By SYDNEY KENT
“The fire department does a very good job,” Ossian Town Council President Josh Barkley said during Monday’s council meeting. “Quite frankly, I think it is disrespectful to the firefighters that (Jefferson Township) will not pay compensation for the firefighters.”
Barkley was referencing the ongoing contention between the town of Ossian and the Jefferson Township Advisory Board in recent months. The township, which utilizes half of the services of the Ossian Fire Department, does not pay an equal share of the budget.
Fire Chief Ben Fenstermaker opened his portion of the meeting with a detailed budget report for fire services from both the town and the township.
The budget detailed the costs required to provide fire protection from both parties. According to the report, the town of Ossian paid $99,282.91 more than the township in 2021, $59,460.57 more in 2022, $85,325 in 2023, and will pay $75,143 more in 2024 — despite an equal share of services provided.
Fenstermaker also addressed a letter written to the editor of The News-Banner by Jefferson Township President Tim Baker last month.
“It is being misrepresented that the township does not want to pay their share,” Baker wrote in the letter. “If there is not enough equipment, fuel, insurance, and maintenance bills that we can use our $79,000 budgeted money, then maybe we can consider rewriting part of the fire contract. But, the first thing that the township needs is to be repaid for the hydrant rental.”
Township Trustee Larry Heckber paid the town $29,133 for the hydrant with the money owed to the town for fire services. The contract between the parties, last updated in 2017, does not allow for money to be spent for this purpose.
The contract further restricts the town from charging the township for manpower. Because of this, there was no method for the township to fulfill its obligated portion of the 2024 budget without the hydrant rental.
“It was wrong on my part,” Heckber said. “I shouldn’t have done it. At the time, we had no way to spend the $79,000 we owed.”
The council approved a motion to refund the $29,133 to Jefferson Township at the meeting. They also approved an updated contract between the parties. If approved by the advisory board, the contract would ultimately allow for the money to be used for manpower.
Heckber said he consulted the matter with the town lawyer, township lawyer, an insurance agent and the board. He has not heard any feedback from the board. Barkley asked board member David Haiflich if he had any thoughts on the matter.
“If you want to know what we think, come to the meeting tomorrow night at 5:30,” Haiflich quipped. He refused to answer questions or discuss the topic further.
In the budget report, Fenstermaker emphasized that the township has publicly stated that they will not pay for manpower. He also said the township will only pay for equipment of “value” to retain as collateral.
“Staffing is critically low nationwide,” Fenstermaker wrote. “This affects the Ossian Fire Department weekly … If no one is there to use those cool tools, they just sit at the station and do not move.”
A firefighter from the department finished Barkley’s thought with the following sentiment: “You’re not going to move the trucks without us.”
The Jefferson Township Advisory Board is today at 5:30 p.m. at 1645 Hillcrest Drive in Ossian in the Trustee conference room.
sydney@news-banner.com
