The Vermilion Township board of Trustees met for a regular meeting on Wednesday, November 1, at the township hall. The following is from the unapproved minutes of that meeting.
Building and zoning updates: Building official and zoning administrator, Robert Kurtz, reported for October the Zoning Department issued 8 zoning permits and 1 conditional use application with a total fee collection of $1,551.60; the Building Department issued 26 permits with a total fee collection of $4,823.50 and total valuation of work being done at $722,366.00.
Mr. Kurtz announced on Tuesday, November 7, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. there will be a Board of Zoning Appeals hearing on the application for a conditional use request (Zoning Resolution 11.2.7 and 11.2.10) for a bed and breakfast with the sale of antiques at property located at 11400 West Lake
Road in Vermilion. The hearing will be held at the Vermilion Township Office Complex located at 1907 State Road in Vermilion.
Township fire department update: According to chief Frank Triana, between October 18 and October 31, they had eight EMS assists, one public assist, and one vehicle fire.
The Chief received a quote from Brite Computers for a Lifebook T937 unit for the Chief’s car. The Chief would like to install the computer in this vehicle which would allow for rapid retrieval of information on scene through GIS, prior inspections of businesses to aid in incident stabilization. This would also provide mapping capabilities and resources on vehicle airbags and their schematics for vehicle crashes. The total cost for this unit, accessories, and mounting package is $2,234.53.
After discussion, the Board agreed with the purchase and installation of one Lifebook T937 computer at a cost of $2,234.53 which will allow the department to enhance their response and ability to do a more thorough job on scene since information will be readily available.
The Chief was contacted by the Hindmarsh Foundation a few weeks ago. The Foundation has asked that the Fire Department prepare a proposal for a donation this year. The Chief has prepared and submitted a proposal to the foundation for their review. The Chief stated the department truly appreciates the Foundation’s support over the last several years and are humbled by their generosity.
Chief Triana stated in the past, the Board of Trustees have been gracious to the firefighter’s and approved a year-end honorarium for the firefighters regarding their service for the 12-month period. The points accrued have gone up from 1,880 points to 2,550 points this year due to the increase in number of runs. The Chief asked the Board to approve $25,500.00 from the Fire Budget to present as honorarium funds to firefighters at $10.00 per point per firefighter. A motion was made and approved establishing an Honorarium for the Vermilion Township Firefighters for 2017 in the amount of $25,500.00 for all the work the firefighters’ have done over the past 12 months and in doing so pay each firefighter $10.00 per event as established by the Vermilion Township Fire Chief.
The Firefighters Chili Cookoff will be Saturday, December 2nd at Lyman Harbor in Sandusky. The doors open at 4:30 p.m. with a cost of $5.00 at the door.
Possible grants: A grant application to the State Fire Marshal’s Office was submitted for a MARCS portable radio. This is an 800 MHZ radio that is capable of being used in large scale incidents where resources from the state (ERP) Emergency Response Plan would be activated and allow for direct communication with the state, as well as, other area departments in the area. If awarded, the grant would pay for the radio and accessories up to $3,000.00. The department’s submittal was for $2,688.00.
Regarding the Bureau of Workman’s Compensation grant, the Chief received one quote from Magna Grip Group at a cost of $55,051.65; a quote from Hastings Air Energy Controls, Inc. has not been received yet, however, an outdated 2015 quote was at $60,000.00; and a third vendor Fume-A-Vent quote was received at $16,378.93. This quote is not an apple to apple comparison since Fume-A-Vent would only install straight drops to the exhaust pipes and there was no rail system, so once the trucks would pull out the hoses would disconnect from the tailpipes which defeats the purpose of a rail system to take the exhaust out the hose all the way to the overhead door and then disconnect. If the BWC grant is applied for and received, the award would be $15,000.00.
Trustee Decker asked if the Bureau of Worker’s Compensation grant for the Fire Department could be used for anything safety wise. Chief Triana stated they listed three items that the grant could be used for which included an exhaust removal system for fire stations, washer-extractors, or replacement washable firefighter gloves. The Chief clarified he was writing the grant specifically for the exhaust removal system to get the fumes out of the building. After discussion, the Board decided against applying for the Bureau of Worker’s Compensation grant for the exhaust removal system at this time due to cost of system.
Capital improvement fund: a motion was presented and passed authorizing the re-establishment of a capital improvement fund account to set aside monies for the future construction of buildings or complexes for the township under the auspices of O.R.C. Chapter 505 and Chapter 5705 to a retroactive date of June 18, 2013. The Board hereby authorizes the re-establishing of such fund in accordance with Ohio Revised Code §5705.13.
vermilionphotojournalonline.com 