Here it is fall again, what a wet summer! As Dover Township trustees, we would like to take this opportunity to explain the township’s latest property acquisition as it pertains to our township garage and offices. Prior to 1999 Dover Township had their garage, office, and salt bins at the Donald Street location. It became apparent at that time that the township had outgrown these facilities and needed to either purchase another building or purchase property and build one. The trustees at that time evaluated the township’s finances and decided that purchasing the current facility on Progress Street was the best option. The price was within the township’s budget and the location was desirable due to talk of an exit ramp off of I-77 in the future. This purchase was made in 1999 and the township office and garage were moved to Progress Street. The Donald Street property was retained for the use of the salt bins and the remainder of that facility was rented out. This move was made with the expectation of finding a more desirable location within the township in the future, and the thought that the Progress Street property would increase in value.

Fast forward to now. The owner of the “old brick yard on Red Hill”, aka the Gordon Refrigeration property, approached the trustees to see if we were or knew of anyone interested in purchasing that property. Our conversations led us to enter into an arrangement to trade the Red Hill property for the Donald St. property. After checking with our legal counsel, the Tuscarawas County Prosecutor, and the County Auditor to make sure this would be a legal and ethical transaction, all details were worked out and the transaction was completed. Dover Township is now in the process of beautifying and upgrading the “Red Hill” property and will be moving their equipment there soon. In the future this move will allow us to consolidate all our equipment, bins, and offices to one location. We have also scheduled an auction for Oct 29th at 9:00 am to sell our present facilities at Progress St. This will not be an absolute auction. We have established a minimum bid; if that bid is not met we will not sell. This building with five acres is in a very desirable location and could easily be leased if we have a no sale at this time. We will keep you, as residents, informed on the status of these moves.

Several other items of interest include Election Day and Fracking.
Election Day will soon be here, we urge you to exercise your right to vote. One important issue on the November ballot is the Dover Schools Levy. We ask you to research so you can make an informed decision whether Dover should build a new high school in the north end of Dover. If the plan presented is not what you believe to be the best for the school system, consider getting involved. A strong school system is very important to having a strong, productive community. There are also other state issues and local races to be informed about as well.

“Fracking” – a new catchword for Dover Township. Experts tell us it is not a matter of if, but when the oil and gas boom comes to us. Rest assured your trustees are staying informed as to the benefits as well the dangers and concerns this raises. We have attended seminars on the subject and have researched road maintenance agreements. We know there will be substantial impact, both good and bad. It is our job to help minimize the bad and accentuate the good. To the residents that have been contacted or are negotiating a lease for their gas rights, don’t be in a hurry and take time to research your options.

As always, feel free to contact any of us with questions or comments you may have.

Originally published in the Second Half 2011 Newsletter. Download here.