WHAT: Township trustees meetings Feb. 3 and 17

PRESENT: Thomas Jeffers, Doug Emerine and Rick York

Trustees:

• Accepted a $4,425 safety intervention grant for the fire department from the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation for purchase of a fan from Atlantic Emergency Solutions in Chester, Virginia. The matching reimbursement grant has the township’s share at $1,475. The fan will be carried on a firetruck and be used for ventilation during a house fire.

• Approved payment of $2,000 to the Mahoning Valley Crisis Response Team for the police department when they need SWAT team assistance.

• Announced Trumbull County commissioners have chosen a gas aggregation through AEO Energy at a rate of $4.919 per mcf until March 2029. Residents currently enrolled in the aggregate do not have to do anything. Those who are currently with a supplier that is not the aggregate need to go to Apples to Apples and choose a new supplier when the current contract expires.

• Approved having the county engineer advertise for bids for the Ohio Public Works Commission project, which includes paving Craig, Esther and High streets, with bids out in March.

• Extended the contracts of the fire and police chiefs, with the fire chief’s contract through 2027 and police chief’s contract to January 2029.

• Accepted the resignation of Cherry Poteet as legal counsel, effective March 1. Poteet recommended to trustees they consider Patrick Wilson as her replacement. Wilson is law director for Cortland city and represents Vienna and Hubbard townships as legal counsel.

• Received notice from the U.S Census Bureau for the 2026 boundary and annexation voluntary survey. Emerine said there has been no annexation of township land.

• Approved $9,544 for Hayes Yocum, a part-time firefighter/emergency medical technician, to attend paramedic training through the Auburn Career Center in Concord with stipulation that he remain with the fire department for five years or, if he leaves prematurely, refund the money to the township. Fire Chief Thomas Dempsey said he is seeking grant funds to cover part of the costs.

• Supported the county planning commission’s request for support of an application to the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s 2025 land use planning grant program to complete a countywide update of the county’s comprehensive land use plan.

• Purchased a snow blower for $600.

• Announced required drug-free workplace training for employees will be March 2 and 3.