VIENNA — Speed cameras and ambulance protocol updates, as well as new fundraising ideas, were among the matters covered at a community discussion earlier this week.

Trustee Mike Haddle hosted another meeting, his second one since July, aimed at hearing resident concerns firsthand and brainstorming ideas to help the township get out of its financial crisis. The township was designated to be in fiscal emergency by the state auditor’s office in the spring after $1.2 million was discovered missing from the budget and possibly misappropriated. An investigation by the state auditor’s office is underway.

Haddle was named a trustee in May, following former Trustee Robert Root’s resignation April 17.

Haddle heard concerns from residents about issues with the speed cameras installed last month, with one questioning whether trustees were aware someone received a warning for going 30 mph in a 35 mph zone.

“We’ve got some calibration issues we’re still trying to work out. That’s what the 30-day grace period was for, was to work out some of these calibration issues, work out some of these things,” Haddle said. “They’re not adjusted yet on (Routes) 11 and 82. And no one can figure out where the glitches in the system are to get them (the state routes) on there.”

Blue Line Solutions, which is the speed camera company the township contracted with, is working through the calibration issues, which Haddle said hopefully gets done this week.

Haddle said the speed cameras will not be placed in any school zones because they’ve had some issues there.

Haddle also provided updates with the fire department’s status, noting a meeting was taking place at the fire department at the same time as his discussion. The department changed the township’s EMS protocols from the one used by Trumbull Regional Medical Center to one used by Akron, which Haddle said would save them some money.

“By changing those protocols, they give us some free stuff for the ambulance. They pay for a certain system that we used. It was like two grand a year and we were paying for it, but they pay for it now,” Haddle said.

The decision also was made because of uncertainties surrounding the county’s medical facilities owned by Steward, he added.

Haddle discussed the township’s status, saying that when he was in the Marine Corps, they had a one-, five- and 10-year look-ahead. But right now, as a township, they’re just “meandering through.”

“We’re being reactive. We react to situations; we’re not proactive; we’re not getting out ahead of problems. We’re not forecasting problems,” Haddle said. “The money, whatever you want to call it, was overspent. We’re in the hole, so we gotta climb our way back out of it. One way we’re trying to do that is the traffic cameras. We’re optimistic it’s going to bring in something over the next three years that’ll get us out of the hole. The reality is, with this situation — and this is what a lot of people don’t understand — if we don’t do anything, it’s going to take at least five years.”

Haddle encouraged residents to suggest ideas for community events, fundraising or anything that could be used to fund the departments that could be done now.

Residents ultimately agreed on planning a chili cookoff. The Vienna Neighborhood Watch hosts an annual chili cookoff, but the proceeds from that go back to the neighborhood watch. It is unclear if that event will still take place or will be replaced by the community one.

The event’s proposed date is Oct. 14, but its planning committee is set to meet Monday to discuss venue selection, scheduling, securing donations for paper goods, raffle items and food, as well as promotional strategies and leadership roles.

Haddle said he hopes to get younger members of the community, or at the very least, more community involvement, through events such as this.

“This is a problem with a lot of communities, I notice. A lot of times you have older generations that are doing these things, volunteering, doing these committees and stuff, and the younger generation kind of really doesn’t do that much,” Haddle said.