ST. CLAIR TOWNSHIP –St. Clair Township trustees approved $4,800 for the police department to enter in a one-year agreement with Lexipol, a risk management company that handles policies, trainings, and provides grant writing services. The main reason for the service is to apply for grants for the police department.

Also approved at the request of Police Chief Brian McKenzie is the purchase of a hardware and software system through Biometric Information Management, Dublin, Ohio, at a cost of $14,272 for which Beaver Local Schools will reimburse $13,522 making the final cost to the police department $750.

The software will electronically submit criminal transactions to the FBI and BCI, and it will also include a scanner for fingerprints of school children, said trustee Robert Swickard, who gave the chief’s report in his absence.

McKenzie requested and was granted approval to apply for the U.S. Department of Justice Cops Hiring Program. The chief requested to apply for the grant to see if they would qualify. The grant helps departments pay an officer’s salary to help departments maintain or increase staffing. If awarded, it will be up to the trustees to approve the acceptance and hiring. The grant is a four-year grant which pays 75% of an officer’s salary in the first year, 50% the second year, 25% the third year and nothing in the final year.

McKenzie notified the trustees that Ram Fitness will be having their 5K starting at 9 a.m. on July 4 and will take place on a portion of Bell School Road.

Also approved with an all-in-favor vote was Glenmoor resident Brenda McMinn’s request to combine her five properties into one lot. McMinn provided the trustees with a survey of the five lots which showed replatting of them into one would not affect any other properties. The properties include five consecutive lots on Fifth Street.

Additionally, the trustees approved two resolutions for levies — one for necessity of a new levy and one for necessity of a replacement and additional levy for the police department.

The resolutions do not mean that a levy will be on the ballot. They are a request to the county auditor’s office for tax valuation to determine how much a levy would generate. They are seeking valuation for a new 2.75-mill levy and valuation for a replacement levy to replace the 1983 2-mill levy with an additional 1.75 mills. Swickard noted that if a levy is sought, then it would be on the November ballot.

The annual resolution determining an alternative method of payment for apportionment of local government monies for the City of Salem was also approved.

Purchase orders totaling $50,691.18; blankets certificates totaling $500 and bills totaling $152,371.01 were approved for payment.

Road Foreman Scott Barrett reported the chip and seal was coming along but due to weather they are possibly running approximately five days behind. Midland Fredericktown Road is finished with the exception of mowing, and mowing in the township is currently being done and expected to be finished this week.

Township offices will be closed on June 19 in observance of Juneteenth and July 4 for Independence Day.

The St. Clair Township Board of Trustees meets every other Monday at 4 p.m. at the Township Administration Building. The next regular meeting is scheduled for June 30.

kgarabrandt@mojonews.com