Complaint, Concern, or kudos?

Do you have a concern, or complaint, or do you want to tell us about something we're doing right? Please feel free to attend a Trustee's Meeting (the 3rd Monday of every month at 6 p.m.), call, text, or email a trustee (see the contact info page), or complete this complaint form.

Dumpster Days

Dumpster Days are May 18 - 20. The dumpsters will be located at 5166 Clinton Avenue from 7 am to 5 pm.

No hazardous materials, furniture, appliances, paint, oil, propane tanks, tires, or fuel tanks of any kind. No campers, RVs, cars, or boats (whole, pieces, or parts). Nothing with a title. Rumpke will continue to collect bulky items on your regularly scheduled service day, once a month, for NO CHARGE! Plastic to cover mattresses and other upholstered furniture for trash pickup is available at the township complex at the above address. Residents only.

Bulk Pickup Reminder!

Rumpke will collect bulky items on your regular service day. You may place bulky items out for collection on one day during each calendar month at no charge. There will be a charge for collection of bulky items on additional days in the same month. Any item placed outside the trash cart will be considered a bulky item. Plastic bags for mattresses and other upholstered furniture can be obtained at 5166 Clinton Ave.

Make a Difference in your Community and Get Paid too!

Sheffield Township is looking for potential members for the Zoning Commission and the Zoning Board of Appeals. Pay is $20 per meeting. Please contact Cindy Caldwell if you're interested. 

Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council (NOPEC)

IMPORTANT UPDATE: NOPEC Electric Aggregation to Resume June 2023. Find out more here. It's up to each household to decide whether to opt-out. If you no longer have the mailer they sent, you can opt-out by calling 855-667-3201. The township is impartial.

Poison Hemlock

One of the absolute worst and deadliest plants in America.

Hemlock poisoning

Hemlock Poisoning

Poison Hemlock

Hemlock poisoning can occur if you accidentally ingest poison hemlock. Symptoms can range from vomiting to seizures to 

respiratory failure. There’s no antidote for hemlock poisoning. Your healthcare provider will treat your symptoms, but the condition

can be fatal. You can prevent hemlock poisoning by getting rid of any hemlock plants in your yard.

OVERVIEW

   Poison hemlock has small, white flowers with petals that grow in an umbrella-shaped cluster.


What is poison hemlock?

Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) is a highly toxic plant that’s a member of the carrot
family. It’s commonly mistaken for wild carrot, wild parsnip or wild parsley. This can lead you to
 accidentally eat it (ingestion). Every part of the hemlock plant is poisonous, including the
seeds, root, stem, leaves and fruit. It can be fatal if ingested. Ancient Greeks used poison
 hemlock to execute criminals or political prisoners. The most famous example of this is the
 execution of Socrates.

Poison hemlock resembles Queen Anne’s lace. Settlers brought the pretty plant to the United
 States from Europe as a garden plant. Today, it grows throughout every region of the U.S. It
grows along fences, roadsides and ditches, and in marshes, meadows and other low-lying
 areas. If you have eaten this poisonous plant, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
 Hemlock poisoning can cause severe symptoms within 15 minutes of ingestion.

What does poison hemlock look like?

Poison hemlock identification can be difficult because it resembles other plants. The plant
 has a white root and a hollow stem with purple splotches. Hemlock can grow 2 to 10 feet tall.
 It has small, white flowers with petals that grow in an umbrella-shaped cluster. Each flower
develops into a green, ribbed fruit that contains seeds. After it matures, the fruit turns
 grayish-brown. The delicate leaves of the plant look like parsley.

Is hemlock poisonous to the touch?

Poison hemlock isn’t like poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac. You usually won’t get a rash
 from touching it. Most of the time, hemlock is only poisonous if ingested. However, you should
 still be careful when handling poison hemlock. In people with sensitive skin, dermatitis can
 develop. In very rare instances, hemlock poisoning can occur after the toxins enter your
 bloodstream. They can enter your bloodstream through a cut or through your eyes or nose
 (mucus membranes).

SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES

What are the symptoms of hemlock poisoning?

Hemlock poisoning symptoms can occur almost immediately after eating a poison hemlock
plant. These symptoms may include:

In more severe cases, hemlock poisoning can cause delayed complications such as:

What causes hemlock poisoning?

Hemlock poisoning can occur after ingesting even small amounts of poison hemlock. The
plant contains several toxic compounds called alkaloids. These alkaloids slowly poison your
 neuromuscular junctions, which send messages from your nerves to your muscle fibers.
 This poisoning can cause your breathing muscles to fail. When your breathing muscles fail,
you can go into respiratory failure and die. Hemlock poisoning can also affect your gastro-
intestinal tract, nervous system and cardiovascular system.

DIAGNOSIS AND TESTS

How is hemlock poisoning diagnosed?

There isn’t a test to diagnose hemlock poisoning. Your healthcare provider will diagnose you
based on your medical history and symptoms. If you have a sample of the plant, it can help
 confirm the diagnosis.

MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT

How is hemlock poisoning treated?

If you think you may have accidentally ingested poison hemlock, you should call your
healthcare provider right away or go immediately to the nearest emergency room.

There isn’t an antidote for hemlock poisoning, so it can be difficult to treat. Your provider will
treat you based on your symptoms and the severity of your condition. Treatment may include:

PREVENTION

How can I prevent hemlock poisoning?

To prevent hemlock poisoning, the best thing you can do is eliminate the plant. To get rid of
poison hemlock, dig it out in small patches. Make sure to remove the roots. You can use
 herbicide on the plants in late fall or early spring, but not after their flowers have bloomed.

Don’t cut, mow or burn poison hemlock — the seeds can re-sprout and the fumes can be toxic.
 Place the plants in plastic garbage bags and put them in the trash. Wear a face mask, long
 sleeves and gloves when handling poison hemlock.

If you work, camp or spend a lot of time outdoors, it’s important to become familiar with
different types of poisonous plants. Don’t handle or eat any unfamiliar plants you find outside.

OUTLOOK / PROGNOSIS

What can I expect if I have hemlock poisoning?

The outlook (prognosis) for hemlock poisoning depends on:

If you develop any symptoms of hemlock poisoning, get immediate medical attention. With
prompt treatment, your chances of survival are better. After flushing the toxin out of your
system, you may continue to have seizures and other symptoms for several days. Other
symptoms such as muscle twitching and restlessness may persist for several months.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Poison hemlock looks a lot like other plants in the carrot family. It’s sometimes mistaken for
wild parsnip, wild carrots or wild parsley. But if you accidentally ingest poison hemlock, it can
 be fatal. Severe symptoms can start within 15 minutes of ingestion. Unfortunately, there’s no
 antidote. Therefore, be careful when handling poison hemlock or any other plants you’re
 unfamiliar with. If you develop symptoms after handling or eating a plant, seek immediate
 medical attention. The sooner you get treatment, the better your chances for survival.

DISCHARGING FIREARMS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY IN TOWNSHIPS

In the State of Ohio, statutory townships—like Sheffield Township—use the laws provided by the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) for regulation, zoning, and enforcement purposes on private property. Per ORC, it is legal to discharge firearms on private property in Ohio’s Townships if discharging the firearm(s) is done in a safe and legal manner, and the person(s) discharging the firearm is the landowner or someone to whom the landowner has given permission.

What is a ‘Safe and Legal Manner?’ You are responsible for every bullet that leaves the barrel of your firearm. You still own that bullet and will be held legally responsible for any injuries, fatalities, or damages it causes. In order to be safe while discharging firearms, a shooter needs to be able to see the intended target, the backstop, and beyond. For this reason, shooting activities are restricted to daylight hours.

Those convicted of violent felonies or domestic violence and persons who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol are prohibited from possessing or discharging a firearm. The Ohio Revised Code contains specific laws allowing for the arrest of such violators. Ohio Revised Code 2923.162 prohibits persons from discharging firearms upon, over or within 100 yards of a cemetery; a public roadway; and also on the ground belonging to a school, church, or inhabited dwelling or property of another. It is also illegal to discharge a firearm from a vehicle. Persons found guilty of violating this code will face penalization ranging in severity from a fourth degree misdemeanor to a first degree felony.

Target Practice A private property owner, prior to allowing the discharging of a firearm on his/her property, needs to have a proper backstop made of soil or some other soft porous material and free of rocks or hard material that may increase the chances of a ricochet bullet. The backstop must also be of sufficient height and width to guarantee the capture of all bullets fired at targets. A wooded area is generally not considered a proper backstop as the shape of trees increases the chance of a bullet glancing off in an unsafe direction.

A range should be located so that nobody is shooting toward a house, vehicle, roadway, or any other structure. Not all private properties are suitable for shooting activities. Properties located in housing developments are typically not suitable for shooting ranges due to smaller lot sizes and their close proximity to neighboring houses. Please review the National Rifle Association’s NRA Range Source Book for more information on shooting ranges.

How We Handle Firearms Complaints When the Sheriff’s Office receives a firearms complaint, the Deputy will first survey the location to ensure a proper backstop is in place, that persons are shooting in a safe direction, and that the shooting activity has been conducted in a safe manner. If the Deputy deems the location of the shooting activity unsafe, a cease-fire may be ordered until the location, backstop, and activity are safe.

To minimize neighbors calling in shooting complaints, be cordial and respectful, exercise common sense and good discretion, and ensure you address all of the aforementioned safety concerns. Building rapport and good relationships with your neighbors and inviting them to target practice with you may be helpful in demonstrating to them that you are safe and responsible.

Call the sheriff's department, not the trustees, to report illegal shooting.

Help for Hoarding Disorder

Signs to Look For:

Most surfaces, such as countertops, sinks, stoves, and desks, are piled with items in the home.

The clutter may also have moved outside to the yard, garage or vehicles when there is no more room inside the home.

There are stacks of newspapers, magazines, or junk mail.

The person often moves items from one

pile to another without throwing away anything.

The person cannot throw things away, accumulating unnecessary items such as trash.

The person has difficulty managing daily activities and making decisions, organizing items, and has an extreme attachment to items.

The person often experiences shame or embarrassment


To learn more about available help, please contact


Lorain County Public Health


440-322-6367


Ask for Environmental Health


First Energy Financial Assistance Programs

“The pandemic has increased the financial hardships our customers are facing, particularly as the cold weather approaches,” said Ed Shuttleworth, president of FirstEnergy’s Ohio Operations. “Customers who have lost income during this crisis and who are behind on their utility bills may be eligible for assistance that was unavailable to them before.”


Programs customers may be eligible to participate in include:


• The Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP): Allows customers to pay a set percentage of their income toward their electric bill, regardless of the balance. Customers who maintain their payment plans may be eligible for debt forgiveness. Eligible customers should have income below 150% of federal poverty guidelines. To apply, call 1-800-282-0880 or visit www.energyhelp.ohio.gov. 


• Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP): Provides eligible customers with cash grants for home heating bills and emergencies. Customers must have gross income below 175% of federal poverty guidelines. Call the Ohio Development Service Agency at 1-800-282-0880 or visit www.energyhelp.ohio.gov for more information.


• 2-1-1 Helpline: This nationwide resource and information helpline identifies locally available programs that may assist customers with utility bills or other needs. For more information, dial 211, text your ZIP code to 898211 or visit the 211 website.


• Customers who are having difficulty paying utilities, rent or mortgage due to the pandemic may apply for a Home Relief Grant. Visit https://oacaa.org/agency-directory/ for an agency near you.


• Additionally, the $175 Winter Reconnect Option allows residential customers who are disconnected or at risk of disconnection the opportunity to pay a designated amount to have their service restored or maintained. There is no income eligibility requirement. PIPP customers who use this option may be eligible to have a reset of their past due amount.


For a complete list of assistance programs for which customers may be eligible, including installment payment plans and budget billing, please visit www.firstenergycorp.com/billassist, or call customer service:


Ohio Edison 1-800-633-4766


Ohio Edison serves more than one million customers across 34 Ohio counties. Follow Ohio Edison on Twitter @OhioEdison, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OhioEdison, and online at www.ohioedison.com.

The Illuminating Company serves 750,000 customers across Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake and Lorain counties. Connect with The Illuminating Company at www.illuminatingcompany.com, on Twitter @IlluminatingCo and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/IlluminatingCo.


FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland, and New York. The company’s transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at www.firstenergycorp.com. Follow FirstEnergy on Twitter: @FirstEnergyCorp.

request from the road department

PLEASE do not put leaves or branches in the road. Place them on your curb area/tree lawn. Thank you. 

Disposing of Bulky Items

Please be sure to properly prepare your bulk items before disposal.

Here's how you can help keep Rumpke drivers safe:

Lorain County Solid Waste Recycling Information

RESIDENTS of Lorain County can drop off Household Hazardous Waste (HHW), E-Scrap, Fluorescent Bulbs and Ballast, Scrap Tires and books (paperback/hard cover).

BUSINESSES & ORGANIZATIONS located in Lorain County are limited to disposal of E-Scrap, Fluorescent Bulb and Ballast and books (paperback/hard cover). For large loads please read the following PDF’s on preparing your materials for delivery.

Acceptable Types of Household Hazardous Waste

Curbside Recyclables To assist apartment dwellers or other residents who don’t have curbside pickup of recyclables, the District now accepts curbside recyclables at the Collection Center. Plastic bottles marked #1-7 (look for the number inside the arrows on the bottom of the bottle), glass bottles and jars, steel food cans and aluminum beverage cans can be placed in one bag or box.

Newspapers, magazines, white copy paper, junk mail, cardboard (that is broken down) and boxboard (cereal, cracker, tissue boxes, etc.) can be placed in a second bag or box. Drop them off inside the Center during normal business hours.

For more information, please feel free to call 440-329-5440 or Contact the District.

The list below of Collection Center Acceptable & Unacceptable Materials  is also available in a printable PDF format.

MATERIALS ACCEPTED

Corrosives: Acids, Caustics, Rechargeable Batteries, Button Batteries, Hydraulic Brake Fluid

Flammables: Latex-Based Paints/Stains/Sealers, Oil-Based Paints/Stains/Sealers, Aerosol Cans, Turpentine, Paint Thinner, Adhesives, Solvents, Oven Cleaners, Lighter Fluid, Butane Lighter Fluid, Oil Filters, Propane Tanks (Up to 33-Pound Only), Oxygen and MAPP Gas Cylinders

Reactives: Fertilizers, Pool Chlorine, Oxidizers

Toxics: Household Bleach, Antifreeze, Herbicides, Pesticides, Mercury & Mercury Devices, Roofing Tar, Concrete Sealers, Fire Extinguishers

E-Scrap: (Computers, TV's, & Other Electronics) Personal Computers (CPU), Video Monitors (CRT), Flat-Screen Monitors, Mice, Keyboards & Joysticks, Printers, Plotters & Scanners, Hard Drives & Tape Drives, Computer Speakers, Diskette Drives & CD Drives, Data Terminals & Modems, Servers & Network Hardware, UPS Systems, Cables & Circuit Boards, Software, Tapes, Diskettes & CD’s, Desktop Office Equipment (Typewriters, Calculators, Fax Machines, etc.), Household Televisions (Up to 27" Only; No Large Console TV's), Home Audio Equipment, Microwave Ovens, Smoke Detectors, Reference Manuals & Books, All Refillable Printer Cartridges, All Cell Phones (with battery, charger and other accessories preferred)

Scrap Tires: (Limited to 10 Tires): On-The-Rim / Off-The-Rim, Tires up to 20” Rim Diameter, All Bicycle & Motorcycle Tires

Fluorescent Lamp & Ballast: Straight Fluorescent Tubes, All Lengths (including green-tipped tubes), All U-Shaped, Circular and Odd-Shaped Lamps, Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL), Neon Lights and Signs (Tubing Only), High Intensity Discharge (HID) Bulbs, HPS, MH & MV Ballasts & Transformers from All Fluorescent Light Fixtures

MATERIALS NOT ACCEPTED

Ammunition, Explosives, Road Flares

Biomedical / Infectious Waste (Prescription Medications, Home Health Care "Sharps", etc.): Got drugs? The United States' Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) annually schedules a National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, (for those who have accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs), to safely dispose of these medications for free.

All Appliances (Except Microwaves)

Non-Fluorescent Lamps (Household Bulbs, Spotlights, Headlights, etc.)

Tires (with a Rim Diameter Greater than 20")

Radioactive Materials (Except Smoke Detectors)

Asbestos in Any Form (Loose or Encapsulated)

Construction Debris (Shingles, Treated Lumber, Railroad Ties, Carpeting, etc.)

Televisions (with a Width Greater than 27")

Console Televisions

Soliciting

Please be aware that anyone soliciting within the Township must first obtain a permit. Solicitors must carry a copy of this permit and identification. Groups such as schools and scouts are exempt. Currently, there is one active permit on file with the Zoning Department. This permit was given to IGS and will run through the month of May. As a reminder, Sheffield Township is a community who has seen the benefits of partnering with NOPEC. We urge all residents to check on energy supply costs before considering a change in suppliers.

Public Awareness Report: The Drug & Overdose Epidemic in Lorain County

Preservation of the health, safety and welfare of our county residents is a responsibility we take seriously. Fatal drug overdoses keep rising in Ohio with the Ohio Department of Health recently reporting a 20% increase. The impact is being felt in our community at an alarming rate.

Here in Lorain County (population 306,000), new research estimates 35,000 residents are misusing or abusing opioids*. Last year, 132 overdose deaths occurred. Some of the dead included grandparents. An alarming number of infants are being born displaying withdrawal symptoms due to drug exposure. 75% of our children being placed in foster care in the county is due to parental substance abuse.

Fentanyl is now being mixed with all kinds of street drugs triggering overdoses and death. It is alarming to report that the federal government has assigned two designations to our county because it has become one of the leading drug trafficking counties in the nation. This drug activity is harmful to our families, our children and our local economy ($200-million/year negative economic burden*).

This Public Awareness Report will provide you with the latest information on the severity of the toll the drug epidemic is having on our county. We continue to work with law enforcement and those on the front line providing treatment. This is a community crisis that we, as a community, must address for the sake of our families and the future of our county.

The Board of Lorain County Commissioners

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yIovyACii-zh-PiyWoIh5TVB45SpV59y/view?usp=sharing