Hiding the Truth

Letter about "Tree Trimming"

Homeowners were sent a deeply misleading letter in Fall 2018 that said trees on Sperry Road would be trimmed and only cut in "certain circumstances." No wonder they weren't too worried:

“The Department will be doing tree trimming and brush removal in preparation for ditching. Trees will be trimmed and brush removed only as needed to facilitate ditching, snow removal and clear passage for school buses and snow plows.…In certain circumstances, trees in the right of way may be removed as per Ohio Revised Code Section SS43:14…as is necessary in the engineer’s or Board’s judgment to facilitate the right of the public to improvement and maintenance of, and uninterrupted travel on, county and township roads.”

Yet every single tree that was marked ended up being cut. Not one tree was trimmed.

Resident Complaints Hidden

• A resident who went to Town Hall on Jan. 17, 2019 with concerns was rebuffed by Trustee Joe Mazzurco. But the only place you'll find his remarks are on the audio recording from that day, which I obtained in a FOIA.

• The exchange between Trustee Joe Mazzurco and the resident was not included in the Jan. 17, 2019 Minutes (see below), which weren't released and posted to the Township website until March 2019.

• A false comment by Superintendent Mike Farrell IS noted in the minutes, though: "The area was surveyed and by law the vegetation must be removed." In fact, the ORC doesn't says no such thing (see above).

• In the Chester Township Government Update that was published Feb. 6, 2019 (see below), no mention at all was made of any complaints about the tree cutting.

• I attended a trustee meeting in March and complained about the adverse actions of the tree cutting, and there was no mention in the Chester Government Update not the meeting minutes.

Costs were Hidden Until the Last Minute

The agenda for the Jan. 17, 2019 meeting included a motion to approve tree cutting on Sperry Road "for no more than $15,000."

Yet, Trustee Joe Mazzurco advanced a motion to "approve Van Curen for the tree cutting on Sperry Road between Wilson Mills and Sherman Road for no more than $38,000. The motion was approved by Trustee Ken Radtke and Trustee Joe Mazzurco.

The job was never competitively bid out and never advertised publicly.