Friendship Park in Lake Township.
Debbie Rogers | Sentinel-Tribune
By Debbie Rogers
MILLBURY — Paddling the pond in a Lake Township park may be pursued.
At a meeting earlier this month, Lake Township Trustee Chairman Ken Gilsdorf asked if they could look at insurance costs for using Friendship Park for kayaking or more fishing in the deeper part.
He asked Laurie Manning from Hylant Administrative Services, who was giving an annual update on the township’s insurance costs, if it would be too “astronomical” to open the pond up for more uses.
“Not necessarily,” Manning said. “We insure metroparks, and they’re doing kayaking. … We just need to get risk management involved and make sure there’s some procedures around it.
“It’s really going to depend on how many people participate, too,” she said. “It would take risk management. It’s water.”
Police Chief Mark Hummer, who is also the township administrator, said they would have to make some improvements at the park, if they were going to change how it is used.
“We would need to put in a proper access and egress,” Hummer said.
Gilsdorf said that the east end is shallower.
Trustee Richard Welling said the deepest part of the pond is 25 feet.
“We do insure those type of exposures. It’s just whether you as a township want to enter in to that,” she said. “It would take some risk management.
“The benefit could be outweighed by the cost and the work,” Manning said. “It’s not really in your scope of business as a township. … It’s a little outside the box. But we could always get a price if you want to do it.”
After the meeting, Hummer said that Friendship Park, which is adjacent to the township building off Ohio 795 at Cummings Road, is a passive park. There is a walking path around the pond, a shelter area with picnic tables and children’s play equipment.
“The only thing currently allowed in the pond is fishing,” Hummer said. “You can fish or run a radio-controlled boat.”
He said there have been requests to install a kayak boat ramp.
The cost for township insurance for the year is $97,957.
The total value in property insurance for the township is $11 million, up 5% because of inflation, Manning said.
Also at the meeting, a man who has repeatedly talked about thistle concerns in a field on Fostoria Road was escorted out by Hummer.
The trustees said that the field has been cut and they plan on putting more notice out in the spring.
“What do you want done,” Richard Welling said.
“What do you want us to do about a problem that no longer exists for this season?” Hummer said.
Gilsdorf said that Goodman’s time for speaking was finished.
“What if I’m not done?” Goodman said.
Gilsdorf then banged the gavel and asked for Goodman to be escorted out of the hall. Hummer escorted him out of the building.
Audience member James Hicks said Goodman means no harm.
“He just wants to make sure you guys know we’re serious,” Hicks said.
Also at the meeting, the trustees:
• Set a zoning hearing for American Cold Forge, 5626 Woodville Road, Northwood, for Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. The request is to change from Business 1 to Manufacturing 1.
• Approved spending $14,246 for inspections and preventive maintenance on fire and EMS apparatus. Atlantic Emergency Solutions, Manassas, Virginia, will do the work.
• Authorized $2,750 to Mercy College for firefighter/EMT Briana Giron can attend paramedic school.
• Approved spending $2,598 to Bayer Auto LLC, Perrysburg, for repairs and tune-up of the 2018 Dodge Charger.
• Voted to pay $2,500 to Jay’s Body Shop, Millbury, for repairs to the 2014 Ford ambulance.
• Approved spending $1,500 to Murphy Tractor & Equipment Co., Perrysburg, for air conditioning repairs to the 1997 6640 New Holland tractor.
• Hired Aiden Yoon as a part-time EMS/firefighter/ paramedic at $20.06 per hour.
