By JONATHAN SNYDER
Ossian and Jefferson Township will have a fire protection agreement for 2025, with Ossian’s Town Council officially signing an agreement in a special meeting Tuesday.
Ossian and the township will each pay approximately $122,000 for fire protection. Town Council member Josh Barkley stated that this agreement ultimately is what they asked for and that equipment purchases will be jointly owned by both entities. The agreement will only last for one year while discussions continue about 2026’s needs.
“From listening to some previous meetings we’re going to start talking about this pretty quick,” Barkley said.
Some clarification on budget processes was requested of the council from Carolyn McCoy. McCoy and Clerk-Treasurer Angie Ealing discussed Jefferson Township’s cut, which goes into a miscellaneous revenue line item in its general fund. Ealing stated that protections are in place that prevents the money from going elsewhere, however. Additional discussions about informing the public of various details were also had, with the council encouraging people who are unsure of certain things to contact them personally.
Additionally, Town Attorney Mike Harper stated that new information regarding a project referred to as the “downtown project” has seen new information from developers forwarded to municipal consultants. Harper stated that the town could close on that deal soon, and noted that this would require a special meeting on Nov. 18. Barkley said that a developer agreement is needed and that additional paperwork should be in order before that meeting.
jonathan@news-banner.com
