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The board of trustees approved the re-allocation of police funds during its July 10 meeting.
The reallocation of $3,586.60 from the car damage fund was re-allocated to the police equipment fund for the purchase of new tactical vests to replace current vests that will be expiring soon. Fiscal Officer Michele Barratt said that these funds could be safely reallocated as the township's insurer OTARMA would pay any claims directly, further noting the township's deductible for each cruiser was only $250. It should be noted that the township will be reimbursed for this expense through a grant the police department was awarded for the purchase of new vests, however, as this is a reimbursement grant, the township must pay for the vests directly prior to receiving the grant funding. Other police matters included the purchase of five new Halligan bars for the township's cruisers purchased using grant funding from OTARMA.
Other financial matters discussed included an update on the township's annual application for the Ohio Department of Commerce Cemetery Grant, which offers up to $2,500 for projects renovating local cemeteries. Trustee Teresa Stratton said that this year the township would be compiling a project centered around the restoration of headstones, noting that while the township's applications hadn't been successful in the past the granter would view a project relating to the headstones more favorably.
A question from a Damascus resident of how much it would cost to have the township remove a dead tree from his property was also discussed. Stratton said that the resident and the township would split the cost of the removal, and that Road Foreman Matt Springer would get a quote for the removal.
Trustees and Police Chief John Calko also held a work session with Beloit Village Officials June 28, to discuss a potential new police services contract ahead of the expiration of the current contract April 30, 2024. Barratt said that the trustees and village officials discussed a range of subjects including: current satisfaction with protection, incident reporting metrics, business checks, mutual aid policy, and a cost comparison per resident and per incident between Green Township, Goshen Township, and the village of Beloit. Trustees John Bricker and Stratton said that the current contract was valued at approximately $45,000, and that the township was looking to receive $65,000 for the new contract. Stratton said that no decisions had been made at that time as the Beloit Village Council were also meeting Monday evening to discuss the potential contract.
Trustees said that they were beginning negotiations now to ensure a new contract could be in place prior to the expiration of the current agreement. Trustees also noted that this contract would not affect the presence of the department's resource officer, as the township negotiates that agreement with the district directly. Stratton also noted that the district was looking not only to renew its agreement, but to potentially add a second resource officer.
The board of trustees will meet next 7 p.m. Aug. 14.