January 27, 2005

By Lauren Heaton

Fire Chief Colin Altman presented to the Miami Township trustees a preview of the fire department’s first strategic plan at the trustees’ meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 19.

Altman, who last week spoke briefly of a new fire levy and fire station renovations, will present the final 10-year plan at the trustees’ next meeting, on Monday, Feb. 7, at 7 p.m., at the Township offices.

The plan calls for increasing the Township’s fire levy to pay for operating costs and capital expenses to sustain the current level of services the department provides, Altman said. An increase in the levy is necessary to meet the department’s equipment needs, rising operating expenses and volunteer recruitment and retainment, Altman said.

The current levy generates $385,000 a year, and the department would like to increase the levy to bring in $550,000 a year, Altman said. The levy expires at the end of the year. The Township is considering placing a new levy on the ballot in November 2005 or March of next year.

The fire department levy was reduced in 2000 to 3.8 mills from 4.6 mills, just as Miami Township Fire-Rescue was looking at spending over $1 million to replace five old and outdated ambulances and fire trucks over a 15-year period.

Assessing the department’s facilities is also part of the strategic plan, which recommends that the Township hire a professional engineering consultant to evaluate the Yellow Springs fire station. The consultant would cost just over $3,000.

A full assessment of the firehouse and its potential for renovations would help the Township determine whether it should invest in the current site or relocate the fire station to a more flexible space, Altman said.

Fire department personnel also hope to increase their public education and outreach efforts and begin new recruitment activities to increase the size of the volunteer pool as part of the plan.

In the face of the department’s impending capital expenses and other operational needs, trustee Chris Mucher suggested the possibility of combining resources with other nearby small fire departments.

The trustees held other comments and questions on the plan for next month’s full presentation.

A committee of Township employees, volunteers and local residents spent the past six months preparing the fire department’s strategic plan. It is the Township’s first comprehensive long-range planning effort for emergency services.

In other Township business:

• Trustee Mark Crockett suggested that the trustees establish a direction for the Township on the issue of development within the areas of the Cooperative Economic Development Agreement, or CEDA, the pact under which the Township and the Village are promoting commercial development.

Mucher, however, cautioned the trustees to wait until the Township completes its Comprehensive Plan to give direction to township land use policies.

• Altman announced that the fire department will launch a comprehensive fire inspection of commercial occupancies in the village this March.

• Altman reported that four fire class students applied for approval as Fire-Rescue volunteers this month. The acceptance of Tanya Hutchinson, Tami Hughes, Fernando Ramirez and Justin Metcalf will bring the department’s total to 54 volunteers.

• After meeting in executive session for three minutes, the trustees approved a flat $700 cost-of-living increase for each of the Township’s four full-time employees.

• The township lowered its flag to half-staff two weeks ago in honor of the Asian tsunami victims and their families.

• The trustees agreed to enter into a contract with Green Township to provide snow removal and road repair services for $50 per hour.

• At their next meeting, on Feb. 7, the trustees will meet with the Clifton-Union Cemetery board and the Green Township trustees to discuss continued maintenance of the Clifton-Union Cemetery. The cemetery board will pay what it can for last year’s maintenance bill of $13,600, and the two townships will split the difference.

• Altman reported that Miami Township Fire-Rescue received 20 EMS calls and 11 fire calls between Jan. 3 and Jan 17.

• The trustees paid bills in the amount of $16,307 for Jan. 3 through Jan 17.