Township Talk - May 13
Sylvania Township Fire Department Acting Chief Chris Nye, left, and Deputy Chief Jeff Bennett, right, congratulate the newly promoted Lieutenant Kurtis Baumgartner, Captain Mike Behan, and Lieutenant Derek Meyer at the May 7 Board of Township Trustees meeting.
Promotions
The Sylvania Board of Township Trustees authorized acting Township Fire Chief Chris Nye to promote three to fill the vacated captain and two lieutenant positions within the fire department. Lieutenant/Paramedic Mike Behan, who joined the department on May 17, 2000, will serve as the safety and training captain/paramedic. Firefighter/paramedics firefighter/paramedics Kurtis Baumgartner, who joined the department on Dec. 21, 2015, and Derek Meyer, who joined on Nov. 1, 2012, have been promoted to the rank of lieutenant/paramedic. The three new officers received pins from their wives at the May 7 meeting.
In other business, the trustees voted to promote police officer Kevin Pelwecki to the position of deputy chief to fill the upcoming vacancy created with the July 1 retirement of current Deputy Chief James Rettig.
Contracts awarded
The Sylvania Board of Township Trustees approved Road and Service Superintendent Rob Nash’s request to accept the bid from Bowers Asphalt & Paving Inc., who submitted the lowest and best bid of $506,851.14 for the 2024 Sylvania Township Road Improvement Project. Nash was also given approval to purchase the ExMark Lazer Lawn Mower from Sylvania Mower Center for $11,515.00 to replace the department’s 24-year-old mower. Nash was given authority to sell the 1999 John Deere F725 Front Mower on GovDeals.
Street lights
The trustees approved the petition outlined by Township Administrator Oliver Turner and submitted by Stephen Mitchell of Mitchell Development Company, for street lighting for Plat 4 of the Quarry Ridge Development. This followed a public hearing about the petition. In addition, the trustees gave Turner the authority to execute contracts for Safety Township. They also passed a resolution to adopt the Final Lucas County 9-1-1 prepared by the Lucas County 9-1-1 planning committee.
Variance requests
Members of the Board of Zoning Appeals approved a variance request for fencing within a front setback from the required 35 feet to 0 feet for the EV charging station at the Yark dealership at 5555 W. Central Ave. and Republic Boulevard.
The board also approved the request of the owner of 5171 Comstock Dr. for a conditional use for a home-based e-commerce business within a residential district.
BZA members tabled a motion for a variance request for two signs for a Mitchaw Road property until the June 3 meeting.
Zoning change recommended
The Sylvania Township Zoning Commission approved the zone change request from C-2, general commercial to RA, low-density residential for the property located at 5629Whiteford Rd. The recommended change will be on the Board of Township Trustees’ June 18 meeting agenda.