Greenville Township Talk

Fall is upon us and it won't be long before winter arrives. The summer went by quickly but we were able to accomplish quite a bit in the township this year. The township trustees spent $150,000 on township road improvements this past summer. We used asphalt, chip and seal and crack sealing. Because the township has been so aggressive in our road program the past few years, we expect to spend less than $80,000 on road improvements for 2010. The road crew is currently rebuilding the salt bin at the township house as well as getting the equipment ready for winter. Rudy, Mark and Mike have done an excellent job this year with mowing and maintenance, and that has been a big money saver for the township.

Greenville Township Memorial Gardens is getting a major face lift with a new maintenance building. Construction should be complete within the next few weeks. This building replaces the old building that was built in the late sixties which had a dirt floor and was a straight pole building. The new building will have a concrete floor, concrete walls, electric and a place to keep dirt dry for an extended period of time. We would like to remind everyone that flowers are allowed to be placed on the grave sites only if they are placed in monument vases. This makes cleanup easier and keeps the cemetery looking nice. The only exceptions are holidays.

As you know Greenville Township and the City of Greenville serve on the board for the operation of Greenville Union Cemetery. This year the township along with the City has donated $10,000 each to the mausoleum fund. These funds were a seed for an ongoing campaign to raise enough money to repair the mausoleum roof and interior. Estimates range from $70,000 to $90,000.

A new tanker truck was purchased for the fire department earlier this year. The new truck has a capacity of three thousand gallons of water and should last upwards of twenty years. The truck was purchased out-right with no financing required and the old tanker was traded in. When the fire department was started, a decision was made to buy all the new equipment that was needed, except the two trucks that the township had previously purchased for use by the city. This will be a cost savings because all the current fire department equipment should last for a period of several years.

The township purchased new heart monitors at a cost of $80,000 as the old monitors would have been obsolete by next year. The new monitors will allow doctors to communicate with rescue personnel at the scene and on the way to the hospital. Runs are down by about 200 for the first nine months of this year. Squad personnel are busy with continuing education to better serve the public.

As everyone is aware this has been a difficult year in regards to revenue. Greenville Township is in a sound financial position at this time. Current year revenues are slightly less than budgeted but also expenditures have been less than originally budgeted. The 2010 Budget was prepared with the expectation of a further decline in revenues. The trustees along with the fiscal officer have worked together to keep the same quality of services with less money.

The trustees will continue to provide the same quality of services to all residents. If you have any questions or concerns the township meetings are held on the second and fourth Saturdays at 7:00am at the township building. It is a public meeting and all are welcome to attend. Hope to see you there.

Greenville Township Trustees