PHOTO BY JACOB KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
REVIEW … Clinton Township officials are shown during the June 1 meeting. Pictured are Trustee Ivan Hite, Fiscal Officer Nancy Yackee, Fulton County Prosecuting Attorney Luke Jones and Road Superintendent Eric Eyer.
By: Jacob Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jacob@thevillagereporter.com
The Clinton Township trustees held their regular meeting on June 1 at 1 p.m. The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer, followed by approval of the May 21 meeting minutes, the June 1 agenda, payment of bills and fiscal officer reports.
Fulton County Prosecuting Attorney Luke Jones attended the meeting to address questions from the previous meeting involving what had been called an executive session after the public meeting had already been adjourned.
Jones explained that an executive session must take place during an open meeting, must include a stated statutory reason and must be approved by the board before trustees enter the session.
Jones said the previous situation involved representatives from the city of Wauseon meeting with trustees regarding future EMS levy funding discussions following the renewal of the county EMS levy.
He explained that informational gathering by trustees is not always required to take place during a public meeting, as long as trustees are not discussing or deliberating township business among themselves and are simply listening to the information being provided to them.
However, Jones said the previous meeting should not have been handled as an executive session in either case.
He explained that the legal counsel exception for executive session would not have applied because it must involve the township’s attorney and pending or imminent court action.
Jones said he wanted the issue addressed publicly because his position is to err on the side of open meetings and open government.
Trustees also discussed proper executive session procedures with Jones, so the issue does not happen again.
Trustees then asked Jones about the possible sale of the former senior center building. Jones said township law allows trustees, by unanimous vote and resolution, to sell real property no longer needed for township purposes to any person on terms agreed to by the board.
The board also discussed its lease with Earl Mechanical at the former senior center building in downtown Wauseon.
Trustees said there had been an understanding that Earl Mechanical would cover labor costs for equipment failures while the township would cover parts, but that language was not included in the final lease.
Jones said the lease could be updated moving forward since it is month to month.
Next, another issue was reported regarding the proposed remodeling of the old salt storage building. He said the permitting process now requires natural lighting in the building, with around 80 square feet of glass or similar material needed. Trustees discussed adding glass to the overhead doors, using translucent panels or adding electric service.
Fire Chief Phil Kessler then reported that the new hydraulic rescue equipment and airbags had arrived and that training is being scheduled.
He said the department is considering disposing of the old equipment due to safety concerns. Chief Kessler also reported that truck 802 had an issue during a fire, but the issue has been corrected, and the truck is back in service.
He also noted that the city and township are expected to meet in July regarding the fire contract.
Discussion then moved to the fire levy and whether it should be placed back on the ballot, as well as if the township could take out ads explaining why it is needed.
Jones said the township may use public funds to provide factual information to residents about the levy but may not use public funds to advocate for passage.
Zoning Inspector Jason Fisher reported on several zoning matters, including a property on County Road AC where a letter was sent after no return call was received.
He also discussed a property where a barn had been built without a permit, with a late fee charged after the issue was discovered.
Fisher also reported that the State Fire Marshal’s Office is now involved with an issue involving fuel tanks near County Road 14 and County Road H.
It was stated that, at the time, one tank is currently on a trailer and that the owner had been told to remove it.
Road Superintendent Eric Eyer reported that roadside mowing has started, and spraying has taken place in a few areas.
There was no major cemetery report. Trustee Ivan Hite reported that Justin Pursel had expressed interest in serving as an inspector for the township. Trustee Rick Frey had no report.
Trustee Kevin Demaline later presented a quote from Earl Mechanical to repair an electric motor on the cooling tower at the former senior center building.
Trustees said the repair is needed because the building would not have air conditioning without it. The board approved paying $3,399.06 to have the motor replaced.
Trustees also continued discussion on the future of the former senior center building.
They said the city of Wauseon had previously shown interest in purchasing the property, but the township has not received a final answer.
Trustees discussed possibly giving the city a hard deadline before moving forward with another option, including a possible sale to Earl Mechanical. The meeting was then adjourned at 2:56 p.m.
