The Mad River Township Trustees began their practice of holding meetings the day following a Monday holiday on Tuesday, January 21. Trustees learned that within a week since their last meeting January 13, the Enon/Mad River Township Fire and EMS Department had responded to yet another serious accident related to the extreme weather conditions. Chief Tracy Young reported that his crews responded to 174 calls in the month of December with the average response time of five minutes. The chief again praised his crew for their quick response and professional work with the Hustead crews at the accident between a semi and vehicle on S. Tecumseh Road. According to Chief Young the driver of the vehicle involved in the accident was transported to the hospital by ground due to weather conditions that did not allow for an air evacuation. The driver was treated and then transported by helicopter to The Ohio State Medical Center where he received additional treatment. Young reported that the driver was in critical condition and credited the crews for the driver’s survival noting that the physician indicated that this could have been a fatality. Young reported that the crews were summoned to a scene in Hunter’s Glen on January 20th for a gunshot wound and again acted with a high level of professionalism.
The trustees approved increases to the charges for EMS services for the coming year. According to Chief Young, these are fees billed to insurance companies. The increase will bring Mad River Township “in line with other organizations in the area” stated Young. Bills are not sent to area residents for amounts not covered by the insurance company. Non-residents are billed by the township billing agency for example in the case of an incident on the interstate. Young made the recommendation based on a need to keep up with inflation. The last increase was made in 2008. Basic Life Support (BLS) service will increase from $400 to $600. Advanced Life Support (ALS) will increase from $700 to $850 and level 2 ALS will increase from $700 to $950. Mileage will also increase from $11.75 per mile to $15.
In old business, Trustee Robert McClure motioned to accept the Enon/ MR Twp Fire and EMS budget for the year with the change of no pay increase for hourly or salary employees. All trustees voted in support of the budget and agreed to the change.
Trustees discussed a number of road concerns throughout the township with Road / Cemetery Director Don O’Connor. Trustee McClure had questions regarding the thickness of the resurfacing that took place throughout the Green Meadows subdivision in the last few years. It was agreed to contact the county to discuss the concerns when the weather improves and a site visit is possible.
Trustee Estep and Fiscal Officer Leonard attended a training session for government entities regarding changes to the process for placing tax levies on the ballot in Ohio. Estep noted that there are a number of options for the township to consider as they look at funding road repairs and improvements moving forward. The township has implemented a plan for road maintenance however the funding stream used in the past is increasingly more difficult to obtain as funding is decreasing at the state level and all government entities are now applying for the limited Ohio Public Works grants each year. Mad River Township residents may be asked to join townships across the state that must depend on local levies to support their roadways.
During the portion of the meeting where audience members may address the board, Enon/Mad River Township resident Ned Clark stated his observation of the Village of Enon support staff personnel. He asked the board for information on who in the township does the “administrative” tasks. President Kathy Estep explained that the fiscal officer, the trustees and the department heads are responsible for the clerical/administrative tasks for the township. Clark asked about public records requests. Estep explained that the township fiscal officer would handle such a request as “she” indicating Fiscal Officer Maralee Leonard is the “person in charge of maintaining the records”. Estep stated that the township “follows the Ohio Revised Code”.
Clark continued to ask about various forms of public records requests and asked about hiring an assistant for the Fiscal Officer. He quoted an internet resource regarding Ohio Revised Code indicating that Leonard could hire as assistant. During the discussion, trustee Joe Catanzaro asked Clark if Leonard had asked him for help regarding a request for an assistant. Clark stated “no, it’s none of your business”.
The Enon Eagle reviewed ORC 507.021 on the Lawriter web site. The code states that “the township fiscal officer may hire and appoint one or more persons as the fiscal officer finds necessary to provide assistance to the township fiscal officer or deputy fiscal officer”. It further states that the fiscal officer “may set the compensation of those persons subject to the prior approval of the board of township trustees”. The code indicates that the assistant may have any of the duties the fiscal officer would be required to perform “delegated” to them by the fiscal officer however it does not “relieve the township fiscal officer of responsibility to discharge the duties of the office”. The compensation of an assistant “shall be included in the estimate of contemplated expenditures for the township fiscal officer’s office” and must be submitted to the board of trustees for their approval. Leonard did not comment publically on the questions posed by Clark.
The next meeting of the township trustees will be the first Monday in February with the informal session beginning at 7 pm and the formal session at 7:30 pm.