1

 

 

 

          1              TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEETING FOR

 

          2         PUBLIC COMMENT ON SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT

 

          3                 IN CASE NO. 2004CV02705

 

          4

 

          5

 

          6       REPUBLIC SERVICES OF OHIO, II, LLC, ET AL.

 

          7                           VS.

 

          8         PIKE TOWNSHIP BOARD OF TRUSTEES, ET AL.

 

          9

 

         10

 

         11                 TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2006

 

         12                        5:00 P.M.

 

         13

 

         14

 

         15             HELD AT THE PIKE TOWNSHIP HALL

 

         16               7134 EAST SPARTA AVENUE, SE

 

         17                    EAST SPARTA, OHIO

 

         18

 

         19

 

         20

 

         21

 

         22

 

         23

 

         24

 

         25                  Lisa L. Elliott, RPR

 

 

                               HILL COURT REPORTERS

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                                                                2

 

 

 

          1   APPEARANCES:

 

          2      On behalf of the Pike Township Board of

                 Trustees:

          3

                       DEBORAH DAWSON, ATTORNEY AT LAW

          4            110 CENTRAL PLAZA SOUTH

                       CANTON, OHIO  44702

          5

 

          6      Pike Township Board of Trustees:

 

          7            LEE G. STRAD, President

                       ROBERT R. ANSTINE, Vice President

          8            DOUGLAS L. BAUM

 

          9

                 Pike Township Zoning Inspector:

         10

                       SHARON PERRINE

         11

 

         12      Pike Township Board of Zoning Appeals:

 

         13            LOUIS GROOMS

                       AUDREY MALAVITE

         14            NANCY SNYDER

                       JERRY EIBEL

         15            ROBERT BURKHART

                       ROBERT MILLER, Alternate

         16

 

         17                       - - - - - -

 

         18

 

         19

 

         20

 

         21

 

         22

 

         23

 

         24

 

         25

 

 

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          1                       MR. STRAD:  Okay.  I'd like to

 

          2      get started on the special meeting of the Pike

 

          3      Township Board of Trustees.  This is March

 

          4      28th, 5 PM.  Tonight's meeting is a public

 

          5      comment on a proposed settlement in a court

 

          6      action, and Miss Dawson will explain all of

 

          7      these finer points here.

 

          8                       We are going to start here, I'm

 

          9      going to introduce everybody down the table and

 

         10      everything.  I'd like to introduce myself as

 

         11      Lee Strad, Pike Township Trustee, President of

 

         12      the board.  To my right here is Bob Anstine,

 

         13      Vice President.  Next one is Doug Baum,

 

         14      Trustee.

 

         15                       On our Appeals Board we have

 

         16      Nancy Snyder, Audrey Malavite, Bob Burkhart,

 

         17      and Louie Grooms and Sharon Perrine, our Zoning

 

         18      Inspector.  At this time I'm going to turn it

 

         19      over to our attorney -- I think for the record,

 

         20      Mr. Burkhart, call your board together as a

 

         21      regular meeting.

 

         22                       MR. BURKHART:  Pike Township

 

         23      Board of Zoning Appeals in session, March 28th,

 

         24      5 PM.

 

         25                       MR. STRAD:  Okay.  Thank you,

 

 

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          1      Bob.  At this time I'd like to turn this over

 

          2      to Debbie Dawson.  She is the Assistant

 

          3      Prosecutor of the Stark County Prosecutor's

 

          4      Office.

 

          5                       MS. DAWSON:  Thank you.  Good

 

          6      afternoon, everybody.  As Mr. Strad mentioned

 

          7      to you, the purpose of this meeting today is to

 

          8      take public comment on the proposed settlement

 

          9      agreement in Case No. 2004CV02705, Republic

 

         10      Services of Ohio, II, LLC, et al. versus Pike

 

         11      Township Board of Trustees, et al.  This

 

         12      meeting is being held pursuant to the

 

         13      procedures in Revised Code Section 505.07.

 

         14                       While the position of the Pike

 

         15      Township Board of Trustees and the Pike

 

         16      Township Zoning Inspector is that the proposed

 

         17      settlement agreement does not involve an issue

 

         18      that is subject to referendum pursuant to

 

         19      Revised Code 519.12, the board is taking public

 

         20      comment this afternoon on the proposed

 

         21      settlement agreement, and the following rules

 

         22      apply:  Anyone who wishes to make public

 

         23      comment must sign in on the applicable sign-in

 

         24      sheets that are to my left.  Remember your

 

         25      number.

 

 

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          1                       Those signing the sheet to

 

          2      comment will be taken in order with Pike

 

          3      Township residents commenting first.  Each

 

          4      speaker may comment only once.  Each comment is

 

          5      limited to three minutes, no exceptions.  No

 

          6      one person can assign his or her three minutes

 

          7      to anyone else.  I'd like you to think about

 

          8      not repeating.  The board is listening to

 

          9      comments, and we would like to have everyone

 

         10      who has a different comment to make on the

 

         11      settlement agreement -- and those of you who

 

         12      haven't seen it, there are copies back there at

 

         13      the table.  Try not to be repetitious in your

 

         14      comments.  If they've already heard the

 

         15      comments, try not to repeat them, but we'll

 

         16      allow everyone to speak who wants to.

 

         17                       The board will take comments on

 

         18      the proposed agreement for two hours.  If there

 

         19      are few people left at the end of two hours who

 

         20      want to speak, the board has told me they will

 

         21      go a little bit over.  The board will not

 

         22      answer questions.  They are sitting here to

 

         23      listen to your public comments.

 

         24                       After the public comment

 

         25      session is over, the board will adjourn into

 

 

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          1      executive session to discuss this pending

 

          2      litigation with me, their legal counsel, before

 

          3      they take any action on this proposed

 

          4      settlement agreement.  And for the Court

 

          5      Reporter's well-being, please, all of you who

 

          6      come up to speak, make sure you speak into the

 

          7      microphone.

 

          8                       And when you come up, for her

 

          9      benefit, give your name and address before you

 

         10      start to make your comments.  Thank you.

 

         11                       MR. STRAD:  Okay.  Like I said,

 

         12      we are going to start and try to do this as

 

         13      many as we can.  The young lady over there at

 

         14      the board will be placing the numbers.

 

         15      Everybody has got a number.  We are going to

 

         16      try to line you up, keep the flow going, so

 

         17      that we get as many as we can here.  So kind of

 

         18      keep an idea where your number is and what

 

         19      number is on the board.  You can get behind the

 

         20      person that is speaking at that time so we can

 

         21      just continue on.

 

         22                       So I think we'll do the first

 

         23      three -- as probably everybody knows, the late

 

         24      newcomer here to the board, Jerry Eibel.  Wave

 

         25      to everybody, and please give us an excuse

 

 

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          1      later why you were late.

 

          2                       Would the first three people

 

          3      that are Pike Township residents please come up

 

          4      here, and we will get started here.  I want to

 

          5      remind you, please speak into the mic, speak

 

          6      slowly, give your name and address.  This is

 

          7      being transcribed for the court records.  We'll

 

          8      go ahead and start with no. 1 here.

 

          9                       ALISON ROBERTS:  My name is

 

         10      Alison Roberts, and I live at 8338 Dueber

 

         11      Avenue, SW, East Sparta, Ohio.  I have written

 

         12      my comments down.  My name is Alison Roberts.

 

         13      I'm a long-time resident of Pike Township.  I'm

 

         14      writing you today to discuss my concerns about

 

         15      the quality of life in Pike Township and to

 

         16      state my opposition in the agreement with

 

         17      Republic Services.

 

         18                       Before writing this letter, I

 

         19      went in search of the mission and the vision of

 

         20      Pike Township government.  I felt this was

 

         21      important so that I could understand what

 

         22      guides our township government.  I was unable

 

         23      to locate this information on the website.

 

         24      Therefore, I decided to write what I feel

 

         25      should be important to our Pike Township

 

 

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          1      government and to the residents of Pike

 

          2      Township.

 

          3                       Township government should be

 

          4      about what is best for its citizens.  It should

 

          5      be about what is best for our children, our

 

          6      community, and our day-to-day quality of life.

 

          7      The Pike Township Trustees and the Zoning

 

          8      Boards are charged with the responsibility to

 

          9      guide and manage the development of the

 

         10      township in a manner that retains or enhances

 

         11      the quality of life of its residents.  Further,

 

         12      to be responsive to the needs of the residents

 

         13      and to deliver quality services to meet those

 

         14      needs in the most cost effective means

 

         15      possible.

 

         16                       The purpose of the Board of

 

         17      Trustees and the Zoning Board should be

 

         18      dedicated to maintaining and improving the

 

         19      quality of life for its residents; provide

 

         20      accurate, helpful and timely information about

 

         21      the township to the general public; promote the

 

         22      public health, safety, and morals which are

 

         23      directly and significantly affected by the use

 

         24      of the land; protect the life and the property

 

         25      as well as preserve the township's natural

 

 

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          1      resources, scenic areas and natural beauty;

 

          2      preserve the valuation of all properties within

 

          3      the township; provide a place that families can

 

          4      use for recreation, exercise, sports and play

 

          5      in a clean and wholesome environment.

 

          6                       To achieve these goals, public

 

          7      officials must make these decisions based upon

 

          8      some basic core values.  These values are

 

          9      essential to the success of our community:

 

         10      Professionalism - provide competent skilled

 

         11      services; integrity - believe in doing what is

 

         12      right for the people they serve; equality -

 

         13      treat all people with honor, respect and

 

         14      dignity; responsibility - realize they are

 

         15      accountable to the members of the community

 

         16      they serve; compassion - show consideration for

 

         17      the whole person while responding to their

 

         18      needs; and excellence - provide high quality

 

         19      service in a competent, professional manner.

 

         20                       I ask you today to consider

 

         21      this mission and vision.  I also ask that you

 

         22      make your decision based on the goals and

 

         23      values of this community.  The Countywide

 

         24      Landfill and its expansion would be contrary to

 

         25      what I believe are the goals of this community.

 

 

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          1      It will diminish the quality of life, not only

 

          2      for Pike Township residents, but for those

 

          3      neighboring communities as well.

 

          4                       The expansion does not

 

          5      guarantee public safety, nor does it enhance or

 

          6      protect the natural beauty or scenic areas of

 

          7      Pike Township.

 

          8                       MS. DAWSON:  Time's up, ma'am.

 

          9                       ELSIE ZALESKI:  Hello.  My name

 

         10      is Elsie Zaleski, and I have been a resident of

 

         11      Pike Township for a long time.  If I tell you

 

         12      how long you'll know how old I am, so I'm not

 

         13      telling you, but I'm here to speak --

 

         14                       MR. STRAD:  Excuse me.  If you

 

         15      could state your address for the court

 

         16      reporter, please.

 

         17                       ELSIE ZALESKI:  Elsie Zaleski,

 

         18      8250 Dueber, SW, East Sparta, Ohio 44626.

 

         19      Okay.  Now I have my own opinion, but my

 

         20      daughter, Linda, who wanted to be here today

 

         21      could not be excused from her job, so she has

 

         22      written a letter, and I'm going to read that

 

         23      letter.

 

         24                       "Dear Trustees and BZA members,

 

         25      I much regret that I cannot attend this special

 

 

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          1      meeting to be held on March 28, 2006.  I am,

 

          2      however, not willing to miss the opportunity to

 

          3      exercise my right to express an opinion

 

          4      regarding the topic for this meeting.  I am

 

          5      what I refer to as a lifer here.  I have lived

 

          6      in Pike Township since I was a child.  My

 

          7      parents still live in this township.  My

 

          8      sister, her daughter and grandson live here.

 

          9      My daughter, her husband and their two-year-old

 

         10      daughter live here.  My son, his wife and their

 

         11      three children live here.  Nothing is more

 

         12      important to me than family and my home.

 

         13                       I see Countywide Landfill as an

 

         14      imminent threat to our health, our safety and

 

         15      our peace.  I have witnessed its creeping

 

         16      invasion into our lives and now watch as the

 

         17      looming mountain of trash gradually takes over

 

         18      the landscape.  We have endured the dirt, the

 

         19      danger of truck traffic, and now a noxious odor

 

         20      that fills our valley and prevents us from

 

         21      enjoying the outdoors and our homes.

 

         22                       Republic Services is now

 

         23      offering to fund a ramp to divert traffic from

 

         24      our local roads and give them a direct access

 

         25      route to the landfill.  The cost of such a ramp

 

 

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          1      is estimated to be between 15 and 18 million

 

          2      with construction to be delayed until 2011.

 

          3      That's a long time from now.  It's not

 

          4      difficult to do the math.  Republic would never

 

          5      consent to such an agreement without the

 

          6      promise of a lucrative return, many times their

 

          7      investment of the ramp.  The only thing the

 

          8      ramp would accomplish is to take the trucks off

 

          9      of the local roads and remove the delivery of

 

         10      the trash from our sight.  Out of sight, not

 

         11      out of mind.  Not so.

 

         12                       It comes down to money.

 

         13      Whatever the life of the landfill when it has

 

         14      taken its last load, Republic Services, after

 

         15      reaping years of enormous profit from the

 

         16      operation, will walk away from the mountains of

 

         17      trash the highest point in our township and

 

         18      likely the highest point in Stark County,

 

         19      leaving behind hundreds of millions of tons of

 

         20      refuse contained within a little more than

 

         21      enormous trash bags.

 

         22                       MS. DAWSON:  Ma'am, time's up.

 

         23      Ma'am --

 

         24                       MS. ZALESKI:  I have two more

 

         25      paragraphs.

 

 

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          1                       MS. DAWSON:  We can't make

 

          2      exceptions, ma'am, I'm sorry.  Thank you.

 

          3                       (Audience speaking.)

 

          4                       MR. STRAD:  I'll make it very

 

          5      clear here right now.  Sir, if there's any more

 

          6      outbursts, these two gentlemen will escort you

 

          7      out.  We will not -- we have a three-minute

 

          8      rule.  We'll not put up with -- I'd like to

 

          9      explain that these rules are here for the

 

         10      benefit of all.  We want to hear, but we have

 

         11      so many people that want to speak to us

 

         12      tonight, we must keep order, and I'll make sure

 

         13      that order is kept tonight for the benefit of

 

         14      everyone.

 

         15                       So we all have to abide by the

 

         16      rules.  If there's any outbursts like there

 

         17      was, I have two people here that will show you

 

         18      out, so it's as simple as that.  Please.

 

         19                       Go ahead, Dave.

 

         20                       DAVID ROSS:  Yes, my name is

 

         21      David Ross.  I live at 5725 Joleda Drive which

 

         22      is at Fohl Village, and I'm just here to

 

         23      support putting in the ramp; and we do need it

 

         24      because I do use Fohl Road, and going to work

 

         25      every morning I do pass a lot of trucks.  And

 

 

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          1      going down that hill, it's just not safe, I

 

          2      feel.  Dueber and Fohl, it's just not safe for

 

          3      the semis, be easier for them just to use a

 

          4      ramp and because of the children and the safety

 

          5      of the roads.  And that's pretty much all I

 

          6      have to say.  Thank you.

 

          7                       MS. SNYDER:  Mr. Chairman?

 

          8                       MR. STRAD:  Yes.

 

          9                       MS. SNYDER:  Would it be

 

         10      possible for people like Elsie who has this

 

         11      letter that didn't get the last two paragraphs,

 

         12      if she would like to put it on the table and

 

         13      you guys could review it later to finish it?

 

         14                       MR. STRAD:  We would even

 

         15      accept the whole letter.

 

         16                       MS. SNYDER:  Yeah, that's what

 

         17      I mean.

 

         18                       MR. STRAD:  We will accept the

 

         19      whole letter and put it in with the other

 

         20      documents being submitted to court.

 

         21                       MS. SNYDER:  Thank you.

 

         22                       MR. STRAD:  Go ahead.

 

         23                       TIMOTHY VANDERSALL:  Thank you.

 

         24      I think you all know me, I'm Tim Vandersall,

 

         25      General Manager of Countywide.  I want to thank

 

 

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          1      you for listening to me tonight.  I did want to

 

          2      ask, there is a lot of people here tonight, and

 

          3      I wanted to ask by a show of hands or applause

 

          4      who is in favor of this agreement.

 

          5                       (Audience applause.)

 

          6                       MR. VANDERSALL:  Thank you.  We

 

          7      operate -- you've all heard this before.

 

          8      You've all been to the site.  We operate an

 

          9      award-winning facility, in my opinion and in

 

         10      many others in this room and beyond, one of the

 

         11      best facilities in this great country of ours.

 

         12      We are the only landfill --

 

         13                       ROBERT RUBIN:  Is he a

 

         14      resident?  You told me I couldn't speak.

 

         15                       MR. STRAD:  We allowed one

 

         16      person from the landfill because they own

 

         17      property in Pike Township, and that's what

 

         18      we're doing.

 

         19                       Continue.

 

         20                       MR. VANDERSALL:  We have an

 

         21      excellent compliance record which I would put

 

         22      up against any landfill in the country, and the

 

         23      public's welcome.  You're welcome to look at it

 

         24      at any time.  You're welcome to come on site at

 

         25      any time and we'll show you around and let you

 

 

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          1      know what's going on.

 

          2                       We've gone above and beyond the

 

          3      rules and requirements required of landfills,

 

          4      including without limitation, agreeing to

 

          5      accept no out-of-state waste, a cooperative

 

          6      truck monitoring program with the Stark County

 

          7      Sheriff, a voluntary radiation detector, and

 

          8      agreement to hold capacity for the three

 

          9      counties in the district and a state-of-the-art

 

         10      odor control system.  We have an excellent

 

         11      monitoring system for gas, groundwater, surface

 

         12      water which have shown no landfill-related

 

         13      issues for over fifteen years of operation.

 

         14      Regardless of what people's fears may be, we

 

         15      have no issues with any of those three.

 

         16                       We provide many positive things

 

         17      for the community.  These include our park

 

         18      which most of you have seen which includes

 

         19      baseball fields, picnic, volleyball,

 

         20      basketball, fishing, a recycling center, remote

 

         21      control airplane flying club, multiple

 

         22      charitable donations such as American Cancer

 

         23      Society, local fire departments, local police

 

         24      departments, Bolivar Baseball Association and

 

         25      too many to name.  And we are always there to

 

 

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          1      help.  When this township calls for a cleanup

 

          2      or to assist, we've been there for fifteen

 

          3      years.

 

          4                       The operation of the landfill

 

          5      will not change in a significant manner.  What

 

          6      you see is what you get.  We said that a couple

 

          7      years ago, and it's still pretty much the same.

 

          8      What will change is that the traffic on the

 

          9      roads will change.  We've stepped up to the

 

         10      plate and we are going to build this ramp.  We

 

         11      are going to pay more than 15 million dollars

 

         12      to build this ramp.  We think that's an

 

         13      important thing for the safety of the

 

         14      residents, and we are going to get it done.

 

         15                       If the opponents, some of who

 

         16      are here tonight, would stop trying to block

 

         17      the progress the ramp would be in place now.

 

         18      Thank you.

 

         19                       MS. DAWSON:  Thank you.

 

         20                       TERRY DAVIS:  My name is Terry

 

         21      Davis, and I live at 3828 Haut Street, SW, in

 

         22      East Sparta.  I feel this judgment is not just

 

         23      about the ramp.  I do not agree with no. 2 of

 

         24      the judgment.  I feel the public should have to

 

         25      apply for any Conditional Use Permit, including

 

 

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          1      mining, and subject to all zoning requirements

 

          2      just like other businesses do.

 

          3                       I am definitely not for the

 

          4      fourteen hours a day.  I live just over the

 

          5      hill, and the aroma is not pleasant, and it

 

          6      cannot be controlled by Countywide and our

 

          7      trustees as well as this township.  My ending

 

          8      statement is let this go through the court

 

          9      system to uphold our zoning.

 

         10                       MR. STRAD:  Okay.  We are down

 

         11      to no. 6 through 9 let's have these people step

 

         12      forward, 6 through 9.

 

         13                       JAMES DAVIS:  I'm 6.  Jim

 

         14      Davis, 3828 Haut.  I live over the hill from

 

         15      the landfill, and my opinion is the ramp is a

 

         16      good thing.  We need a ramp if Countywide

 

         17      continues to stay there, but what we're giving

 

         18      up to get a ramp is not worth it.  When your

 

         19      opinion or your conscience tells you to close

 

         20      it down and this agreement says no, don't, or

 

         21      you don't have any authority to close it down,

 

         22      that's a problem.  That helps, tells every

 

         23      other business that we don't have any zoning

 

         24      here; anybody can do what they want.

 

         25                       There is more to this

 

 

                               HILL COURT REPORTERS

                                 (330) 499-2051

 

                                                               19

 

 

 

          1       agreement than a ramp, a lot more.  Fourteen-

 

          2      hour workdays, that means every night when I

 

          3      get home from work I still get to listen to it,

 

          4      not only being woke up by it.  There's a lot

 

          5      more in this agreement than just a ramp.  Thank

 

          6      you.

 

          7                       RICHARD ZALESKI:  I'm Dick

 

          8      Zaleski, 2167 Downing Street, SW, East Sparta,

 

          9      fifty-year resident of Pike Township.  I travel

 

         10      Dueber every day, pass all them trucks, so I'm

 

         11      in favor of the ramp.  There's many, many

 

         12      trucks that go up and down that road, and they

 

         13      do come over center and cause people to jump

 

         14      off the road and things like that.  So that's

 

         15      the main thing.  I'm for the ramp.  That's all

 

         16      I need to say.

 

         17                       FRANK KEMP:  My name is Frank

 

         18      Kemp, Sr.  I live at 5980 Sherman Church.  My

 

         19      comment is I applaud the landfill for going the

 

         20      route to pay the extra money, but I would like

 

         21      to see the ramp built and their expansion

 

         22      contingent on when the ramp is built, the first

 

         23      truck that rolls off the ramp goes to their new

 

         24      extension.  We don't -- they don't use the

 

         25      extension for fourteen hours a day until it

 

 

                               HILL COURT REPORTERS

                                 (330) 499-2051

 

                                                               20

 

 

 

          1      comes off the ramp.  I don't want trucks

 

          2      rolling past my house at 8 o'clock at night,

 

          3      especially in the wintertime when it's dark.

 

          4      That's about it.

 

          5                       MR. STRAD:  Okay.  Can I have

 

          6      the next, 9 through 11, please come up to the

 

          7      podium and introduce yourself.