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CALCUTTA -- Firefighter Jacob Roush, Calcutta Volunteer Fire Department, addressed St. Clair Township trustees on behalf of the fire department during Monday requesting they file a grant application for $50,000 for new communications equipment.
Roush told the trustees it is a grant for new MARCS radios through the Ohio State Fire Marshal and the $50,000 for which he wants to apply is the maximum allowed. He said the grant is fully paid and there is no match required by the township or the fire department.
Roush said the equipment would improve the department's communications. He said every neighboring county has already integrated the radio system.
Roush approached the trustees about the grant because the grant has to be filed on the department's behalf by the township.
Fiscal Officer Deborah Dawson told Roush that he would have to provide her with the grant application for her to review before she signed it.
Trustee Bob Swickard and Dawson both commented that upgrading the radios is a good idea.
Roush noted that the department would be applying for the grant on a yearly basis due to the radios being subscription-based, and would cost approximately $600 a year for six radios.
The application period for the grant runs September through October, and Roush said he would have the application to Dawson once the application period opens.
The trustees approved the $66,189 fee for the OTARMA (Ohio Township Risk Management Authority) 2026-2027 contribution for liability which covers everything from general liability, auto liability, employee dishonesty and performance of duty from Aug. 29, 2026, through Aug. 29, 2027.
Also approved as required by law was a dishonesty and faithful performance of duty in lieu of bond policy coverage for the fiscal officer in the minimum amount required by Ohio Revised Code of $220,00 based on the budget range of $6 million to $10 million.
A renewal for a transient vendor application for a three-month extension through Nov. 19 was approved. Swickard noted there were no complaints against the vendor, a representative of Trinity Solar.
Also approved was the OTARMA MVR monitoring, which the township is required to have. The service monitors the driving records of any township employee and notifies the township if an employee gets a moving violation. If an employee has too many issues with their driving records, they are not insurable under the township's insurance, and it helps the township know that drivers in a position requiring a CDL (commercial driver's license) have that license.
Trustee James Sabatini II noted that currently the township has no employees with violations on their driving records. The monitoring was approved but will not go into effect until a notice is drafted and sent to township employees.
Payment of purchase orders totaling $178,866.24, payment of bills totaling $311,224.50 and minutes from the Aug. 7 special meeting and Aug. 10 regular meeting were approved.