MECCA — Township trustees will receive bids at noon Friday as they move forward with a new township building on the township park property off state Route 46.

Trustee Chairman Tom Domes said trustees will review the bids and make a decision at the April 14 trustees meeting. The sealed bids are being delivered to Phillips Sekanick Architects in Warren for review.

The new building will be a combined town hall and childcare center.

The board already has entered into a contract with K.M.B. Inc., dba King Bros., at $69,500 for the completion of the wastewater plant for the new town hall and childcare center.

Domes said part of the project will come from various funding sources, including the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the American Rescue Plan Act via the Trumbull County Commissioners and from ARP funds allocated to Mecca Township.

When asked by residents if restrooms at the new town hall will be available for public use instead of portable restrooms, trustee Christen Clemson said there will be a public Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible restroom with an outside entrance.

In other business at the March meeting, trustees proposed running a local contest to come up with a logo for township letterhead, documents, signage and other official materials.

Submissions must be clear and recognizable when reduced or enlarged in size, must be ADA compliant and should reflect the character, heritage, values and pride of Mecca. Trustees said designs must be original work and not contain copyrighted images or elements owned by others.

Domes said he will post the contest on social media. Submissions to the contest will be due by April 10 with the public and trustees’ board voting April 14 to select the design that will be displayed as the official township logo.

In other business, Trustee Dan Gladd said Trumbull County Sheriff Mike Wilson and other sheriff’s department staff will submit monthly summary reports to trustees.

He said a seasonal contract — possibly for having the Maplewood school resource officers transition into township patrols for the summer months — is being discussed. However, Gladd said those special details are paid at a higher wage.

HEART MONITOR

Trustees also received a quote for a LifePak 35 heart monitor.

Domes said the total cost will be $57,248, with a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant reimbursing $44,008 and the Mecca Volunteer Fire Department Social Group donating $9,000.

The township will be responsible for $4,239.

Trustees said the LifePak 15 the department has in Squad 38 will be discontinued within the next eight to nine years and will become obsolete. The monitor was purchased in 2021.

Trustees said with that in mind, the township will need to budget to replace the current heart monitor before that time.

Also, Clemson said she has received calls that Causeway Drive is a private drive, and residents have asked if it can be changed to a public or township road since there are now two businesses on the road.

Clemson said if the township were to take it over, certain standards for the road would be required.

She said the township would have to dig out the road and build up the road base to meet the standards of a public road and then pave and maintain it. Clemson said the cost would be higher than the township can afford at this time.

Resident Cathy Brunstetter said with plans for renovating Mecca Circle, she asked what the exact property boundary of the circle is.

She contacted Arlington Cemetery, and they advised using 6-inch by 6-inch pressure-treated lumber rather than cedar for the posts around the circle at 6-foot intervals in between and using gravel under and in the hole around the post rather than dirt.

Nick Pappas will be trimming the trees in the circle.

Clemson said she checked with Pappas to make sure he was still a registered business and that he had his own insurance, which she said he does.

Brunstetter also inquired if Mike Coates Construction would be able to do the curb since ODOT will not.

Gladd said he will check into whether the state will allow another business to do it.

He said Mike Coates Construction is willing to donate their time to the project. The township will obtain all permits required for the project.

LIBRARY PROGRAM

Resident Tara Gladd requested the trustees’ approval to apply for an Impact Library Program grant for replacing the current free library at the park pavilion with an enclosed covered unit.

She said the grant would provide the box and post kit, sign, starter books and free shipping.

Gladd said the Impact Library Program also would place Mecca Park on the map of libraries. She said she has spoken to resident Tami Morrison, who started the existing park library, and with Gladd about proceeding with the project.

Gladd said she would be the sponsor and would maintain the new library.

Trustees approved Gladd to apply for the Impact Library Program grant.