Chester Government Update
The Chester Township Board of Trustees meeting on Jan. 19 opened at noon with a review and general discussion of the 2022 budgets...
The Chester Township Board of Trustees meeting on Jan. 19 opened at noon with a review and general discussion of the 2022 budgets. Fiscal Officer Patricia Jarrett stated that by the end of January she expects to have 2021 closed out and carryover numbers finalized, which will help departments finalize their 2022 appropriations that are due at the Geauga County Budget Commission by April 1, 2022.
Next, there was a discussion about departmental goal planning. For the road department, continuing to replace the aging fleet of plow trucks is a priority along with road culvert replacement and major repairs to a small portion of Heath Road that is settling because of soil instability. Road Superintendent John Onyshko suggested that some of the American Rescue Plan funds available to the township could be used for some of these projects.
For the police department, Captain Young stated that the number one goal is and continues to be the safety of residents. Young stated that the excellent quality of work by Chester police officers is recognized by the Geauga County Prosecutor’s Office and the courts and helps reduce the need for court appearances by township officers.
There is an important need in developing an in-house computer forensics officer and that officer retention needs to be a priority. A long-term potential goal may be the addition of a K-9 officer, which needs to be researched further.
Interim Fire Chief Shaw discussed his long-term goal of changing the culture at the fire department, developing leadership at all levels within the department, hiring an additional full-time firefighter to complete the staffing, increasing part-time staffing to reduce overtime and updating the equipment replacement schedule.
The board approved a notice to proceed for Millstone Management Group to commence work on the Chester Fire Station renovation.
Fiscal Officer Jarrett mentioned that insurance rates from Burnham and Flower through the township’s existing carrier Medical Mutual would increase by 9 percent. If the township went out for bid, the 9 percent rate would no longer be guaranteed. Jarrett will get information from other communities before a decision is made.
The board and fiscal officer then went into executive session with the department heads to discuss personnel and union matters followed by interviews of two candidates for the administrative assistant for the township. Upon returning to public session, the board approved the hiring of Timothy Hlad for the road department, approved up to $8,000 to Podojil Excavating to replace road culver pipes and also approved hiring William Shaw as full-time fire chief in Chester. Trustees wish Mr. Hlad and Chief Shaw well and welcome them to the team. The meeting closed at 3:36 p.m.
Submitted by Ken Radtke Jr., Chester Township Trustee
