MADISON TOWNSHIP — The meeting and training room in the Madison Township Fire Department Station One just got a bit brighter.
At the trustees’ Tuesday meeting, township resident Mike Phipps presented fire chief Ken Justus with a diamond painting featuring turnout gear against an American flag.
“I ordered the pattern remembering 9/11,” he said.
“I wanted to give it to the Madison Fire Department to say thank you for the great work those men and women do every day to protect our community and our neighbors.”
Phipps said the painting took him about a month and half to complete. He and his wife Nancy have previously made pieces to display at the Richland County Fair and to benefit Ministries for Hope and Healing.
“It’s very similar to cross-stitch,” Mike Phipps said. “You can use some of the same patterns that you would for cross stitching to make diamond paintings.”
In other fire department news, trustees accepted the resignation of a part-time firefighter Max Penrod and approved Justus’ request to remount the paramedic truck Medic 71.
Justus said the refurbishing could take about two years, but that the township wouldn’t owe any money until after the truck comes back remounted.
“Burgess Ambulance Sales would be remounting that truck onto a 2025 Ford F-550, four-wheel drive chassis with a gas engine,” he said. “If we sign this contract now, it’s going to be 18 to 20 months before they can even start, then, you’re looking at at least three to four months for them to work on it.
“That is the quickest I can find. I think we should lock this in at this price of $169,812. This is the next step in the ambulance plan I shared a few months ago.”
Justus also shared that the Madison Twp. Fire Dept. has been awarded a $3,260 grant from the Ohio Division of EMS to improve EMS training and patient care.
In addition, township trustees approved an employment agreement with Larry Weirich to begin the full-time road superintendent job on Sept. 7.
The employment agreement signed Sept. 3 is a two-year contract beginning Sept. 7, 2024 and ending Sept. 4, 2026.
The township will pay Weirich $65,000 for the first year. He will be eligible for three weeks of paid vacation annually, as well as health insurance and retirement benefits.
The contract states the road superintendent will work 80 hours per two-week pay period, but may work additional hours depending on the job demands. The township will provide a road department vehicle for work responsibilities and Weirich is responsible for reporting his own mileage.
Trustees consider road department salt shed roof, concrete repairs
Trustees also discussed a quote for Brace Avenue salt shed work to replace the roof and concrete pad at the road department facility.
Fletcher said Simonson Construction Services estimated a cost of $39,200 to replace the roof and $34,400 for the concrete pad. Trustees plan to use American Rescue Plan Act funds for the work.
Fletcher said he would ask about the thickness of the concrete pad Simonson estimated before approving a contract.
Trustees said they plan to meet on Saturday, Sept. 7 to discuss updates to the township’s cell phone and credit card policies. The township’s legal counsel would oversee any updates before trustees approve them at a future meeting.
In addition, Trustees approved a Shaffer, Johnston, Lichtenwalter & Associates Inc. bid of $32,770 to design and engineer a Belmont Avenue culvert replacement between Hanna and Hahn roads.
Also in Tuesday’s meeting:
- Trustees approved a contract with the state cooperative purchasing program to purchase road salt for the winter. The agreement can also be used to get discounts on certain supplies including vehicles and other equipment.
- Trustee Jim Houser discussed a water main break in front of Eastview Elementary School on Labor Day. The road was temporarily closed, but he said the school was back in session Tuesday. Water should clear by the end of the week.
- Fiscal officer Leana Rhodes said Madison Township residents have saved approximately $792,000 on electric bills between residential and commercial savings since the township enrolled in the electric aggregation program in 2021. The current aggregation contract of 4.67 cents/kWh runs through March 2025.
- Fletcher said Sarver Paving has completed road paving for the summer. He said he planned to ask the company to raise catch basin castings on a few streets to avoid covers uneven with the road.
