A CITIZEN'S HANDBOOK

VILLAGE GOVERNMENT

Incorporated in 1910, Brewster is a community of 2,324 people.

The Village government has two branches - legislative and administrative. The legislative branch is comprised of the President of Council and six Council members. The Mayor serves as the head of the administrative branch with the following administrative officer: Village Administrator. The Mayor, along with the administrative staff and the various boards and commissions, carry out policies and laws as set forth in the Ohio Revised Code and the Village of Brewster Ordinances. The six members of Village Council are the legislative branch and enact laws and regulations.

Brewster Hall is located at 302 S. Wabash Avenue. Village Hall houses the Offices of the Mayor, the Village Clerk-Treasurer, the Village Administrator, Council Chambers, the Utility Office, and is adjacent to the Fire Station. The Village Office hours are as follows:
Utility Office: 7 am - 3:30 pm

Village Administrator: 7 am – 3:30 pm

VILLAGE MAYOR

The Mayor is elected for four-year terms. Mayoral duties, as set forth by The Ohio Revised Code, are to exercise supervision and control of all departments and divisions of the Village and to see that all laws, ordinances and resolutions are faithfully obeyed and enforced. The President Pro Tem of Council is designated by the Ohio Revised Code to be Acting Mayor during such a period when the Mayor is absent from the Village or otherwise to be temporarily unable to perform the duties. Mike Schwab is currently Brewster's Mayor. The Mayor can be contacted at 330-767-4214 or at BXMayor@brewsterohio.com

VILLAGE COUNCIL

The legislative powers of the Village are vested in Village Council. Village Council consists of six members, each elected for staggered four-year terms. Council’s responsibility lies in providing laws and regulations by which the Village is governed. Council is also responsible for control of all finances and property of the municipality. Village Council meets the first and third Mondays of each month. Their meetings are held in Council Chambers at Brewster Village Hall at 302 S. Wabash Avenue and are open to the public. Current members of Council are Dale Fox, Dave Godwin, Thomas Hilliard, Chuch Hawk, Paul Mackey, and Steve Tharp, Jr.

VILLAGE CLERK-TREASURER

The Village Clerk-Treasurer is an elected position and shall attend all Council Meetings, keep a record of its proceedings, all laws, bylaws, resolutions, and ordinances adopted by Council. The Clerk-Treasurer also keeps the books of the municipality, exhibit all moneys received and expended, of all the property owned by the Village and the income derived from, and of all taxes and assessments. Kris King is the present Village Clerk-Treasurer. The Clerk-Treasurer may be reached at 330-767-4214 or BXClerkTreasurer@brewsterohio.com

VILLAGE ADMINISTRATOR

The Village Administrator manages the Village utility and street departments as well as serve as the Village Zoning Inspector and Income Tax Commissioner. Mike Miller currently fulfills these duties. He can be reached at Village Hall at 330-767-3931 from 7 am to 3:30 pm Monday through Friday or at BXAdmin@brewsterohio.com.

VILLAGE SOLICITOR

The duty of the Village Solicitor is to serve as legal counsel to the administrative and legislative branches of the Village. Attorney John Anthony is the Village Solicitor.

VILLAGE PROSECUTOR

The Village Prosecutor is the Village’s attorney and representative in local court cases, & prosecutes misdemeanor and felony cases in Massillon Municipal Court. Attorney Ian Crawford represents the Village as the Village Prosecutor.

SERVICES, OFFICES AND DEPARTMENTS

Village services such as utility, zoning, police, fire, and so forth are listed throughout this listing. Please refer to that specific office or service.

AIR POLLUTION, OPEN BURNING

Open burning within the Village is prohibited except for cooking food for human consumption or for heating tar, welding, acetylene torches, highway safety flares, heating for warmth for outdoor workers, smudge pots, and similar occupational uses; provided, however, that the fire shall not be used to burn garbage, construction/building debris, landscape waste, or any other material and shall be of minimum size sufficient for the intended use.

AIRPORT

The nearest airport to serve the Brewster area is Akron-CantonAirport at 330-499-4221 or www.akroncantonairport.com.

AMBULANCE

Calls to the emergency number (9-1-1) are answered by the REDCenter which dispatches the Village Fire Department emergency squad. Those serving on the emergency squad are volunteer firefighters and members of the Village Fire Department. They participate in training on an on-going basis. Between the hours of 6 am and 6 pm, Monday through Sunday, a paid Paramedic is dispatched from the Village Fire Department to emergency calls within the Village and contracted portions of Sugar Creek and Tuscarawas Townships

ANIMALS

Calls concerning animals can be directed to the police department as a routine (330-767-3191) matter. The Village has an ordinance prohibiting animals running at large and prohibiting the housing of certain animals within the Village limits. Information on this may be obtained from the Police Department (330-767-3191).

APPROPRIATIONS

The Village’s fiscal year begins January 1. Village Council adopts Appropriations (the Village's authorization to spend money) in ordinance format. The appropriations are based on the budget which is adopted by Council in June of each year. According to state law, no expenditure may exceed the amount appropriated, although Council may amend the appropriations from time to time as necessary.

See also: Zoning

Building Permits

A Building Permit is required for any construction. The building permits are issued by the Stark County Building Department, 1727 Mahoning Road NE, Canton, Ohio44705 at telephone number (330)451-2370. Before a building permit will be issued, you must first obtain a zoning certificate from the Village Administrator at Village Hall.

House Moving Permits

Permits are required for moving buildings and can be obtained at the Village Administrator’s Office in Village Hall at 302 S. Wabash Avenue, and he can be reached at 330-767-3931 or at BXAdmin@brewsterohio.com

Drivers License and License Plates

Driver's Licenses and Vehicle License Plates are issued by the local motor vehicle registrar whose office is
in the Massillon AAA building at 1972 Wales Avenue in Massillon, Ohio.

Marriage License

Marriage licenses can be obtained from the Probate Court, located in the StarkCountyOfficeBuilding at 110 Central Plaza in Canton, Ohio. Before making the trip to Canton for the license, we suggest that you call them to be sure that you know what records you will need to take with you. The telephone number is (330) 451-7759.

MAPS

A street map of Brewster is available at Village Hall at 302 S. Wabash Avenue, Brewster, Ohio44613. Zoning district maps and regulations are also available from the Village Administrator for a nominal fee.

MEETINGS

The Brewster Village Council meets the first and third Mondays of each month at 7pm. In Council Chambers at 302 S. Wabash Avenue. The meetings are open to the public and citizens are invited and encouraged to attend these meetings.

The Planning Commissionmeets the third Thursday of each month if there is any business for the Commission to conduct. Contact can be made with the Planning Commission through the Village Administrator, telephone number (330) 767-3931.

The Board of Zoning Appealsmeets the third Thursday of each month. However, no meetings are held if there are no requests for variances of the zoning ordinance. You can contact the Board by calling or visiting the Village Administrator at Village Hall. The telephone number is (330) 767-3931.

MENTAL HEALTH

Mental Health Services can be provided by the Stark County Mental Health Board at (330) 455-6644.

MOPEDS

Motorized bicycles (mopeds) are governed by the laws of the State of Ohio and the Village of Brewster. Moped drivers must obtain an operator's license and follow safety regulations as prescribed by law. The mopeds must have a license plate.

MOTOR VEHICLES

The Village has an ordinance prohibiting the parking of inoperative or unlicensed vehicles on private property for more than 15 days. If you wish to complain about a vehicle which is parked on private property which is unlicensed and/or inoperable you can contact the Brewster Police Department, 145 W. First Street, telephone number (330) 767-3191.

Motor vehicle titles are available at the Title Office at the Massillon AAA at 1972 Wales Road in Massillon and at telephone number (330) 833-1009.

Motor vehicle license plates can be obtained from the Deputy Registrar whose office is located at the Massillon AAA at 1972 Wales Road in Massillon at telephone number (330) 833-1084.

MUNICIPAL COURT

The Local Court system is the Massillon Municipal Court situated at 1 James Duncan Plaza in Massillon
and at 330-830-1730

MUNICIPAL UTILITIES

The Village of Brewster operates electric, water, and wastewater utilities. Also see the specific utility

NEWSPAPERS

The daily papers available in StarkCounty are the Independent in Massillon (330-833-7554), the Repository in Canton (330-580-8300), and the Akron Beacon Journal (330-996-3000). A local paper, the Far Corner, is published weekly and is free at various locations around the Brewster area

PARKING TICKETS

The Brewster Police Department issues parking tickets to persons who violate the ordinances regarding parking. These parking ordinances range from the 48 hour parking limit on most Village streets to those regulations specific to an area or violation. These tickets are payable at the Brewster Police Department, 145 W. First Street

PARKS AND RECREATION

The Village operates several beautiful parks for the enjoyment of the citizens of Brewster. The Village provides funds for the operation of these parks, and has an on-going program to provide new recreation equipment and maintain the existing equipment.

Bimeler Park located between W. First and W. Second with entrances from those streets as well as from McKinley, Washington, and Lincoln Avenues. This 20+ acre park contains picnic facilities, two pavilions, several baseball and softball fields, a tennis court, a skatepark, basketball court and is used for soccer as well. The park is named for the Bimeler Family which donated this land for a Park.

SaboPark is located off of W. Main Street between that street and W. Fourth Street. This is small park set up for Disc Golf and saw major damage during the June 22, 2006 Tornado.

WittingPark is located at the intersection of E. Main Street and Cleveland Avenue. This is the Village’s newest Park created to honor former Village Mayor Ellis Witting. This is a small park with landscaping and seating for those passing by. The land for this Park was donated to the Village by the Bruno Musacchia Family.

The Village also has an agreement with the Fairless Board of Education for the use of the “Old” Brewster High School Football Field on Washington Avenue at W. Fourth Street. This field has two baseball /softball fields.

The parks are maintained by the Village Street Department and your questions should be directed to Village Hall at 330-767-4214.

PASSPORTS

Passports can be obtained at the Stark County Clerk’s Office in StarkCountyOfficeBuilding at 110 Central Plaza S, Suite 690 in Canton. Information is available at 330-451-7791 and www.starkclerk.org

PLANNING COMMISSION

The Brewster Planning Commission consists of five members as follows: the Mayor, a member of Village Council, and three citizens appointed by the Mayor. Each appointed member serves a six-year term. The Planning Commission is responsible for the overall development of the City and makes decisions in that regard. They can be contacted through the Village Administrator at Village Hall, 302 S. Wabash Avenue, telephone number (330) 767-3931.

POLICE

The Village maintains a fully-equipped and trained Police Department under the direction of the Mayor and the Police Chief Harry Porter. The Chief of Police is the top ranking officer of the department. The department consists of five full time officers and five part time Officers.

The police department provides a variety of community relations/public service activities and can be reached by calling (business) (330)767-3180 or (emergency) 9-1-1 or 330-767-3191

PROPERTY TAXES

Property taxes are collected by the Stark County Auditor whose office is located in the StarkCountyOfficeBuilding, 110 CentralPlaza, Suite 220, Canton. The telephone number is (330) 451-7357 and www.auditor.co.stark.oh.us.

PROSECUTOR

The Stark County Prosecuting Attorney is located in the Stark County Office Building 110 Central Plaza, Suite 510, Canton. The telephone number is (330) 451-7897.

The Village Prosecutor's office is located in the Massillon Municipal Court

PUBLIC UTILITIES

Electric, Water, Wastewater

The Village’s utilities consists of Electric, Water, and Wastewater. The administration of these utility operations are the responsibility of the Village Administrator who is appointed by the Mayor and Village Council. Village Council has control of the spending by way of appropriations. The Brewster Municipal Utilities main office is located in Village Hall at 310 S. Wabash Avenue and the telephone number is (330) 767-3312. If you need to sign up for utilities, you need to contact the Utility Clerk at the Utility Office which is open Monday through Friday, from 7:00 am to 3:30pm, excluding Village holidays.

Cable Television

Massillon Cable TV operates the cable television system in Brewster. The Council of the Village grants, by ordinance, a franchise to operate in Brewster. Their office is located at 814 Cable Court in Massillon and their telephone is 330-833-4134.

Natural Gas

The Columbia Gas of Ohio provides natural gas to Brewster. Their business office can be reached by calling toll free 800-344-4077.

Telephone

Frontier Telephone serves Brewster. They do not have a business office located in the Village, but can be reached by calling toll-free 800-483-4000 and at http://www.frontierinternet.com/

RECYCLING

The Village provides a recycling program in two methods. The first is a Yard Waste drop off site in the BimelerPark parking lot adjacent to the PoliceBuilding on W. Main Street. This service is sponsored by the Stark-Tusc-Wayne Solid Waste District. The second is through Boy Scout Troop 920 which oversees a drop off site within the Street Garage’s fenced area behind the PoliceBuilding. Dumpsters are available at the site for newspapers, cardboard, plastics, aluminum, and glass. This site is open from 7 am to 3:30 pm Monday through Friday and from 10 am to 1 pm on the second and fourth Saturday of each month.

SCHOOLS

Brewster is served by the Fairless Schools which are operated by the Fairless Board of Education. The Board of Education consists of five members who are elected by voters residing in the school district which includes the Villages of Beach City, Brewster, Navarre, and Wilmot and Sugarcreek and BethlehemTownships. Fairless Schools are comprised of a High School, a Middle School, and a Grade School all located in Brewster at 11885 Navarre Road SW. The new Middle School and the new Grade School opened in September of 2007

The Administrative offices are located at 11885 Navarre Road SW in Brewster, and can be reached by calling (330) 767-3577 and at www.falcon.stark.k12.oh.us

SNOW EMERGENCY

A three inch snow fall signals a snow emergency in the Village and all streets shall be clear of parked cars to allow free passage of Village snow plows to clear the streets for everyone’s use. A parked car will impede the plows and eventually cause an unsafe condition as the unplowed snow accumulates around the unattended car. Vehicles not moved from these streets may be towed at the owner's expense

STREET TREES

The Village recognizes the importance of street trees to the community. The Village maintains its street trees through .33 % Street Income Tax funding provided by the voters. In the Fall of 2006 ninety-nine new trees were planted and throughout the year Council operated a pruning and removal program to maintain the Village’s public trees. Brewster has been named a "Tree CityUSA" since 1990.

SIDEWALKS

Periodically the Village Administrator reviews the sidewalks that line our neighborhood streets and the Downtown area. Under State statute the abutting property owners have a responsibility to maintain sidewalks that provide safe passage to pedestrians that may use them, and with that in mind the VA looks for sidewalks that may present a hazard. A hazard may be sidewalk slabs that are out of alignment or have surface deterioration, either of which condition may lead to slips or falls. If such a hazardous condition is noted the property owner will be asked to make needed repairs within a specified timeframe. If the repair is not made by the property owner, the Village will contract the repair and bill the property owner.

In addition sidewalks should be unobstructed and available for use by the general public.

SNOW REMOVAL

The owner or occupant of any building or property is responsible for clearing snow from sidewalks in front of that building after a snowfall.

The Village Street Department handles the plowing of snow from the streets and alleys as well as the clearing of snow from in front of Village owned buildings and properties. Any calls, complaints, or requests regarding snow removal can be directed to the Village Administrator at 330-767-3931.

STREETS, ALLEYS, STORM SEWERS

The maintenance/construction of streets, alleys, storm sewers and sidewalks falls under the supervision of the Village Administrator and Council. Brewster is very fortunate that their citizenry has approved an additional .33 % Income Tax every five years since 1986 for funds dedicated solely for the improvement and maintenance of Village streets, alleys, and street trees . Each year a street improvement project provides and upgrade to various Village roadways.

Periodically, sidewalks within the Village are reviewed and for any sidewalk slab that may be in need of repair the abutting property owner is contacted. If the property owner decides not to make the repair the Village does and assesses the property owner. Under the Ohio Revised Code and Village guidelines it is the property owner's responsibility to keep their sidewalk in good repair.

The Village crews keep the road and storm sewers in repair, and free of ice and snow during winter weather. If you have any questions about a street, alley, storm sewer or sidewalk, you may contact the Village Administrator at Village Hall, telephone number (330) 767-3931.

TAXES: See: Income Tax, Property Taxes

TITLE OFFICE: See: Clerk of Courts

TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS

The payment and handling of traffic violation tickets issued in Brewster is handled by the Massillon Municipal Court, located in Massillon City Hall, at 1 James Duncan Plaza. The telephone number is 330-830-1732

TREES: See: Street Trees

UTILITIES: See: Public Utilities

VOTER REGISTRATION & VOTING

The Stark County Board of Elections is responsible for registering voters. People can register at their office which is located in 201 3^rd Street NE, Canton, OH44702. Their telephone number is 330-451-8683. Registration applications are also available at the Brewster Utility Office at 602 S. Wabash Avenue in Brewster Village Hall.

There are two polling places in Brewster, one in the Brewster Fire Station adjacent to Village Hall, and the second in the BrewsterGraceUnitedMethodistChurch on Superior Street.

WASTEWATER UTILITY

The Wastewater Department is responsible for the treatment of sewage from Village residences, businesses and industries. The plant is located at on 725 S. Wabash Avenue. Inquiries can be directed to the Village Administrator at 330-767-3931, the Utility Office at 330-767-3312, or Wastewater personnel at 330-767-3114.