Trustee Rich Reville and Director of Services Tim Black represented Northfield Center Township. “As everybody is aware, I’m sure that we built a new building this year, new administration offices,” Trustee Rich Reville said. “The new administration office is a 10,000-square-foot building. It was done with a lot of help from Macedonia and Sagamore Hills as far as location and our team.”
The fire department utilizes about 80 percent of the building, Reville said. The new location has helped the response time for the Macedonia Fire. The administration and the police each use 10 percent of the building.
Along with the new building, the township is trying a new road paving program. “This is our first year that we’ve done a rejuvenization program,” Reville said. The program was studied for about a year before it was decided on.
“They take the asphalt that is there, the existing asphalt, they grind it down, they reuse it and put it back down,” Reville said. The program has reduced costs compared to the precious mill and fill process. The township paid about $16.50-a-yard for the new process, he said. The mill and fill process would be double or triple, according to Reville.
“We went into a joint venture this year with Macedonia in the Golden Link entrance, repaving that,” he said. “And we are working with them on a grant for Walter Road.” The township received a $1.8 million grant to improve stormwater drainage through the entire Northfield Center area. “They are finally doing the engineering now and we are moving forward with that now,” he said.
The township signed a 15-year agreement with the Macedonia Fire Department for service and a grant to improve equipment. Beacon Hills Park has been refurbished and pickleball courts added to the tennis courts.
“We are one of the few pickleball courts in the area,” Reville said. “And people have lined up to play pickleball. They consume it. They actually asked us to close down more of our tennis courts and open more pickleball courts.”
Tennis courts were rebuilt last year and combined with pickleball courts, he added. Basketball courts have been repaved and playground equipment has been updated.
Officials are working on a new contract proposal with the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, which patrols township streets, Neville said.
The township is exploring options and is working with the real estate division to market the former fire department.
Reville touched on a few personnel issues. Former zoning inspector Don Saunders retired September 27 and Tim Black is now director of services.
According to Black the township traded in two old excavators and purchased a new Caterpillar excavator. The township has also purchased a medic unit/rescue squad per Macedonia Fire Department specs, Black said.
“[We] are really happy to get that in and we retired one,” Black said about the squad.
And according to Meville, a much anticipated business remains on hold. Developers for Meijer have promised to build a store in the area
“I know everybody has been waiting for them to come in,” Reville said. “It’s been about 7 years we’ve been working on this project and they still have not purchased their property.”
