BATH TOWNSHIP — Bath Township officials are moving ahead with two major projects, one at Bath Township Park and one at Byron Cemetery.
Currently, DWA (Daniel Williams and Associates) Recreation is installing three GarmeTime commercial playground systems in the township park, located behind the township office at 1006 Yellow Springs-Fairfield Road. The township trustees approved a purchase order for $33,750 to install the three playground systems during the Aug. 7 township meeting.
According to Township Trustee Tom Pitstick, the installation fee includes engineered wood fiber playground surfaces, concrete curbing around the structures and sidewalks.
In October 2018, GameTime, a commercial playground equipment manufacturer, awarded $45,403.50 in matching funds toward the $90,807 purchase cost of the new playground systems. This left the township with a balance of $47,694.79, which included $2,291.29 in shipping charges.
However, Greene County Parks and Trails donated $23,500 in grant funding toward the project, and the Greene County Board of Commissioners contributed $44,587 from a grant fund delegated for permanent public improvement projects.
“This brought the total cost of the playground systems for Bath Township to approximately $13,358,” Township Trustee Steve Ross said during a recent township meeting. “That is a great savings for these playground systems.”
In July 2018, township trustees voted to remove all the existing playground equipment from the township park, with the exception of two swing sets. Greg Hennecke, Ohio Plan Risk Management representative, recommended replacing the deteriorating equipment.
The township road crew completed the removal of the old playground equipment the first week of this month. Township officials are expecting the first-installed playground system to be completed by mid-September, weather permitting.
One project is completed and another project is underway at Byron Cemetery. Township Cemetery Supervisor Teresa. Phillips reported to township trustees during the Aug. 7 township meeting that several roads in the cemetery were milled and repaved on Aug. 3. Plans call for the remaining roads in the cemetery to be milled and repaved next year. Township Fiscal Officer Elaine Brown said the cemetery road project covered close to one mile of roadway and cost $43,091.
Phillips is expecting the installation of a new dirt barn, which will be constructed in the southeastern corner of the cemetery, to begin the first part of September, weather permitting. Excavation is ongoing and will not be completed until the barn is finished.
In August 2018, township trustees approved a proposal submitted by Cleary Building Corporation to construct a customized, pre-engineered barn that will stand 14 feet high, 40 feet wide and 56 feet long for the estimated cost of $24,419.
Township trustees voted during the April 17 township meeting to proceed with the excavation and construction of a roadway to the building site, as well as the excavation and installation of a drainage system for an estimated cost of $39,900.
In May, trustees voted to add a concrete floor and a 3-foot-high retaining wall to the interior of the dirt barn. According to an estimate submitted by M and W Trenching LLC. Concrete and Excavation, the contractor will pour a wall 18 inches from the interior walls of the barn and a 4-inch-thick, fiber-mesh concrete floor. The estimated cost of this addition is $27,000.
Township trustees also approved the purchase of a Bob-Cat Predator Pro 72-inch, zero-turn riding mower with a mulching plate from Xenia Tool for $12,251. The new mower replaces a John Deere ZT, 72-inch riding mower that the township purchased in May 2008.
The township is accepting sealed bids for the John Deere mower until 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4. Minimum bid accepted is $3,500. Submit bids at the township office from 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Bids must contain your name and contact information. Township officials will open the sealed bids during the Sept. 4 township meeting.
According to Phillips, the mower was serviced annually and is in fair-to-good condition with approximately 870 running hours on it.
Phillips also reported that Dodds Monuments has repaired and reset all but two of the headstones that were damage during a mishap in February. A representative from the Xenia-based company speculates that all the repairs will be completed by September.
The incident occurred on Feb. 20 when a cemetery employee was snowplowing the roadways in the cemetery after a major snowstorm. The weight of the heavy snow the blade of the snowplow pushed to the side caused approximately 86 monuments to either shift or topple off their foundations. Phillips said she would be submitting a final damage report to the board of trustees after all the repairs are completed.
The Bath Township Board of Trustees will meet again in regular session at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4 at the township office, 1006 Yellow Springs-Fairfield Road in Fairborn. Township meetings are open to the public.
