By HOLLY GASKILL
A contract for fire protection in Jefferson Township remains unsigned, but the township advisory board intends to meet with the Ossian Town Council later this month.
The board and town of Ossian have engaged in negotiations for 2025 fire coverage from the Ossian Fire Department since April, originally stemming from the town’s desire for the township and town to pay proportionally for services. The board recently moved forward with a 2025 budget with roughly $122,000 in the agreement.
However, the Jefferson Township Advisory Board did not discuss signing the agreement during their meeting Thursday, because board member David Haiflich said a resident had asked if “the town could cut us (Jefferson Township) a check and (us) pay it (the fire department).” Haiflich said that Ossian Fire Department Chief Ben Fenstermaker would discuss it with the town, and, therefore, Haiflich wanted to wait on voting. The Ossian Town Council’s next meeting is Oct. 14.
Haiflich claimed the town council has been delaying this process and has been unable to work to meet with the township board. “It’s not this board who has waited to the last second,” he said.
“My concern is that we’re playing this big game of chicken, and all of us in the township … won’t have fire coverage,” an audience member interjected. “We’re the ones that are going to have to pay.”
“So let me explain one thing to you about that,” Haiflich responded. “So, you’re a fireman, correct? So you’re going to say to all these people out here if on (Dec.) 31st we don’t have an agreement out here, and when they dial 911, the 911 services are not going to send fire services to you?”
Multiple audience members responded that the statement was correct, but Haiflich disagreed. “They’re not going to say, ‘You’re in Jefferson Township, you can’t’ — no, I’m not saying we want it (fire protection) for free. We will get it straightened out, depending on which way we’ve got to go here. But we can’t get anywhere with this.”
Several audience members then questioned if there was an alternate plan, and board member Tim Baker said Township Trustee Larry Heckber had been unwilling to work with the board to discuss one.
“A board member did start trying to come up with a plan,” Haiflich added, referring to Baker’s discussions with the Preble Fire Department, “and you guys (the Ossian Fire Department) attacked him at several meetings for what he did … As it stands right now, none of us up here are willing to give out a plan because we will be attacked for anything we might come up with.”
An audience member discussed creating a fire territory, which was met with mixed responses from both audience members and the board. The board agreed to schedule an executive session with the township attorney before meeting with the Ossian Town Council.
Baker also reported that Heckber had purchased stamps for the Ossian Fire Department, which falls outside the current agreement. He motioned that the board president, Haiflich, oversee all checks to the first department. Haiflich said he should oversee all checks, not just those for the fire department.
“David, why don’t you run to be trustee?” Heckber responded.
Baker said he didn’t want to tie Heckber down for all payments, but felt it had been an issue. Baker retained his motion, which passed 2-1; Baker and Haiflich were in favor and board member A.J. Springer was against.
Also during the meeting, the board and Heckber disputed the 2025 budget format for the township’s fire protection.
Heckber refused to reformat the township’s budget for fire protection with specific line items as all three board members requested. There was some confusion about why this was, as Heckber originally claimed he didn’t want to approve every payment on every invoice. Springer said this was inaccurate, and that the drafted agreement outlines the township paying a biannual invoice.
However, the board members were not discussing the invoicing — they wanted specific line items for the fire department in the budget. Heckber asserted that the unapproved fire agreement does not say he has to include the line items in the township budget and that the current version was appropriate according to the Department of Local Government Finance. He had provided a line item breakdown separately, but not in the budget.
Subsequently, Springer said they could amend the agreement to include the formatting if Heckber was unwilling.
“The town is not going to change the agreement, I’ll tell you that right now,” Heckber said.
“That’s fine if they don’t want to change it,” Springer said.
“If you don’t want fire protection, then that’s up to you also,” Heckber responded.
The board also rejected Heckber’s proposal for a rate increase for the board members due to the other increasing costs.
“It’s not fair to the public that we accept a raise for all this crap,” Haiflich said. “It’s not right, Larry. Give the public back the raises that we got.”
Heckber declined to omit his own raise, which he said was due to inflation. When an audience member questioned why Heckber should get a raise, Heckber responded, “Because I do a heck of a lot more than most trustees, I’ll tell you that. If they (the board) want to refuse their increase, that’s fine.” The proposed increase was from $12,000 to $13,000 annually.
holly@news-banner.com
