New officer Mikayla McCulley, St. Clair Township Police Department, is pinned with her badge by daughter McKinlee Cope, 3, during the St. Clair Township Board of Trustees meeting. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

Several changes were approved by the St. Clair Township Board of Trustees during Monday’s meeting.

The St. Clair Township Police Department swore in a new officer, bringing them one more closer to the chief’s goal of a fully staffed department.

Mikayla McCulley, who was sworn in early Monday morning, was officially pinned with her badge by her daughter McKinlee Cope, 3, during the meeting while her family, fellow officers, Chief Brian McKenzie and the trustees looked on.

For McCulley, a graduate of Beaver Local Schools, this is her first job in law enforcement.

She said she is excited to be a member of the St. Clair Township Police Department and is eager to hit the ground the running.

Other than the announcement of the new officer, McKenzie had no report to give.

Changes took place for the St. Clair Township Road Department due to the retirement of Road Foreman Scott Barrett, whose last day will be Feb. 20.

The township advertised internally for a replacement and selected road department employee David Smith to be the new road foreman effective Feb. 20.

Smith will earn a pay increase with the promotion which will put him at $30 an hour and he will keep the same benefits he had.

Dylan Wolfe, an entry level operator one employee for the road department, was promoted to operator one and will receive an increase in pay, bringing him to $25 an hour while maintaining his current benefits.

Wolfe’s promotion was decided after an executive session for personnel matters was called for to make sure his title and pay rate for the position were accurate. The trustees returned to an open meeting and voted to approve the promotion and pay rate.

The trustees plan to advertise for an entry level truck driver/labor. Interested applicants need to have an application submitted to the township by 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 17.

Barrett, in his report, told the trustees that the road department made it through the last big storm with minimal equipment damage and is hopeful based on past records that the last storm is the last big one of the season. Barrett said historically the snow starts to taper off around mid-February.

Trustees James Sabatini II and Robert Swickard said when attending the Ohio Township Association Winter Conference, they attended multiple workshops explaining the impact abolishment of property taxes would have on services offered by communities across the state.

Swickard said the trustees plan to hold information/educational meetings on the impacts and on the utility legislation and the price increase of electricity.

Fiscal Officer Deborah Dawson said she delivered the documents to the county to have the police levy placed on the May Primary ballot.

A purchase order for $13,494.97 for Lexipol LLC for law enforcement polices, training and updates and bills totaling $116,800.35 were approved for payment.

The trustees approved one resolution — adopting the OPERS conversion plan for 2026 which allows township employees to cash in a week’s vacation pay in lieu of taking vacation.

There were no reports from Calcutta or Glenmoor volunteer fire departments, no old business and no one to speak during public portion.

A second executive session was voted for toward the end of meeting between the trustees, police chief and the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) for contract negotiations. Following the executive session, the trustees returned to an open meeting and adjourned the trustee meeting with no action taken.

The St. Clair Township Travel and Tourism Bureau will meet Feb. 12 a 7 p.m. in the Community Room at the township government building.

The Township offices will be closed on Feb. 16 in observance of Presidents’ Day.

The St. Clair Township Board of Trustees meets every other Monday at 4 p.m. at the St. Clair Township Government Building, 15442 Pugh Road, Calcutta.

kgarabrandt@mojonews.com