sizes. A second blue trash container is available at additional cost. Please contact Allied Waste for details at 440-458-5191 or 1-800-433-1309.

Green Recyclable containers will be 68-gallons in size.

CONTAINER PLACEMENT

Place containers within 3 feet of the curb with the arrows facing the street, and at least three feet apart.

Note: Do not place containers at the curb prior to 5:00 P.M. on the day before collection. Please remove empty containers within 12 hours after collection.

For more information please contact the Allied Waste Customer Service Department at: 440-458-5191 or 1-800-433-1309

Office hours are from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M Monday through Friday.

ATTENTION SENIORS:

Should you wish to continue with bagged trash collection, please contact Allied Waste and a trash cart will not be delivered to your residence. A small green cart will still be delivered for your recyclable material collection.

Permits Required

Residents are reminded that permits are needed for pools, decks, porches, patios, gazebos, fences, ponds, signs, garages, new construction, building additions, accessory buildings, and driveways. When a permit is obtained before the start of construction, the fee will be reduced by 50%. Be sure you or your contractor has obtained a permit. Payments must be made by check only. Cash is not accepted.

Please contact Don Gargas, Amherst Township Zoning Inspector for these permits. Office hours for the Zoning Inspector are from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. He can be reached at 988-5866. Voice Mail is checked daily.

"Building inspections" through the Lorain County Building Department may also be required. These building "inspections" are in addition to the building "permits" that are required from the Township. The Amherst Township Zoning Inspector can assist you for both of these requirements. A building "permit" from the township is required before applying for the building "inspection" from the county. Permits for both the township and the county may be viewed on the township's website under "zoning".

Lifecare

Amherst Township, as a member of the Sandstone Joint Ambulance District, has chosen “LifeCare” to be their ambulance provider. President Maude DeLa Porte and Vice-President Herb DeLa Porte own and operate LifeCare. They can be reached at 323-6111. To learn more about their services, visit their website at www.lifecareambulance.com. For more information about LifeCare as well as links to other related websites visit www.geocities.com/lifecaredispatch.

Contact Sheriff’s Dept.

If residents know of, or see, any suspicious activity in the township or at the Amherst Township Park, please contact the Sheriff’s Dept. at 329-3710. To contact the sheriff’s dispatch from your cell phone without being charged, call 323-1212. These are not a “911” emergency lines.

Curfew

Please be aware that a curfew exists in Amherst Township for minors age 16 and under between the hours of Midnight and 5 a.m. This curfew will be enforced by the Lorain County Sheriff’s Dept.

NOTE: Meeting Times:

Trustee Meetings at 7:00 p.m. – Zoning Commission Meetings now at 6:30 p.m.