By SYDNEY KENT
Jefferson Township board members have approved a new contract with the Ossian Fire Department, marking a temporary end to the ongoing issue of fire protection in the township.
The contract was approved 2-1, with board members AJ Springer and Tim Baker in favor and David Haiflich opposed. The board’s meeting Tuesday evening was a continuation of their two-and-a-half-hour meeting last Thursday.
During last week’s meeting, Baker and Haiflich announced their intention to depart from the Ossian Fire Department in favor of beginning their own before January 1. They were prompted by the public to reconsider the decision after immediate backlash, and agreed to potentially sign the new contract with the OFD with modifications.
On Tuesday, the contract passed with understanding that the conversation was not over.
“There’s stuff in there I don’t like,” Baker said, referring to the contract. “But to get by one year —”
“That’s correct,” Springer affirmed. “All we’re doing is trying to go through 2025 so that we can figure out if we can create our fire department properly and how to do that. We’re looking for coverage for everyone in Jefferson Township and we’re going one year at a time right now. It may take years to get a (new Jefferson Township) department started.”
The contract requires the township to pay half of the operating budget for the OFD, meaning the township will pay approximately $122,000. However, at last week’s meeting, Haiflich and Baker passed a new budget with less money allocated to the fire department than initially proposed.
Baker said the reason for this was that the maximum amount of income received from the max levy would total $115,000. Springer insisted the township would be able to offset the amount needed for the OFD with unused funds from the year prior.
“Even if that agreement is signed, I am not going to pay for (the contract),” Baker said to Springer. “I told you we could only raise $115,000 by the max levy plus the little pieces they’ll let us put into fire fund without going into the general fund, which belongs to all people from the township.”
Springer reiterated that the township could use leftover funds to pay the difference in the fire agreement. Jefferson Township Trustee Larry Heckber said that the additional funds would be appropriated from the fire fund.
Springer also made a motion to move forward with the initial budget that was passed weeks ago, to which both board members agreed. Heckber agreed to acquire the finalized corrected paperwork needed for the board to sign the fire agreement.
A resident asked the board if there was anything that would prevent the board from addressing the issue of fire protection next year.
“What’s to stop it from getting dragged out like it has all year?” the resident asked.
Springer said the matter would be revisited in January, but expressed his commitment to working with the town of Ossian and the people in all of Jefferson Township for sustainable resolutions for fire protection.
The board will reconvene to finalize paperwork for the 2025 budget at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 28 at the central office building for Norwell Community Schools.
sydney@news-banner.com
