By SYDNEY KENT
Contention continues to take center stage at Jefferson Township Advisory Board meetings — with no resolution reached regarding fire protection.
The board met Wednesday to discuss the ongoing issue, a recording of which was provided to The News-Banner.
The Ossian Fire Department provides equal runs to both parties, however, the town of Ossian has historically been responsible for the majority of the budget. The last signed contract between the parties was in 2016 and a new contract has been in negotiation.
The council’s position is that each party should pay an equal share of services — with Jefferson Township paying one check rather than reimbursing many invoices. Multiple council members — as well as Trustee Larry Heckber and advisory board member A.J. Springer — voiced their support for the proposal.
Board embers Tim Baker and David Haiflich strongly disagreed with the new contract. Both Baker and Haiflich insisted that purchases must have receipts provided and approved on an ongoing basis. They said they could compromise on a maximum of $35,000 for manpower — something they were previously not willing to do.
The board received recent criticism from Ossian Town Council President Josh Barkley regarding their stance on manpower. During Monday’s council meeting, Barkley referred to the position of the board as “disrespectful to firefighters.”
“We pay $35,000 towards the firefighters,” Baker proposed to Heckber. “We keep the same contract, we buy equipment and turnout gear, we keep control of the assets. If we start writing them a check like you want — we won’t even be having this conversation. The reason we won’t is if they charge us $150,000, they can.”
Ossian Town Council member Stephanie Tucker asked for clarification and if Baker was afraid the town would bill more than half the budget.
Baker denied this, with Haiflich saying they simply want receipts to show what they have purchased. He again pointed out that the council should’ve received the board’s permission before charging a fire hydrant rental.
“Let’s talk about the current agreement,” Tucker raised her voice to be heard over the boards’ overlapping arguments. “We have already voted to refund the money for the hydrant. My understanding is, with this agreement in place, your board has already paid for things that are not in this agreement. So why is this any different?”
In an effort to pass the contract and resolve the issue, Springer made a motion to approve the contract. Neither Haiflich nor Baker seconded the motion. Springer requested Baker and Haiflich explain what their plan would be if they lost fire protection services. Baker repeatedly refused to communicate an alternative plan.
A community member at the meeting asked Baker if he was waiting for a county informational meeting about fire coverage on May 23 to “consider his options”. He did not confirm or deny the question.
“The reason why we have to have receipts is for this purpose,” Haiflich said. “If we decide to ever split up, what belongs to us stays with us, and what belongs to them stays with them.”
“What good is equipment without people?” Springer said. “If we separate from the town of Ossian, are you going to start a fire department, the two of you, yourselves?”
“If we can’t get along, what’s going to happen is this is going to be a district,” Ossian Town Council member Dennis Ealing explained. “Your tax rate is going to go from $70 to $280 per $100,000 — with less coverage. We are not going to give you a receipt and a bill anymore. We have an operating budget — equipment is not part of that budget. If you buy a fire truck, it’s yours.”
“My taxes have already gone up,” an audience member yelled. “Multiple times every year. Have you guys even heard of Allen County’s situation? Volunteers are dying. There are none. It has gone down so quick across the United States. You do not know –”
“This situation makes it so much worse,” Tucker said. “No one is going to volunteer to help out with this fire department knowing these battles are taking place.”
“You made your proposal,” Baker said. “And we made a counter-proposal, and you turned it down. And that is where we’re at.”
“And I gave you a letter,” Ealing said, confirming the fire protection will end on Dec. 31.
“You two are putting the township in a really bad place,” Springer said. “It’s not just taxes, your insurance will go up, and it will be more than taxes.”
Baker insisted that the previous board set the contract up this way with intentions that it would still apply today. Tucker noted Baker’s contradicting statements, specifically that he already said the contract needed to be updated. Ealing said the parties have had the same issues dating back to 2010. He also pointed out that in 13 years, the township has raised only $5,000 for the department.
Springer asked, asking if the board members’ children operated their farms in the same manner that they did. They said that their children have changed operations with technology.
“We will end up with a pile of nothing but receipts,” Haiflich said. “Our equipment will be wore out, it will be gone, they’ll trade it off, we’ll –”
“So all you are concerned about is what you are going to have when you guys decide to split from the town of Ossian,” Tucker interjected. “That’s what I keep hearing.”
“We have a responsibility to the taxpayers,” Baker responded.
“Your taxpayers are sitting here,” Tucker retorted.
Members of the public began to add their various opinions. No names were given. One individual accused the council of insinuating that the township does not matter to the town. Another told the board that it was “on them” if anything happened regarding fire safety for the community.
“What happens if it all falls apart?” Tucker asked. “That is ridiculous. What you need to be concerned with — what is best for the members of the township?”
“The entire township,” Heckber added. “We represent Ossian and Jefferson Township. You guys seem to have lost that.”
Tucker and Ealing repeated that the conduct of the board is the primary reason for the council’s position. Tucker cited the most recent meeting, where Haiflich declined to answer a question from Barkley multiple times.
“I go to the meetings because (Heckber) cannot be trusted,” Haiflich yelled. “That’s why I go there, so I can hear what you guys say because he will not tell us the truth.”
The matter will be taken to the next Ossian Town Council meeting at 7 p.m. on June 10 at Collier’s in Ossian.
sydney@news-banner.com
