NEWS

The Bethel Township Trustees of Clark County met Tuesday, November 10 for a scheduled monthly meeting, during which, they discussed fire department statistics, the cleanup of a township home destroyed by fire, and a recent ruling by the Ohio Division of Liquor Control concerning a Bethel Township convenience store.

The township has received two bids for the cleanup of the remains of the structure at 10590 Kendig Road, which burned down in late January, killing Charles Cox. The house has been declared a nuisance because of the fire damage, and the township said it took some time to receive the two bids, and that they would look into accepting one. Trustees said they must do some inquiring with the ban that owns the home regarding what to do with the basement, as they do not know whether to fill it in or clean it out as much as possible. Trustees Don Minton and Dave Phares said the basement is in very bad shape, and that it would likely make more sense to fill it in, but did not know if the bank would agree.

The board also received notice that the Ohio Division of Liquor Control had not found enough evidence to revoke the liquor license from Quality Food in Park Layne. The convenience store had been under review stemming from a 2013 raid issued by the attorney general as part of a statewide crackdown on the sale of synthetic drugs.

The township trustees had the option to file an appeal, but chose not to do so, saying they have heard of no troublesome incidents at the store since the initial raid. Phares said he did not believe the store to be the sight of any infractions since everything quieted down in the wake of the raid. Minton asked if the Clark County Prosecutor had offered any concerns on the Liquor Board’s ruling, but the other trustees said they had heard nothing from the prosecutor’s office, and said that most of the drugs had been seized from another location in Dayton.

“I’ve talked to the neighbors, they said they haven’t had any problems,” said Trustee Nancy Brown. The deadline for submitting an appeal has since passed, meaning that the trustees cannot file an appeal if they decided to change their minds.

Assistant Fire Chief Jennifer Cotterman, acting in the absence of Chiefs King and Ludwick, delivered the department statistics for the month and year, saying that the department is set to hit a year-to-date total of 2,100 calls on Christmas Eve. As of the meeting, the department had responded to 1,787 calls year-to-date. The trustees approved a $3,162 payment for the repair of Engine 54, which was in need of body work to repair the rear of the vehicle.

Cotterman also announced the resignation of Erik Helgerson from the department. Cotterman said that Helgerson was an active duty serviceman who returned to his roots of firefighting when he got back to Wright-Patt, but that his demands and workload at the base became too much to include running with Bethel Township any longer.

The Bethel Township Board of Trustees meets the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the fire station on Lake Road, with the public always welcome.

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