Judge Timothy McNichol, Columbiana County Municipal Court judge, left, and St. Clair Township Police Chief Brian McKenzie take time to get a photo with newly sworn in officer Matthew Greenlief. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

ST. CLAIR TOWNSHIP – The swearing in of new officer Matthew Greenlief during Monday’s meeting of the St. Clair Township Board of Trustees puts the St. Clair Police Department close to being fully staffed.

The hire of Greenlief, 21, as a full-time patrol officer was unanimously approved by the trustees and he was immediately sworn in by Judge Timothy McNichol, Columbiana County Municipal Court judge, while officers from the St. Clair Police Department, his brother and parents watched.

His parents Keith and Cameo Greenlief had the honor to pin his badge on him following his swearing in.

Greenlief, who has a year of experience with the Lisbon Police Department, said he choose to become an officer because his brother is one, but also because when he was a child his sister suffered from a seizure and when officers came to help he saw what the officers did and decided then that’s what he wanted to do.

Greenlief will begin work with the department on July 7 and be on a one-year probationary period and go through a field training officer program.

Police Chief Brian McKenzie told the trustees that the department has been very busy, with multiple officers completing a variety of training before vacations start. Detective Chase Askounes attended rifle and pistol instructors class and is now able to certify the department’s officers with their duty weapon and he also attended the Ohio Tactical Officers training and is now a certified red dot instructor. Officer Austin Mayfield went to pepper ball training and is now the pepper ball and taser instructor for all the less lethal methods and Officer Tony Savina, school resource officer (SRO), attended SRO training and got some updated training.

McKenzie requested a pay increase for the department’ s one part-time police officer since the pay for that position hasn’t increased for some time. The pay increase will move the hourly wage from the current $20.75 to $21.75. The trustees approved the pay increase which McKenzie said would put the wage at a comparative rate of pay for part-time officers with other departments in the county.

Fire Chief Dave McCoy, Calcutta Volunteer Fire Department (CVFD), said that the department had 25 calls in June and 170 so far for the year.

McCoy also said a firefighter from the department attended a training at the State Fire Academy and is now a state certified emergency services instructor. McCoy himself attended a training at the State Fire Academy and is now a state certified fire safety inspector and can do inspections in the township.

The CVFD will be sponsoring an Italian Festival at Dunham’s Plaza on Aug. 16.

In his report, Road Foreman Scott Barrett said that the township’s chip and seal is running a little slow due to an equipment breakdown but anticipates them being ready to go today.

Trustee Robert Swickard noted that at the previous meeting the trustees voted to ask the auditor’s office what a 3-mill new police levy and a replacement with an additional 1.75 mills police levy would generate. He said they got a response but in looking at all options he wants to find out what a straight replacement of the 1983 2-mill police levy would generate.

A budget hearing on the adoption of the 2026 budget has been tabled until the trustees’ next meeting due to not having all the information.

Purchase orders totaling $549, blanket certificates totaling $24,489.10 and bills totaling $234,806.65 were approved for payment.

The township administration office will be closed on July 4 in observance of Independence Day.

A veterans appreciation picnic will be held on July 12 at Calcutta Square.

The St. Clair Township Board of Trustees meets every other Monday at 4 p.m. at the township administration building. The next regular meeting is scheduled for July 14.

kgarabrandt@mojonews.com