York Township Trustees met for their regular session on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, with Chairman Mark Jones calling the meeting to order at 5 p.m. Trustees Jones, Amy Trowbridge, and Joe Howard were present, along with Fiscal Officer Janelle DeBacker, Assistant Fiscal Officer Penny Jones, and several guests.
The meeting opened with concerns from Jerry and Cathy Sullivan regarding drainage issues in their yard.
The Sullivans explained that water continues to collect in the yard even after a tile was jetted, and they would like the issue resolved before final repairs are made to their driveway.
Trustees discussed the need to locate historical tile diagrams to determine the drainage pattern before a plan can be made.
Matt Towers of InnovaTek Solutions, based in Archbold, then presented proposals related to bringing the township into compliance with House Bill 96.
The proposals addressed hardware and software needs, including replacement computers for the fire chief and fire station, secure business firewalls, secure access points, custom email domains, ongoing training and support, Microsoft 365 Business Standard licenses, security awareness training, and managed service options.
Trustees noted that InnovaTek currently works with Gorham and Chesterfield townships and was flexible regarding which parts of the proposal the townships could implement.
FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT
During the fire report, which was submitted by Fire Chief Gillen, trustees discussed several items involving fire department operations and equipment.
Swancreek Township sent York Township a contract related to a Bureau of Workers’ Compensation turnout gear grant, with the purchase price for four sets of turnout gear expected to be about $150 more than the $15,000 grant amount.
Trustees agreed to forward the document to Attorney Luke Jones for legal review.
The fire report also noted ongoing discussions with Swancreek Township regarding future fire service contracts, as well as a productive meeting with the new Liberty Center fire chief concerning an automatic aid agreement discussed in 2023.
Engine 205, a 2008 pumper, continues to have issues with the water level gauge and an electrical no-start issue.
The report stated the engine needs to be moved to a reserve role, while trustees reiterated that the township would need either cash on hand or a guaranteed income stream before entering into a loan for major equipment replacement.
Trustees also discussed the Brush 206 project. The quote for a replacement pickup was listed at $52,000, while anticipated revenue from selling the current truck was estimated at $50,000 to $60,000.
The fire chief suggested ordering a new truck and completing the build in-house as the most cost-effective option, while also using revenue from the foam trailer sale toward the rig.
Trustees discussed obtaining confirmation on the sale of the foam trailer, along with vehicle and in-house install upgrade quotes, before approving a purchase. Jones agreed to attend a Northstar meeting regarding the possible sale of the foam trailer.
Other fire department updates included work on the south end of the fire station, where new vent covers were installed, and a gutter was tied into the front downspout.
Similar work will still be needed on the north side. The department is also looking into replacement costs for old lettering and a sign above the door that no longer works.
Crews also attended the annual AG Day at the school campus and assisted with removing nails from the roadway near 10/F after the issue was reported on social media.
OTHER BUSINESS
The township received no reports from EMS, Road and Bridge, the Personnel Committee, Public Committee, Financial Committee, Township Records Commission, or KLA Risk Assessment. DeBacker reported that the April bank reconciliation had been finalized and that April financial reports had been emailed to trustees, along with fire and EMS financials.
Under old business, trustees approved Resolution 2026-32 for IT upgrades and services through InnovaTek Solutions.
The approval included $1,950 for IT upgrades to the administration building, $1,750 for email service domain and Microsoft 365 licenses, $4,300 for fire department upgrades, and $305 per month for managed services and support.
The motion was made by Howard and seconded by Trowbridge, with all trustees voting yes.
Trustees also discussed playground equipment removal and installation, with Jeremy expected to talk with Tyler about arranging a date and time.
Under new business, trustees approved the April 22 meeting minutes, April 29 special meeting minutes, April bank reconciliation, April financials, payment of warrants and electronic vouchers, and purchase orders and blanket certificates presented.
Jones then moved to enter executive session at 5:59 p.m. to discuss employment and compensation of employees, with DeBacker and Assistant Fiscal Officer Jones invited to attend. Trustees returned to open session at 7:30 p.m.
EMS AND INSURANCE COSTS
After returning to open session, trustees discussed financial concerns involving the EMS fund and employee insurance costs. The EMS fund is currently facing an estimated $25,000 deficit for 2026 if no changes are made.
For 2027, anticipated EMS expenses were listed at $850,305, with projected revenue of $700,000 from the county, creating a possible shortfall of more than $150,000 without changes.
Trustees reviewed 2025 EMS employee costs, including wages, payroll taxes, OP&F, health insurance, life insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, workers’ compensation, and unemployment insurance, which totaled about $730,000.
Costs for EMS employees alone are projected to increase by $85,000 in 2027, including 6 percent raises given in 2026, a $10,000 increase in workers’ compensation premiums, and a $41,000 increase in health insurance.
Trustees also reviewed an opinion from Attorney Luke Jones regarding whether the township could offer a cash stipend to employees who opt out of the health insurance plan.
The opinion stated that townships may only do what is specifically permitted under the Ohio Revised Code, and the township cannot offer a stipend or cash payment for employees opting out of health insurance.
Discussion then turned to health insurance premiums for the upcoming renewal period. The township reviewed several options, including ACA Medical Mutual, ACA Anthem and ACA United Healthcare plans, all of which showed significantly higher increases. Aetna and SOCA Anthem declined to offer quotes, while MEWA United Healthcare did not respond.
Keeping the current COSE Medical Mutual plan would have resulted in a 34.6 percent increase in premium costs.
Trustees approved Resolution 2026-33, changing health insurance coverage for all full-time employees beginning with the June 1, 2026, renewal to the COSE Medical Mutual PPO HSA 6550 MMRX plan and eliminating the $100 per month employer contribution to employee HSA plans.
The motion was made by Howard and seconded by Trowbridge, with all trustees voting yes. Trustees decided not to require employees to pay a portion of the premium for 2026.
The board noted that the township is still fully covering the cost of insurance premiums and is not requiring employees to share that expense.
However, due to anticipated revenue reductions and increasing costs in 2027, the township may not be able to continue offering health, vision, dental, and life insurance at no cost to employees.
A letter will be sent or emailed by the trustees to supervisors to share with all full-time employees.
Correspondence consisted of magazines and advertisements. The meeting adjourned at 7:57 p.m.
