May 3, 2007

By Virgil Hervey

At the April 16 meeting of the Miami Township Trustees, the trustees passed a resolution committing $58,900 for the acquisition of an easement on a township farm through a federal grant program.

If it is successful, this grant will mark the fourth successful easement acquisition partnership in the past few years between Tecumseh Land Trust and the Township trustees. According to TLT representative Kate Bush, the trustees have partnered with TLT to preserve about 100 acres a year in Miami Township for the past two years. In 2005 the trustees provided matching funds for a successful grant application to place the 104-acre Fulton farm under easement, and last year the trustees provided funding for easements on the 85-acre Spracklen farm on Clifton Road and the 27-acre Miller farm, also on Clifton Road.

“The Miami Township trustees are willing to put their dollars to work,” Bush said. “It’s that kind of consistency that’s great to work with.”

The trustee action was in response to a request from Julia Cady of TLT. She had reported at the April 2 meeting that TLT was close to a final agreement with owners Fred and Kathy Stockwell for the preservation of 81.8 acres of their 101.6-acre farm, which is located at the northwest corner of the intersection of East Enon Road and Yellow Springs–Fairfield Road. At the time she said that TLT would request that the trustees contribute $56,237 for that easement, as part of a matching federal grant.

On April 16, however, Cady reported that TLT had reached an agreement with the Stockwells for the purchase of an easement for the entire farm. In order to do that, she said, TLT will add $8,000 from its 1 Percent for Green Space funds and requested that the Township commit $58,900. She presented the trustees with a resolution to that effect, which they passed.

Miami Township uses funds received from inheritance taxes for land preservation.

The value of the easement is estimated at $272,694, according to Cady, and TLT will submit the grant through the Farm and Ranchland Protection Agency, which requires that the federal agency provide 50 percent of the total amount if the grant is approved. The landowners would contribute 25 percent and the Township’s share would be about 22 percent.

The Farm and Ranchland Protection Agency grant especially targets for preservation land with historical significance and good soil, according to Kate Bush of TLT on Tuesday. Since the Stockwell land has both of those qualities, the organization believes it has a good chance of receiving the grant, she said. The organization will know within 30 days if the grant application is successful.

In other township business:
• The trustees approved payment of bills in the amount of $26,868 as follows: general fund, $2,900; fire, $19,126; and road and bridge, $4,841.

• Fire Chief Colin Altman reported that there had been 31 EMS and 16 fire runs in the two weeks since the last meeting.

• Altman said that there will be a full disaster drill on Friday, June 15. The drill will include the college and local law enforcement.

• Treasurer Margaret Silliman presented the trustees with a resolution for a supplemental appropriation, which they passed. The appropriation involved decreasing road and bridge funds by $30,000 in order to increase funds for contacted services by $30,000.

• Zoning Inspector Richard Zopf reported that no zoning permits were issued for new construction since his last report. He said, however, that one permit was issued for a remodel that amounted to the completion of new construction that had been underway for quite some time.

• Trustee Chris Mucher reported that Little Miami, Inc. had paid for removal of the portion of the broken Grinnell Mill dam on the side of the stream occupied by the Girl Scout camp.

Contact: lheaton@ysnews.com