No agreement reached between Ossian, Jefferson Township
By SYDNEY KENT
Residents of Jefferson Township outside of Ossian still have no answers regarding the future of their fire protection in 2025.
The township advisory board and trustee Larry Heckber met on Tuesday evening to discuss the township’s 2025 budget, including the budget for fire protection. The meeting was held at the Norwell Central Office in anticipation of the large crowd.
Heckber opened the meeting by explaining that the new fire agreement was not the purpose of the meeting, however, anyone could stay and ask questions after the budget was discussed. The first argument between the board occurred only five minutes into the meeting when the board discussed the Aug. 26 meeting minutes mention of member Tim Baker leaving the discussion.
Heckber then went through a line-by-line breakdown of each category on the budget for 2025, with several adjustments made in the areas of township assistance and the general fund.
For a portion of the budget with the costs associated with the fire department, one line item read the township’s approximately $125,000 obligation to the fire department. Baker took issue with this.
“You said last night you would pay 50% of the budget,” Heckber told Baker.
“That’s right,” Baker responded. “But there are different line items that need to be split up.”
“The town saves me a lot of work because they want to pay these bills,” Heckber said.
“You’re paid $13,000 a year to do this work,” Baker replied. “The bill will come directly from the vendors to Larry.”
Board member AJ Springer later suggested that Heckber break down the budget further to include a line item for each purchase outside of manpower. “If it’s going to solve the issue right now,” Springer said. “Let’s break down the line items. I know it’s stupid, but to get this going — let’s do it.”
“The whole problem is control,” Ossian Town Council member Jeff Kemper interjected. “This is ignorant. I’m not going to let (someone’s) house burn, I don’t care if I live in Ossian or whose truck it is. One of you said it was mandated by the state to pay directly to the vendors — it’s not anymore. It’d be like hiring two accountants for the same business.”
Baker asked Fire Chief Ben Fenstermaker why he cared whether he gave purchase receipts to the town or the township.
“I don’t, but I am not the one making the call,” Fenstermaker said. “It’s not a contract between me and you, it’s a contract between you and the town. The town wants it that way because it took you 10 months to spend the budget for this year.”
The township board previously refused to pay for manpower, which left approximately $34,000 of their promised $79,000 of the 2024 budget unable to be accessed by the department. Heckber used the funds to purchase a fire hydrant rental, a decision not allowed by the prior contract. The town was required to refund the money and amend the contract for the funds to be spent. The process took months.
Darlene Moore suggested the parties switch sides, with the township paying the vendors directly and giving the town receipts. Baker agreed to the proposal.
Kemper said he would take it to the board before leaving the meeting shortly after. Fenstermaker followed suit.
“It’s all control,” Kemper said during the meeting. “I am talking to a wall.”
“Unfortunately, it’s exactly how I expected it to go … I’ve been fire chief since 2011, and I’ve argued about every purchase I’ve wanted to make with Jefferson Township,” Fenstermaker said afterward. “I take it personally that they can’t even listen to me … They need to put their constituents first and their ego aside.”
Carol Baker, Tim Baker’s mother, later criticized Heckber’s leadership. “I was at the meeting (with the Ossian Town Council) last night,” Baker said to Heckber. “You gave these fellas the budget at 2:30 p.m. and my son was out ditching all day. I think you have to work better with your board. They have your best interest in mind, they also have been elected to represent the township.”
Tim Baker also criticized Heckber for not properly representing the township board.
“Your board is telling you what to propose to the town,” Baker said. “You keep going back to the town that wants this, the town wants that — you need to work with your board with what they want to present to the town.”
“Your job is not to do what the town wants,” a man yelled from the back of the room. “It is to do what the constituents want.” His comment garnered a round of applause.
“Whoever the vendors are, why don’t you have them split the bill?” a woman asked. “That way it’s not a problem. My dad would roll over in his grave if he heard this (expletive).”
Heckber stated that with the agreement the town had signed, this wouldn’t be possible.
“If you would calculate moving the township fire department out of this building,” Gene Donaghy said. “Find your own building, pay two or three full-time firemen at $25 an hour, and run your own department. That $125,000 is pretty cheap.”
“It’s simple,” Baker explained. “(The town) wanted us to fund half the budget. We agreed to fund half the budget, but they want us to just cut them a check … That’s where it’s at.”
“I’ve lived in Ossian for 53 years, this is the first board meeting I’ve come to,” Dan Kaehr replied. “Who pays the bills for the town?”
Heckber responded that Angie Ealing, the clerk-treasurer, pays the bills for the town while he pays the bills for the township.
“Could it be as simple as all the even months of the year this person pays that,” Kaehr asked. “And this person pays that?”
“You’re not an accountant either, are you?” Heckber asked.
“I just want my mother’s house covered,” Kaehr concluded. “So if it doesn’t go through — is it going to be because of … the billing?”
“You’re exactly right,” Heckber confirmed.
sydney@news-banner.com
