Tate Township, Ohio
May 2023 Trustee Meeting Update
Summary of the regular meeting of the Tate Township trustees held May 9, 2023.
Trustees Gary Reed, Bob Redden, and John Wilson were present for the meeting. The official April 2023 meeting minutes were approved: Apr 11 2023 Trustee Mtg
Cemetery Report- In April, there were 7 burials, 4 graves sold, and 6 foundation orders placed. They poured 17 footers 3 weeks ago and plan to pour another 17 tomorrow.Trustee Reed commented- The shelter looks good with the gutters installed. You did a nice job with the grading around it. Trustee Redden commented- I recently applied for the 2023 grant from the Clermont County Park District. I received a letter today that says Tate Township has been awarded a $10,000 grant to be used towards the cemetery shelter.
Roads report- The first mowing of the the roads is finished. The crew completed two days of pot hole repair on township roads. They replaced 4 culverts. Clermont County road crew has ditched Moore road in preparation for the bridge replacement.
BTFD report- BTFD May 2023 Update In April 2023 there was a total of 162 calls with the fire total calls 53 and the EMS total 109. Average en route time is 1.5 minutes and average response time is 5.5 minutes. Tate- Monroe Water has installed 38 new hydrants since we received the grant in 2021. 19 more have been marked, once they are installed that will bring the total to 57. The biggest complaint they are hearing from residents is from the ground work that is done around the new hydrants. Residents need to be patient with the dirt that needs to settle around the new hydrants. The BTFD did a Mock Crash last Friday at the high school, prom night weekend. SRO Randy McElfresh and A/C Cooper put everything together with the Ohio State Police, UC Air Care, Clermont County Coroner’s Office and Bethel-Tate Fire Department. It was well received by the students and staff.
Zachary Downing
Swearing in full-time firefighter/Medic Zachary Downing, who replaced the vacancy created from Dave Long retiring.
Steve Troutman
Swearing in Steve Troutman for the 2nd Lt position.
Lucas Rueb
Swearing in SAFER Grant Full Time firefighter/EMT-B Lucas Rueb.
William Welch
Swearing in SAFER Grant Full Time firefighter/EMT-B William Vince Welch.
Patrick Salvatore
Swearing in SAFER Grant Full Time firefighter/EMT-B Patrick Salvatore-
Three Fire Cadets, Dakota Day, Autumn Morlatt, and Chloe Stamm, were approved by the trustees to bring the Fire Cadet count up to 7. The Fire Department’s Ladies Auxiliary Quarter Auction on April 20, 2023 profited $3,007.00. Hose testing for 7000 feet of hose will be done next month. The hose needs to be tested annually.
Zoning report from Rob-He issued 9 permits and assigned 6 addresses.
Deputy Pike’s report- In the month of April, he handled 77 calls, took 25 reports, and 1 accident report. He assisted other departments 18 times, made 2 criminal arrests, conducted 30 investigations, and closed 19 reports.
Trustee Redden wants residents to know that Take A Root is giving 175 trees away on May 20 at the Grant Career Center to Tate residents that have registered online through the link located in a post on Tate Township.
Next regular meeting is June 13, 2023 at 7:oopm.
Free Trees Available Through Taking Root
Open Now: Pickup is May 20, 2023
Tate Township residents are eligible for a FREE 5-gallon/5 ft tall tree! Choose between oak, redbud, and black gum (tupelo).
Exclusive for residents in Tate Township, Clermont County
You Must Register to receive your tree through the TREE FOR ME TOOL.
Tate Township Tree For Me Flyer:Taking Root
Pick up Saturday, May 20 at the Grant Career Center
718 W Plane St, Bethel
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Free trees made possible through Duke Energy grant.
Thanks to Natorp’s Nursery for your generous support.
Moore Road Closure 5/8/23 & 5/9/23
The Clermont County Engineer’s office determined that a short road closure is necessary on Moore Rd. so that contractors can clear trees from the area around the upcoming bridge replacement project.
The closure will be located between 2597 and 2601 Moore Rd. The road will be closed to through traffic from 7AM to 5PM on Monday, May 8, 2023 and Tuesday, May 9, 2023. Detour signs will be posted.
OhioGhostTowns.org Contains Tate Township History
If you are a history buff or at all interested in the history of our area, you might like to explore this website full of articles written and organized by the Ohio Ghost Town Exploration Co. members. Website is https://ohioghosttowns.org/
The website is full of researched history about old towns in Ohio that include the names of their founders, where they are buried, and the current state of the town. You will also find links to historical maps, stories/legends of Ohio treasure, and important safety information for history adventurers.
The following articles (about areas located in Tate Township) are copied from the Clermont County page of the website written by Ohio Ghost Town Exploration Co. Link to the page is HERE.
Swings (Swings Station) (Swings Corner) – Tate Township
Location: 38.967524, -84.116260
on Swings Corner Point Isabel Rd at the intersection of Crane Schoolhouse Rd
Remnants: Swing Family Cemetery on the north side of SR 125 west of Bethel (above painted retaining wall), old houses and farm buildings in the area
Description: The town was founded by the massive Swing family in the township. It had a church, school, and a train station on the Cincinnati, Georgetown, & Portsmouth Railroad. Most of the family was buried in Swing Cemetery and some in the Old Settlers Burying Ground on SR 133 in Bethel.
Walkers Mills – Tate township
Location: 38.946756, -84.055720
on Patterson Rd between Airport Rd and Sodom Rd
Remnants: none known
Description: It was founded by William T. Walker and had a train station on the Cincinnati, Georgetown, & Portsmouth Railroad.
Bethel, Ohio – (1798 – present farming and merchant town)
Classification: small town
Location : Tate Township, Clermont County – On SR 125 at the intersection of SR 133
Obediah Denham (1747-1817) and Mary (Ball) Denham (1753-1818) ventured from New Jersey to Ohio to start a new life on American frontier. Their settlement was originally called Denhamstown and was platted as Plainfield in 1798, named after Obediah’s hometown. It was replatted as Bethel in 1802. The Grant Memorial Building on State Route 125 started out as a school in 1930 and currently houses the Bethel Historical Society & Museum. It features exhibits with local, state, and national history and honors veterans and famous citizens who lived in the town. The building was restored earlier this decade and reopened in 2014.
Americans have enjoyed a love affair with movies for over a hundred years now. The first movie theater in Ohio opened in Bethel in 1908 and was operated by Aaron Little. The Midway Theater hit the scene in the late 1930s and was a big hit in its day. The single screen venue could seat up to 400 watchers at a time. It’s located in the business block across State Route 125 from the museum and closed and reopened a few times in recent years. Silver screen legend Robert Redford did some filming at the Midway Theater in April of 2017 for the 2018 film The Old Man & the Gun.
Wichard Oil is a family owned gas and service station that opened in 1932 and was also used as a filming location. The building next to it is the Bethel Feed & Supply Pet & Garden Center. The three-story mill was constructed in 1858 and is an iconic building in town, despite not getting any direct attention in the movie. It’s one of the oldest feed mills still in operation in the state. They are a common sight in Ohio’s small towns, with many of them surviving the test of time, but most are used for other purposes these days.
Obediah and Mary Denham donated land for the Early Settlers Burying Ground (Denham-Burke Cemetery) on the north side of town on State Route 133 and were buried there with relatives and county pioneers. It’s nicely maintained and has several signs and markers dedicated to local citizens who helped shape Bethel’s history. A large stone marker mentions the Unknown Hunter who is believed to be the first burial there. It also has a condensed version of the town’s beginning. As with most cemeteries in Ohio that are over 200 years old, the Early Settlers Burying Ground has many military veteran burials from the Revolutionary War to modern conflicts.
Elk Lick, OH – (1802 – 1972 farming town destroyed during the Harsha (East Fork) Lake Project)
Classification: ghost town
Location: Tate Township, Clermont County – On Elklick Rd in East Fork State Park
Elk Lick was founded in 1802 by Reverend John Collins (1769 – 1845) and Sarah (Blackman) Collins (1776 – 1863). It was named after the abundance of natural salt licks in the area. John built a log cabin church in 1805 called Collin’s Chapel. A wood frame structure was built on the same spot in 1818 and was named Bethel Methodist Church. It was rebuilt in 1867 and still stands today. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. John and Sarah’s son Richard (1796 – 1855) was a War of 1812 veteran and a wealthy lawyer. He had a 37-room mansion constructed at Elk Lick in the early 1850s. It was considered to be the most prominent house in the county for several decades. Dr. Thomas Pinkham (1802 – 1884) also had a mansion built nearby.
Along with John Collins, Dr. Pinkham attempted to get the county seat moved to Elk Lick as it was quickly becoming an affluent community. However, that never happened and Elk Lick was never incorporated. John and Sarah Collins were buried in the Old Bethel Methodist Cemetery close to the church. Elk Lick had its own school, but it burned down in an arson fire in 1931. Some of the residents attended the Bantam one-room schoolhouse which still stands on Williamsburg – Bantam Rd. Much of the town’s land was later impounded by William H. Harsha (East Fork) Lake which was created by a dam on the East Fork of the Little Miami River. Construction of the flood control project began in 1970 and was completed in 1978.
Richard’s mansion was demolished by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1972 and was located where the lake’s recreational beach currently is. The McGrath family was the last to reside there. Several old dilapidated structures around the area were also razed prior to the lake’s completion. 
One house was saved from demolition by the Miami Purchase Association for Historic Preservation. It was the home of Ohio politician and U.S. Senator Thomas Morris (1776 – 1844). The back 2-room portion of the house was built in 1818 and the larger front was added in 1840. It presently sits on the grounds of the Heritage Village Museum in Sharon Woods Park off of US 42 (Lebanon Rd) in Sharonville, Hamilton County.
Bethel Museum Historic Dress Display
The Bethel Museum, located at 235 W. Plane Street in the Grant Memorial building, recently installed the new display case for their historical period dresses. The beautiful, large wall cabinet was custom built with lighting and full sliding glass panels. Members of the Bethel Historical Society refreshed the dresses by cleaning, steaming, and arranging them on newly donated dress forms.
If you haven’t been to the Bethel Museum lately, treat yourself to a visit on Saturday, May 6th or May 20th from 1:00 to 4:00pm. Members are there to answer questions and the cost is free. On May 20th, which is during the Bethel-Tate Alumni weekend, the Bethel-Tate Jazz Band is scheduled to perform in front of the building from 1 to 4. Inside, there will be a special “decades” display of Bethel Journals.
If you are wondering about the scaffolding in front of the Grant Memorial building, the Bethel Historical Society is having the brickwork repaired. Visit their website Bethel Historical Society
March & April 2023 Trustee Meeting Summary
Summary of the regular meeting of the Tate Township trustees, held March 14, 2023.
Trustees Gary Reed, John Wilson, and Kathy Brannock, the fiscal officer were present for the meeting. The official February 2023 meeting minutes were approved Feb 14 2023 Trustee Mtg
- Zoning news- Eight permits were issued.
- Deputy report- In February/2023, Dep. Pike handled 67 calls, wrote 16 reports, had 3 warrant arrests, assisted other departments 26 times, conducted 22 investigations, and closed 18 reports.
- BTFD report- BTFD Mar 2023 Update There were 148 total calls in Feb., 43 fire and 105 EMS. their times were 1.4 minutes out the door and an average of 5.5 minutes on the scene. Fire loss was $16,000.00 and property saved was $53,000.00. The SAFER grant top 3 part-time firefighters will move to full-time when FEMA funds are available, which is estimated to be in April 2023. The Tate Monroe fire hydrant installation has resumed now that they have received their new tapping tool. The tornado was ruled to be an F0 that hit a total of 24 single-family homes (reported) on Bethel-New Richmond Road, Crane-Schoolhouse Road, and Macadamia Road. There was minor shingle damage on the BT fire department roof and the annex building across the street.
- Cemetery report- There were 5 burials, 4 footers ordered, 2 graves sold. They used the new shelter for the first time on 3/3/23. They will need bids for downspouts and a better parking lot.
- Roads report- They had 24.63 tons of salt. The Tate Township clean-up dates are set for July 7th & 8th, 2023. Friday and Saturday will both be 7:00am to 5:00 pm drop for residents with proof. There is a small fee for tires that will be passed on to the resident. No paint, yard waste, or batteries can be accepted.
Summary of the regular meeting of the Tate Township trustees, held April 11, 2023.
All trustees and the fiscal officer were present for the meeting. The official March 2023 meeting minutes were approved Mar 14 2023 Trustee Mtg and the March special meeting was approved. Mar 20 2023 Special Trustee Mtg
The trustees passed a resolution to prohibit large solar facilities and large wind farms into the entity of Tate Township. the road construction/paving contract for Macedonia Road was awarded to Roberts Paving for approximately $123,000.00. The trustees accepted a bid for the 6″ gutters and downspouts to be installed on the memorial shelter for $1500.00.
The trustees will be getting bids to update the township zoning regulations in order to add regulations and update language. The current zoning regulations are old and outdated which limits the trustees ability to keeep up with rules and reguations that the residents want.
- Zoning news- Seven permits were issued (1 Occupancy, 3 Single Family Dwelling, 1 Solar, and 2 Garage)
- Deputy report- In March/2023, Deputy Pike handled 78 calls, wrote 18 reports, had 6 traffic contacts, had 3 warrant arrests, assisted other departments 29 times, and conducted 23 investigations. The Junk/Clean Up dates in July have been requested for municipal court help. They will be available to help on Friday 7/7 and maybe on Saturday 7/8. Pike said there is a new law that is in effect and they will begin ticketing for in October. The Text & Drive law is a primary violation which means that officers can and will pull vehicles over when they see the driver holding any device, whether they are using it or not. The driver of a vehicle is not allowed to hold any phone, tablet, or other media device.
- Zoning report- The 2 trailers on N East Street are now gone and will not be replaced.
- Cemetery report- In March 2023 there were 9 burials, 5 foundations ordered, and 2 graves sold. The trustees approved the puchase of a Gator golf cart for cemetery use.
- Roads report- They have been working on picking up limbs, trees and other storm damage and taking it to the marshaling yard. Clermont County has ditched up to Patterson Road. They expect to replace 8 private property culverts this summer to improve the water flow in the ditches.
- BT Fire Dept. report- BTFD April 2023 Update In March 2023 there were 199 calls (71 fire and 128 EMS). They had $0 fire loss. There was 1 minor injury due to a chain saw. Tate Monroe Water has installed 22 hydrants since the last meeting for a total of 29 installed hydrants. The insurance has approved the roof repair to this (BTFD) building and while visiting the annex building, the insurance company decided to replace the ceiling tiles inside the building
- BTFD- Ladies Auxiliary will resume their annual quarter auction this year on April 20th at the Bethel-Tate Middle School as a fundraiser. Everyone is welcome. The doors open at 6pm and the auction begins at 7:00pm.
- Resident discussions- A resident asked if the trustees could record the meetings and then post the recording to the website. They will look into it. Another resident is upset with a neighbor that runs engines that are loud at all hours of the day, making it difficult to have any outdoor activities. He asked for a noise ordinance to be put into the new regulations. Deputy Pike said the law considerers noise a freedom as long as it is reasonable. Usually in Ohio the law considers any loud noise after 11pm to be unreasonable. Please call the Clermont County Sheriff’s office to report loud noise or any other violations so that Pike can investigate it.
- Next regular trustee meeting is May 9, 2023 at 7:00pm.
Asian Longhorned Beetle Update
An excerpt about Ohio’s infestation in a recent newsletter from USDA is copied below:
ALB in the United States
ALB is in 4 states: Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, and South Carolina. Eradication efforts eliminated infestations in Illinois and New Jersey. If you live in a quarantine area, please keep this tree-killing pest from spreading. Follow state and federal laws, that restrict the movement of woody material and untreated firewood.
OHIO – First detection: June 2011
Regulated Area: 49 sq. miles* in Clermont County
Tate and Williamsburg Townships
Infested Trees: 21,722
34 East Fork Recreational Area, 48 Monroe Township, 21,722 Tate Township, 3 Stonelick/Batavia Township
Removals: 116,216
21,547 Infested, 94,669 High-Risk Hosts
Surveys: 4,318,627
The wood disposal yard located at 2896 State Route 232 in Bethel is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Wood chips are available for residents from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. on the first Saturday of every month. For more information, please call 513-381-7180 or click Ohio.
* Monroe Township eradicated in September 2018, resulting in a reduction of the regulated area by .5 sq. miles. Stonelick and Batavia Townships eradicated in March 2018, resulting in a reduction of the regulated area by 5 sq. miles.
Reminders
If you live in a quarantine area, you can help by allowing program officials access to your property to perform tree surveys and remove infested and, in some cases, high-risk host trees. Hire companies that have compliance agreements with the eradication program for working on host trees. And never move wood out of regulated areas, because it can spread the beetle and other tree pests and diseases.
Report ALB
If you think you’ve found ALB or signs of infestation, record the area where the specimen was found, capture the insect and take digital pictures of the insect and/or the tree damage. Then contact the eradication program operating in your state, or call the ALB hotline at 866-702-9938, or report online.
Contacts
ALB National Policy Manager
Kathryn Bronsky, 301-851-2147
ALB National Operations Manager
Josie Ryan, 631-229-3287
Our Veterans
Are you a veteran residing in Tate Township now or in the past? We would love to add your service information to Our Veterans page. Fill out the form on Our Veterans page and submit it to have your information or a family member’s information added to the page.
Thank you for your service!
Bethel Hygiene Road Closure 3/16-3/24/23
The Clermont County Engineer’s office announced a temporary road closure for Bethel Hygiene Road in Tate Township. There are 5 culverts being repaired or replaced during this closure. Warning and detour signs will be in place for this project. The road will be closed to through traffic from 7PM to 5PM Thursday, March 16, 2023 through Friday, March 24, 2023.
Any questions, please contact Mark Schlosser at the Clermont County Engineer’s Office (513) 732-8888.
February 2023 Trustee Meeting Update
Summary of the regular meeting of the Tate Township trustees, held February 14, 2023.
All trustees and the fiscal officer were present for the meeting. The official January 2023 meeting minutes were approved. Jan 10 2023 Trustee Mtg
- BTFD Report for January 2023 was given. There were 166 calls in total, 50 fire department and 116 EMS. The crews were 1.3 minutes out the door and 5.5 minutes average to on the scene. They saved $1.5 millio in property. The SAFER grant will pay for 3 additional full-time employees that will begin April, 2023. Dave Long retired and the 1st Assistant Chief position will be filled by Chris Cooper. BTFD Feb 2023 Update
- The Clean-Up dates for 2023 for Tate Township
will be Friday and Saturday, July 7th & 8th, 2023 from 7:00am to 5:00pm both dates. Clean-Up 2023 HERE - The remainder of the meeting was dedicated to information and conversation about solar farms and planning. Read the notes from the meeting HERE.
- Next meeting will be March 14, 2023 at 7:00pm.
