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Fire chief to be internal candidate
The township is also looking for a police department secretary.
NEW SPRINGFIELD — Only members of the Springfield Township fire department can apply to be the new fire chief, trustees said.
The job was posted Dec. 4 in township offices, and Trustee Robert Orr said that the decision to hire from within was made because of the experience available among township firefighters and their familiarity with the equipment.
The township has been without a permanent chief since February, when Brian Hughes resigned. Currently Matt Gebhardt serves as part-time interim fire chief, and his position was extended to Jan. 31 at Wednesday’s trustees meeting.
Gebhardt took over after Hughes resigned after the reduction of his post to part-time. Hughes found his job had been downgraded when he returned to work after a three-month suspension after his conviction on several misdemeanor charges stemming from an April 2005 firefighter training exercise.
Orr said that the job will be posted until Dec. 19, when trustees will start scheduling interviews with applicants.
Trustees are requiring applicants to have completed a 36-hour firefighter’s course and to have five years of combined education, training and experience, which opens the job to most of the department’s firefighters.
Once hired, the new chief will have two years to attain the 120-hour Firefighter II level as well as State Fire Inspector, First Responder, National Incident Management System and Incident Command System certification.
The last two are certifications established by U.S. Homeland Security to make emergency response consistent across the nation.
In other business at the trustees meeting Wednesday:
Trustees announced that little progress has been made in trying to work out a host community agreement with the Waste Management landfill. Orr termed the talks “a tug of war back and forth” but said they will continue until an agreement is reached.
He said the township’s goal is to forge an agreement that will protect property values of residents who live around the perimeter, involve the Mahoning County Board of Health and provide for funds from the landfill to help the township avoid tax increases.
Orr also announced the company is paying $85,000 to extend the sewer line about a half-mile west to handle the landfill leachate. Orr said the approximately 1 million gallons of leachate is now trucked out of the landfill so the line will reduce truck traffic. .
Gebhardt asked that any township firefighters who need to update their Ohio certification cards contact their station captain before Jan. 24.
Police Chief Matthew Mohn said he is taking applications for a part-time police department secretary due to a resignation. Applications can be picked up from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the township offices. Applicants must be at least age 21, have a high school diploma or equivalent, have an Ohio driver’s license and pass a background investigation.
Orr announced that a 3.9 percent water rate increase has been negotiated with Aqua Ohio by local municipalities including Springfield Township for those residents served by the company.
He also said that the township was unable to obtain the services of a consultant who worked out aggregate natural-gas rate agreements with other municipalities because the consultant felt too many township residents use alternative heating fuels.
Orr advised township residents to go on the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Web site to compare gas prices and choose their own supplier.
Orr also said he was informed by Western Reserve Transit Authority officials that bus service will come to the township in May 2009. He said 15-passenger vans will be used to transport students, the elderly and others to various destinations. More details will be available later.
The township reorganizational meeting was set for 10 a.m. Jan. 2.