JACKSON CENTER — The Jackson Center Fire Department has four new members.
Having completed the training and probation period required, four local men were added to the department. Matthew Cooper, Garret Lotz, Davis Schwartz and Dustin Ware received a permanent appointment during the regular Jackson Center village council meeting, Monday, Nov. 13, and will now join the rest of the squad in providing service to Jackson Center and the local community. Mayor Scott Klopfenstein shared his gratitude and that of council and the community by noting his appreciation for the men who “stepped up to the plate” to serve: “Good help is getting harder to find these days, and we are thankful to have this level of commitment. Some of these guys are following in the footsteps of their fathers, and we are very excited to have them in our department. This expands our fire department from 16 to 20 members, which is the minimum of where we like to be, and we are pleased to make this appointment. I want to personally acknowledge each and every one for what they bring to the department. Thank you,” Klopfenstein said.
Council also approved an ordinance authorizing village Administrator Bruce Metz to enter into a contract with Stokes Township in Logan County for the purpose of providing fire protection.
“The contract is a renewal of the one from last year and the terms have not changed. The area is a block extending east from the city limit of Jackson Center to Logan County 23, then north to just south of — but not including — Santa Fe and then west from that point. The contract is an annual sum equal to 1.6 mils on the tax evaluation of Stokes Township, less the auditor fees,” said Metz.
In other new business, council heard the first reading of an ordinance that will provide appropriations for current and other expenditures for the village during the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2018. To date, the total stands at $7,246,744.44.
“This is just a summary figure,” said Metz, “I will have a more detailed breakdown available for all council members to review before the next meeting, giving everyone a chance to review the budget and make a list if they have any questions.”
Council also heard the second reading of an ordinance establishing job classifications and rates for all village employees. All of the recommended revisions would become effective, Jan. 1, 2018.
In the administrator’s report, Metz reviewed a number of current projects, noting that all were either completed or on schedule, and shared various reports on meetings and plans associated with village affairs.
“Most notable is the plan to temporarily relocate some power poles on the west side of town to make preparations for a major project to be carried out by ODOT, who will be excavating to replace a culvert in February of next year. The project is extensive in nature and will require rerouting traffic on state Route 274 for about one month,” Metz said, noting the poles will then be returned to their original locations when the project is complete.
With no other business on the table, council moved to adjourn, noting the next meeting will be Nov. 27, at 7 p.m.
