Emergency resolution won’t take effect, trustees told

By: 
Larry Limpf

Emergency resolution won’t take effect, trustees told
A resolution declaring a state of emergency in Lake Township due to the coronavirus pandemic that had been approved by the township trustees on Tuesday won’t go into effect.
The trustees were informed Thursday by the township solicitor that the resolution would have to be passed unanimously to take effect. Trustee Ken Gilsdorf voted against it while trustees Richard Welling and Jeff Pettit voted for it.
The resolution says emergency management measures may be required to expedite actions deemed necessary for the safety of township residents. It would give the township administrator the authority to issue orders pertaining to the use of public facilities and services.
State law allows township boards of trustees to assign duties under a board’s control to an administrator, the resolution says.
The state of emergency would have been in effect for three months unless an emergency declared by Gov, Mike DeWine and the director of the Ohio Department of Health is lifted before then.
In a related resolution, the trustees authorized an additional $2 per hour to part-time and full-time employees as hazardous duty pay. The hazard pay will go to all non-salaried township employees and be in effect from March 16 to April 26.
“Some of our employees have extra expenses because schools are being closed. Most importantly, this job we just can’t do from home,” Mark Hummer, police chief/administrator, said. “We’re glad that many people can do their jobs from home so we can get through this very trying time. But we need to be here.”
In other business, the trustees approved the purchase of a new pumper engine for the fire department to replace one extensively damaged in an accident in December.
The new vehicle is being purchased from United Fire Apparatus Corp., Cridersville, O., at a cost of $307,118.
Hummer said the township’s insurer agreed to pay $259,200 for the old vehicle, which is being sold by bid for $10,000 to American Enterprises, Oregon.
He said the parties had been in negotiations since the accident over whether the old vehicle could be repaired and put back into use.
“In talking with the fire chief and board, we really did not want a vehicle with a bent frame being put back in service. They carry 750 gallons of water, five people and a lot of equipment. If anything would go wrong it would come back to the accident,” Hummer said. “Repairing that truck was never really an option for us. It made more sense for us to get a new pumper that has a higher capacity pump and can carry more water.”

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