Clay Township takes action on nuisance property

By Rory Ryan
The Highland County Press

Clay Township Trustees Brett Glover, Kenneth Bohl and James Massey met with Highland County Commissioners Shane Wilkin, Tom Horst and Jeff Duncan at their Wednesday, Nov. 4 meeting to discuss a nuisance property at 2596 state Route 134.

Speaking for the Board of Trustees, Glover informed commissioners, “We have a problem with a house and property in Clay Township. This has been a nightmare for several years. On approximately four acres, there are numerous trash bags, hundreds of tires full of standing water. It’s a mosquito infestation. We have talked to the Health Department, the Highland County Sheriff’s Office … they tell us about a 90-day waiting period for a cleanup. These people have been arrested for different things. I had believed the house was vacant, but someone is there on and off. We’d like to have this place cleaned up.”

Highland County Prosecutor Anneka Collins, who attended the meeting, referenced Ohio Revised Code 505.87 as a way for the township trustees to declare the property a nuisance and put the cleanup costs back on the property owners’ taxes. Collins explained that working through the Health Department is “a totally different process, and not as easy as what the trustees can do.”

“The property owner has been ordered to clean it up, but I’m sure she won’t, since she is in jail,” Collins said. “You guys (the trustees) can do a nuisance complaint and clean it up.”

Clay Township resident Teresa Campbell asked Collins, “If the trustees clean it up and she gets out of jail, what’s to stop it from happening again?”

The property is owned by a mother and daughter. The mother is Shelby J. Mayse of Indiana, and the daughter is Cindy L. Hackney, who is currently incarcerated at the Highland County Justice Center.

Collins suggested that trustees make an appointment with her office, and she would go through the process of having the board declare the property a nuisance. Glover questioned that this would have to be done at the township’s expense.

“Where’s our guarantee that it won’t happen again?” Glover asked.

“I can’t guarantee that,” Collins said.

“So the trustees will just have to clean it up again,” Glover said.

Clay Township resident Howard Willis provided background on the problem, saying the property has been an issue for several years.

“There is a criminal element to this,” Willis said. “There are people who congregate on this property, tear down fences, damage neighboring properties. These are all criminal acts. They don’t seem to have jobs. There are multiple EPA violations.

“At one point, house trailers were pulled in, the copper and scrap metal were pulled out and the trailers were burned. This will not stop because we’re meeting here today, and it sounds like it won’t stop after we leave here.”

Willis asked commissioners who residents could speak with on a state level. Wilkin suggested House Speaker and 86th District Rep. Cliff Rosenberger and Horst suggested State Sen. Bob Peterson, both of whom represent Highland County.

Glover also pointed out that the trustees have no idea what’s buried underground, and he questioned if the EPA would come back against the trustees once they cleaned up the surface debris. Collins said that the EPA will not come back on the trustees.

Also attending the meeting was Highland County Health Commissioner Jared Warner and Kyle Arn from the Highland County Health Department. Trustees agreed they would meet Friday with Prosecutor Collins to begin declaring the property a nuisance.

• In other action, commissioners proclaimed November as National Adoption Month. Accepting the proclamation were local foster parents and Children Services staff, including: Tonia Farley, Melissa Wheaton, Jodi Kidder, Ronda McAdams, Wendy Setty, Megan Thompson and David and Debbie McCollum.

McAdams told commissioners that Children Services had five adoptions so far this year and five more scheduled to complete.

Average adoptions are approximately 12 per year, which is up from three to four per year just a few years ago. Highland County currently has approximately 150 children in foster care.

The board thanked the McCollum family, who has adopted four children, three of whom are from Highland County. David McCollum encouraged the board to expand its outreach in recruiting additional potential foster families.

Anyone interested in becoming a foster parent should contact Kidder at (937) 402-5055.

• Commissioners also proclaimed Nov. 15 as Recycling Day in Highland County. Jennifer Waterman of Highland County Recycling, Tom Davis, director of the Ross, Pickaway, Highland, Fayette Joint Solid Waste Management District, and William Dayton of C&M Recycling in Hillsboro accepted the proclamation.

Waterman thanked all local businesses who help with the placement of recycling bins, including the Marshall Mini Mart, Rainsboro Truck Stop, Terry’s Grocery in Dodsonville, Sunoco in Greenfield, Ameristop in New Market, and C&M Recycling in Hillsboro and Brad’s Garden Center in Hillsboro.

• In a third proclamation, the week of Nov. 14-22 has been designated National Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week in Highland County. Accepting the proclamation were Greg Hawkins, director of the Homeless Shelter, Melanie Overbee and Branden Jackman, representing Homeless Shelter board member Chad Hamilton. The proclamation was part of a nationwide outreach program beginning the week before Thanksgiving.

Hawkins stressed that the homeless shelter can always use canned goods and household cleaning supplies, and currently a coat drive is under way.

Resolutions

Commissioners approved the following resolutions, each by a 3-0 vote.

• A request from the Common Pleas Court for a modification from Common Pleas, Foreign Judge Expense to Commissioners, Professional Services in the amount of $133.37 for reimbursement.

• A request from the Sheriff for additional appropriation from unappropriated funds within the Sheriff Budget, Insurance Opt Out in the amount of $1,000.

• A request from Probation to establish a new fund, Probation Improvement and Incentive Grant (PIIG), and include line items and appropriations for fiscal year 2016.

• A request from the Engineer for a modification of appropriations within the Engineer Budget in the amount of $20,000.

• Additional appropriation from unappropriated funds to RFL Sewer, Other Expense in the amount of $500.

• Additional appropriation from unappropriated funds to RFL Sewer Capital Improvement, Other Expense in the amount of $16,980.38.

• A request from Probation for additional appropriation within the Probation Budget in the amount of $874.38, along with a transfer from Probation Budget, Transfers Out to County in the amount of $874.38 for reimbursement of funds.

• A budget modification within the Dog & Kennel Fund in the amount of $933.19.