Madison Township trustees approve Home Road paving agreement

Al Lawrence
·3 min read

The Madison Township trustees have approved a cooperative agreement with Springfield Township to resurface Home Road this summer. The action taken at the board’s regular meeting on Monday officially makes the project part of Madison’s summer paving program.

Under the agreement, Madison will pay for 30% of the cost of resurfacing a section of Home Road from the entrance to Deer Park north while Springfield Township will pay the other 70%. Madison will serve as the lead agency in the agreement and pay the full $65,000 cost with Springfield Township making reimbursement for its share.

Springfield Township Trustees are expected to approve the agreement at their meeting next week.

The Home Road project is one of several joint road resurfacing projects Madison Township is doing this summer. Trustees also are working with the City of Mansfield on joint projects on North Street, Eastlawn Avenue the extension of Illinois Avenue.

State to conduct performance audit

Fiscal Officer Leanna Rhodes reported that the township has received formal notice that the Ohio Auditor’s office has agreed to do a performance audit for the township that will go beyond looking at the township’s fiscal records.

“They will look at all departments, all procedures and make recommendations,” Rhodes said.

Rhodes said because the auditors will be asking for lots of information, the three trustees will be allowed to have a conference with the auditors without having to meet state open meeting law notification requirements for those sessions. She said the performance audit probably will not be completed until the spring of 2024.

On a separate issue, Rhodes told trustees she received an e-mail from the Ohio Public Works Commission that $22 million in new funding is available statewide to local governments, sanitary districts and regional water and sewer districts for infrastructure failures that pose an immediate risk to the health, safety or welfare of residents in a local government’s jurisdiction. Eligible projects include roads and bridges, water supplies, wastewater treatment systems, storm water and solid waste disposal facilities.

Rhodes pointed out that the e-mail said the funds cannot be used to replace aging infrastructure that has exceeded its useful life.

Trustees did not indicate they have any projects in mind although the board has been asked in the past to deal with a number of storm water issues.

Trustees updated on new fire department tanker

During his administrative report, Fire Chief Ken Justus told the board that Tanker 71 is finally at the station, is in the process of being outfitted, and can be used for service if needed. He also said the department has a “handful” of firefighters who have experience or knowledge of similar fire trucks and that more will be trained in the coming weeks.

Trustees approved two personnel recommendations from Justus and voted to rehire Ashley Meade on a part-time basis and gave permission for firefighter Jon VanHesteren to attend paramedic school. VanHesteren has agreed to sign a three-year service repayment contract.

Justus said he will work with Rhodes to determine where to transfer funds to pay for the training. During a public comment period, former trustee Dan Fletcher said the source of the funding should have been determined prior to approving the training.

In other action on Monday, Madison Township trustees:

  • Reappointed Sydney Fauty to the township zoning commission after she finished serving as temporary zoning official.

  • Learned from Trustee Jim Houser that contaminated soil will be removed from the site of a former commercial building next to the main fire station by the end of July. The work is being done through a grant obtained by the Richland County Land Bank.

  • Approved a new records retention policy for the fire department.

  • Were informed by Rhodes that she is preparing the township’s 2024 tax budget and will be presenting the document for approval at a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday.

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Madison Township trustees OK agreement for Home Road resurfacing