The Staunton Township Trustees met on April 21, 2014 to review the road work that needs to be down in the township and discuss options on the best repair methods to meet the township needs.
Bill Gearheart, Trustee, will meet with Coopers Asphalt on April 22, 2014 to get a price estimate on what it will cost to repair Polecat Road. The trustees believe that the roads needing the most attention at this point are Rusk between Lost Creek and DeWeese, County to DeWeese and Stringtown between Loy and Peterson.
Jeff Cron, Trustee, said, "we better start talking to different people to get quotes or we aren't going to get anything done."
The trustees discussed the various options for the road repairs. If they opt for the chip and seal method the cost will be approximately $40,000 per mile. To resurface the roads, the cost is $70,00 per mile. According to Mr. Cron, "the last time we used the chip and seal it held up for about five years. In the past five years, that is about all we got out of repaving."
Levi Long, Trustee said, "It seems to me we get the best bang for our buck with the chip and seal. And under the right conditions, it is as good as repaving. They add tar, gravel and a slurry film, which is almost like a paving job." With chip seals, a thin film of heated asphalt liquid is sprayed on the road surface, followed by the placement of small chips" The chips are then compacted to increase adherence to the asphalt, and excess stone is swept from the surface.
The trustees contacted the Miami County Juvenile Delinquents Center to help clean up the township roads. The roads with the most debris include Polecat, Sayers, and Rusk. According to Mr. Gearheart, "if the county could handle those roads, it would solve most of our problems." With humor, he added, "They just need to pick up that couch."
Mr. Gearheart has also been investigating requesting a grant from Troy Foundation. He said, "They give a lot of money to everyone to do about anything." Michael DeWeese provided him with information on the Miami County Foundation. He said, "It is one of few charities that I give to because they are primarily interested in providing services to Miami County residents."