For more than 50 years now, BHA has been a key part of Bath. From the activism of members in the early 1960s — fighting against the division of Bath Township into ⅓ acre parcels — to the 1970s, preventing the county’s proposed sewer system extension into, and forever changing, rural Bath — to publishing the first township telephone directory — to actively participating in the former Bath Community Day, to hosting candidates’ nights programs — BHA members keep residents informed of important township issues. The BHA wants to “Keep Bath Beautiful” and have Bath remain a wonderful place to live.
In addition to our Septic Clean Out Discount Program for members, the following are some of the things we do or have done for Bath. Address Markers— BHA continues to partner with the township to fund the purchase of fiberglass address markers which are installed by the township according to first responder specifications. This effort helps ensure that Bath’s police and fire emergency vehicles can easily locate addresses. Good Deeds Project — Bath Township participated in Summit County Probate Judge Todd McKinney’s “Good Deeds Project” to identify Bath residents who could benefit by changing the way their real estate and other assets would be transferred upon their death to avoid the need to go through Probate Court. BHA paid the cost to send notifications to the affected Bath residents. Project Pride — Every spring, BHA has been a sponsor of Project Pride / Bath Cleanup Day, when volunteers clean up the litter from Bath’s highways and byways. To ensure the safety of those volunteers, especially the students who participate, BHA has purchased several hundred safety vests to make sure drivers “see” those volunteers.
Community communications — For decades, the Bath Homeowners’ Association has published a newsletter. The Annual Newsletter contains interesting material about the township, photos, details about our annual meeting, and background on initiatives undertaken or being considered by township government. Bath Homeowners’ Association Website — In recent years, the BHA created and maintains this informative website, which not only details our activities, but links visitors to a variety of interesting and useful sites. Annual Meeting — Our annual membership meeting, which is open to all Bath residents, features a wide variety of thought-provoking experts speaking on topics ranging from zoning to septic system requirements, to township oil and gas wells, to safety and cyber security. The association encourages direct communications between Bath residents and their representatives via email, telephone, letters, and surveys. Public Forums —As part of this effort, we host a candidates’ night prior to every election when there are township ballot issues or individuals running for township office. Prior to the JEDD referendum, the association hosted a series of public debates, featuring individuals speaking for and against passage.
Bath Community Fund — We are proud to have been a Founding Donor of the Fund which is a permanent endowment dedicated to the Bath community and established to positively impact the more than 60 non-profit and tax-exempt organizations in Bath. Committed to responding to Bath community needs, the Fund’s core areas of interest include historic and environmental preservation; arts and culture; youth, education, and recreation; and social service initiatives. For details about the Fund go to www.akroncf.org/BCF. Septic Fees — BHA is a strong advocate that septic systems must be properly maintained…thus our septic clean-out program with discounts for our members. However, when the Summit County Board of Health (SCBH) in 2004 proposed that ALL septic owners pay an annual fee merely for having a septic system, we made extensive filings and had multiple meetings with SCBH arguing that such fee would be illegal since SCBH has no power to tax but only to charge for services. They ultimately agreed with us and now only charge for services, such as inspections. (See our Septic Inspections page.) To paraphrase Jack Marshall, one of the founders of the present BHA, members have always been knowledgeable about, interested in and willing to act to protect Bath and its abundant natural beauty. Your Membership in BHA will help us do just that!