Board of Trustees - Regular Meeting

6 pm. Please rise and join us for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. This is the Union Township Board of Trustees meeting uh September 9th, 6 p.m. Mr. Campbell will let the record show all three trustees are present. Mr. Campbell, do we have any correspondence this evening?

Yes, sir. We have one. Um, and it's it's a uh transfer of ownership when liquor permit. It's from um it's going from go in go in Ohio LLC DBA doing business as good to go 111. The address is 1147 Maran Drive, Union Township, Cincinnati, Ohio 45103. That's being transferred to Big Mike's Gas and Go LLC. Doing business as Big Mike's Gas and Go, 1147 Maran Drive, Union Township, Cincinnati, Ohio 45103. The police department has no objections and uh Mr. McCormack says it meets all the zoning code. And that completes correspondence.

All right. Thank you. Uh we'll move on proclamation special presentations. I'd like to introduce uh and welcome to the podium Leanne Watson, executive director, Clen County Mental Health and Recovery Board uh for a levy presentation. Good evening everyone. Thank you so much for your time tonight. Can everyone hear me? Yes, ma'am. Yes. Thank you.

All right. Great. Again, thank you for your time. I will be brief. I see that you've got a very big agenda tonight, so I'll be um respectful of your time. So, I'm here tonight just to provide some information about our levy that will be on the ballot on November 4th. Um, so this will be a renewal of our 75 um levy and that is um brings about 3.3 million um into our system every year. And that levy um cost is $15 per 100,000 valuation. Um so that levy is very important um to our uh community for several reasons and I would like to point those out very quickly. Um first that levy um funding funds essential services for our community. Um it funds our crisis uh hotline. It funds our mobile crisis team. It funds um school-based mental health services in all our districts in our county. It funds uh medication assisted treatment for individuals that have a substance use disorder. It funds drug prevention services in all our schools. It also funds services for adults that have a serious and persistent mental illness. It also funds counseling services. And probably something that you are most interested in, it uh funds um our crisis intervention team training for our first responders. I don't know if you guys are familiar with that, CIT training. You probably have heard of that. I know that our chief has been through that. He was actually in the first class with me. um 14 years ago. Can you believe that? Wow. Um so that's some of the essential things services that um the levy funds. It also um provides a safety net for our residents that do not have insurance. Um so it assures that people can get the behavioral health treatments, be mental health or substance use treatment that they need regardless of the ability to

pay. So again, that levy funding allows us to supplement um services that the the cost of services so that people can get those services um regardless of the ability to pay. Um I provided some information for you um at your chairs um that that kind of goes over some of the key facts about our levy. It also has a QR code that'll lead you to our levy landing page as well as our hashtag which is Claremont Cares which will lead you to um our social media information. Um I also wanted to to tell you that that since CO we have seen a substantial increase in behavioral health concerns in our community as well as nationwide. Um particularly with our youth um we have seen a 42% increase in the amount of u of um uh crisis calls and from our youth under the age of 17. So 42% increase um in those calls uh just last year in 2024. The surgeon general actually um in in probably about two years in 2022 um stated that uh youth mental health is at a crisis level. And so again, it's very essential that we continue to to have this funding to be able to have those services in our schools for our youth. I also wanted to share some another some more statistics just to give you a sense of the need in our community. Um we've had a 53% increase in our crisis services. So that's includes our crisis hotline as well as our mobile crisis team. So a 53% increase since 2020. We've also had an overall every year we we have a 17% increase in um our crisis hotline calls and a 13% increase in um school-based mental health services for our youth. Also wanted to tell you about an initiative that we are starting um hopefully we will be break um be going

out for bid um in October. We are starting a crisis receiving center in in our um in our it'll be at our office up on Claremont Center Drive. And so that'll be sort of kind of like a a urgent care for behavioral health. It'll be a 247 um point of access for behavioral health um services for our community. And this has been a huge gap in our services for many many years. So we're very excited about that. And thanks to the commissioners, they provided us with opioid settlement money to be able to do that. Uh but also the levy funding will will will help us with that as well. Um so we we touch 25,000 people a year um with with our um services. Our budget is about $8 million a year and onethird of that over one-third of that is is our levy um dollars. So one in eight people are touched each year um with the services that we provide um with this funding. And without this funding, we would we would um unfortunately have to cut services and limit that access. So again, it's it's pretty essential to to our community. Um we have been endorsed by the um township association, so we're very grateful for that. And um I just would would request your support um at at the polls um for for our levy. And with that, um do you have any questions? Can I answer any questions for you about about our levy?

Trusty Dills. I do. Um, Mr. Watson, thank you for for coming out here tonight, by the way. Appreciate you taking your time to do that. Um, it's not an increase in a levy, just a renewal of the existing one. Yes. Full support on this. And uh, I don't know if my name means very much. Probably not. But you're more than welcome to say that, hey, you know, Trusty Dills fully supports it as well. Well, I really appreciate that. I do have a kind of a personal question for you. So, uh it was at the Lee Claremont class. We took a tour of your of your all's facility. I asked this question then, but um you know, you hear all the time, we don't have a uh drug problem, we have a mental health problem, right? And I ask the question, besides throwing money at the wall,

how do you solve the mental health? Because this question gets asked to me, why don't we have a mental health facility here? Why don't we have a homeless shelter here? Why don't we do I'm not a mental health expert. I don't know. But besides throwing money at the wall, h how do you solve mental health problems? Um what what does that mean? I I don't know what that question means. Yeah, that's that's a complicated question, but I you know, one of the things that we can do is start early. So it it prevention is really key to that.

Um so if we can and that's why that schoolbased mental health those that program we do in school based in schools is very important. So if we if we can identify the problems early and try to prevent them from becoming more severe that is very helpful. So we we want to get the kids early, identify if there's any any kind of risk factors, right? Um and you know there there are I mean that you know there's protective factors um that keep kids from from developing concerns, behavioral health concerns. So so that that's that's an easy answer. I mean, it it's a complicated question, but I just I get asked that question somewhat often, a couple times a year, and I I don't have an answer. I don't know. Right. Well, it's prevention. Throw more money at the wall, hire more doctors. I don't know. So,

Right. Well, it really is if we can identify people early and and prevent it. Um, but that that's definitely the key. And so, like I said, that's why we're we're trying we're doing the the program we do in in schools. Yes. and and medication is also so treatment together with medication because it is you know mental illness is um a brain illness right so I mean it it does require medication as well fair enough fair enough okay thank you good question that's all I got back Dr. for watching. This is the third time I've heard the pitch and I love it. I know. Did I do better this time? You're doing great every time. Okay, good. Thank you. You're doing a lot of work. Uh, keep it up. Thank you. You're saying you support a levy? It's no new taxes. No new taxes. No new taxes.

So, I do have a question. What is the overall budget? Our overall budget is around 8 million. We took about a million dollar cuts um last fiscal year, and so we're down to about $8 million. And so our our 3.3 million from the levy is is over a third of our budget. Okay. So we are pretty lean and mean um to serve uh are we the 13th or 14th biggest county? Last I looked I thought we were the 13th, but I just looked the other day and I thought it said the 14th. But that that's a pretty small budget for the as big of a county as we are. $8 million budget. Uh about how much of that do you think goes towards the prevention aspect?

Um I would that's you caught me. I would say probably not as not as big as we would like. I would say probably 30% of our budget is for prevention and the rest of it is for treatment. And and the only reason that is is because again we have the limited budget and so we've got to um serve the greatest need and so we we are targeting the people that that are the illst illst. Yes.

Yeah. Essentially react reactive to unfortunately to that. But that's 70% of the budget. So that's what kind of the key thing and it's not to poke or prod but it's um I heard you say prevention and earlier and the more we preventive we can do I kind of fundamentally believe that sounded like well if we can prevent and get out in front of everybody there is an endless amount of money to be spent on that

which brings me to a philosophical point and it wasn't to poke and Jess but I would love to hear from my board members as far as their perspectives on that overall because it's um you know a a year ago, year and a half ago earlier I I I shared something around the fact of um in the month of May uh is um uh National Day of Prayer. President Trump yesterday just called for uh America to pray in 2025 uh throughout the next year leading up to the 250th um uh birthday for the country. And that's what I think about when I think about prevention because I think about resilience. to think about physical, mental, spiritual, right? Uh um and and educational and I know that that's where you're going, but it's a it's a multifunctional uh type of attack that has to happen on that. And you shouldn't bear the sole burden of doing the preventative part.

Hallelujah. But but but we do, right? We we we bear a pretty big burden on that. And I'm I didn't mean to interrupt you. No, no, you're No, you're you're right. But it and it but it sounds like it's roughly, you know, around that $3 million mark or around that $3.3 million mark. So So again, not to poker prod, but to be transparent to the community or at least my understanding of it right now, um if that 75 mil did not go forward, you would essentially be able to still do your reactive support for what the numbers are at right now, but we would be much less on the preventative. However, that gets to the point that's what's the tangible. Sometimes it's very difficult mission to measure, I'm sure.

Well, I tell you what would what would be cut. I mean, we we we fund schoolbased mental health. We fund over a million dollars for that out of our $8 million budget. So, that that's that's quite a bit. Um, and then with our drug prevention, I mean, there's also drug prevention that that we fund. Um, but some of the things that that would be at risk are um, you know, access the access to treatment that the the quick access to treatment that that people need um, when they need treatment. So, I mean it it we really do have to focus on that. I mean prevention is key, right? But I mean you you it just that's just how when you've got a limited budget, you've got to focus on the people that are actually out there on the street needing needing the services. Yeah.

Or I'd have uh Chief uh Chief Reese over there calling me saying, "What are you doing with these people on the street that aren't getting treatment?" Right. Wi-I which that's where we're at as well too with being on a limited budget because I know that our our police and our fire um you know levies not to talk about renewal but as far as the budget and to have that type of hard dollars being spent on uh hard safety services is something that we've got to look at for Union Township uh for for levies. So anyway, anytime I can have either either one of these guys uh share their principles on on levies, I'm I'm happy to hear it. So, I wanted to ask about just what your thought process is overall with the the budget there. Did I

do I get anything wrong there from what I what I'm saying in your perspective? I wasn't taking notes. Okay. Nothing jumped out at me. Okay. All right. Well, no, I appreciate the presentation unless you got any questions or thoughts, but thank you, Miss Watson. Appreciate it. This is on the ballot when? November 4th. This upcoming November 4th. This Yes. This upcoming November 4th. Yes. Okay. All right. Yes. We'd appreciate any support. Yes. Thank you. And did did did I answer your question? I feel like I didn't answer your question well enough on the on the prevention. Do you feel like I did? I don't want to leave you. You said hallelu hallelujah. I I agree with you. I mean, so um you know I think it's it's a it's a whole community and that's a difficult onion appeal.

I I don't you may say it's your mission. And I may say that it's it's not going to rest fully on you and and and there could be an unlimited budget or unlimited check that comes towards uh your program but um you know in a policy and governing position I also think about where our taxpayers need to send money for things like safety services which you're going to work hand in hand with but they do. I mean we see the brutal stuff that goes on in the country and yes it's it's circular. I mean as far as mental health preventative reactive uh so but there has to be a bigger a bigger solution from everybody. So all right thank you.

Thank you for your time. Appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Gentlemen move forward with personnel actions. Uh in the service department Mr. Matt Taylor if you'd like to present. Danielle Wilson.

Yes. Thank you Mr. Lope. Tonight I am presenting to the board of trustees Daniel Wilson for consideration of employment with the Union Township Service Department as an administrative assistant. Miss Wilson is a graduate of Western Brown High School and has a bachelor's degree from the University of Cincinnati. She has also served 10 years as a police officer for the city of Milford. She's a resident of Claremont County. In her spare time, she enjoys riding horses and competes in horse shows along with highmile endurance races. Miss Wilson has successfully completed all pre-employment phases for the administrative assistant position. I would like to request that the board of trustees appoint Danielle Wilson to the position of administrative assistant. Miss Wilson's start date will be September 10th, 2025. [Applause] All right. Thank you, Mr. Taylor. Um, gentlemen, we're being asked to have a motion to hire Miss Wilson for position administrative assistant rate of 2850 per hour, effective date of September 10th, 2025. Like to take that motion, open the floor for your discussion.

You want me to make the motion? Yeah. So moved. So moved. Second. All right, gentlemen. Questions, comments for Miss Danielle. Danielle, hey, welcome. Thank you. So, uh, two notes I took. What was the, uh, you got to tell me the trans police officer, City Milford service department, Union Township, like what what was the transition like? What? So, I have I left city of Milford about two and a half years ago um to get my kids, be home with them for a while, get them to school. Um, when I left law enforcement, I it was I left it at the door. Like I wasn't that was never my future to go back to law enforcement and this popped up. I'm like I this be great.

My kids are all in school and ready to get outside of the being a mom full time. This chill don't be surprised if Chief Reese or Lieutenant Bladeship recruits her from you. You know the uh what was your toughest race? You said you did quite a few. Um 75 miles. Nice. Where at? Um in Michigan. Awesome. Awesome. Yeah. Was it one way or is it like the loop? We do loop. So you do like 25, 15, 50, however the ride sets it up and then you have vet holds and you get the let your horse eat and then get back on do it again. Y so much fun. I did a 100 mile down Tennessee so I get it. That's awesome. The uh chair I got sir trusty background

trusty Dills asked the question that was on my mind. Um it sounds awesome. I think you made you can never go wrong when you focus on your family, your kids particularly. Thank you. So yeah, I'd say welcome aboard. Thank you. I told you. All right. Thank you. Yeah, definitely exciting times here at Union Township. Uh you got the experience from City of Milford, uh but then also an understanding of what, you know, large uh jurisdiction is like. So, I'm sure Mr. Taylor uh looks forward to to having you on the team there. So, um I'll go ahead and ask for a roll call. Mr. Campbell. Mr. Dills. Yes. Mr. Becker. Yes. Mr. Lug. Yes. Motion carries. Congratulations.

Thank you. [Applause]

Okay. Congratulations. Welcome. Congrats. Congratulations.

And Daniel, hang out for one second and we'll get our picture with you. That's right. Yeah. Great. All right. Uh, personal actions for administration. Mr. Wright, if you would please, uh, introduce Miss Lisa R. Um, Lisa, come to the podium. Yep.

Thank you, Mr. Lug. So uh I think you know uh one of the most critical aspects of uh being an effective organization is you have to have good people in the pipeline to prepare for an inevitable departure whatever that is and um you know illness injury who know who knows and I've had the unique privilege of being able to work with you know some new department heads uh over the last year and a half and then some experienced guys that have been around a and uh some folks that were new to the township. And I think that one of the things that I noticed throughout uh the last say year and a half, maybe a little bit over a year and a half, almost two years now, uh was that Miss R has continually uh produced above and beyond in every project that we have provided her with and continues to excel. Uh I believe that she has demonstrated the uh you know the level of skills and commitment to the township you know her knowledge base from her employment at the city of Mason. It's a very diverse it's a big operation a lot of good things going on and she continues to uh to show us you know what she has learned there. Uh Lisa has a pretty diverse background has a bachelor's degree in communications. uh has some prior management experience from outside of her public sector life as a public sector employee and continues to grow and enhance our operation on a day-to-day basis here. So with that, um I am recommending that we promote Lisa R to the position of town to the assistant township administrator and an annual show of $110,000 effective date tomorrow. start early first thing and uh I look forward to you know her continued growth in this organization and learning and supporting our operations in in more capacity than she's already doing. So

thank you Mr. Wright. Uh gentlemen uh asking for a motion to promote m Miss Lisa R the position of assistant town minister annual salary 110,000 with an effective date of September 10th 2025. Do we have that motion? So moved. Second. All right. Um, Mr. Dills, do you have any comments? Go on the fence. Fence post. I'm thinking about it. I'm thinking about it. He uh you got your family here. I don't think I've seen your daughter at the police night out, but I haven't seen the rest of them. Can Can you introduce them real quick?

Yep. Uh my husband is in the green back there, Jason. And then my uh oldest, she is seven, Reese. And then the one that just dropped down, uh, she's bored and it's Adley.

Yeah. Well, Lisa, most the time I'm a jokester by trade. You can blame that on my mother, but uh um I'll be a little bit serious for one second. Um, you know, so you I I agree with what Mr. Wright said completely. Uh and and it's important, you know, if he retires or gets hit by a bus tomorrow, you got to have your replacement. And uh it's no, it is an absolute no-brainer. Um I think this should have been done a while ago. I'm glad it's happening now. And uh hands down, you are the right person for it. And so, um, just make it loud and clear if you could to, um, Miami Township, City of Loveland, Mason, Betavia, all the other surrounding areas that you are off limits and you got to stay here. It's all I ask. So, but, uh, congratulations and it's welld deserved.

Yeah. Thank you. Yes, ma'am. Trusty Baker.

You know, after hearing that endorsement from Mr. Wright, I uh, everything I had negative to say just kind of went out the window. Now, hey, when we first um I guess we're discussing creating that position that that you got hired for. I I was skeptical. I mean, it should be part-time, full-time, you know, is this going to be a good value for the taxpayers. That's what was going through my mind. Uh since then, very glad we hired you. Uh you have um you know, met exceeded expectations uh from from me working directly with you. You know, I I found you to be, you know, personable, professional, wellorganized, and a hard worker. Uh, you know, I think uh I think this is a great move for for everybody and uh particularly the taxpayers of Union Township. You have my full support.

Thank you.

Uh Lisa um I long made it one of the primary priorities. I wanted the entire township, you know, team uh to be focused on that whole transparency, accountability, communication front and driving forward with the tools and the resources to be in place and you and your position was brand new to the township and um and Trusty Becker uh to to to your point uh being skeptical. Uh, I think I remember saying, "John, if you feel like you have to be communicating it on Facebook, a nextdoor neighbor, then there's something broken at the township and we need to have someone like Lisa doing that for us." Um, and doing it, you have, you've done incredible for uh, Union Township, for the people Union Township, for the people that that do their jobs day in day out. There's so much good that the police, the fire, uh the service department, planning and zoning even, uh you know, right, that that are going through day-to-day motions that you having the strategic vision to be able to say, how do we communicate this? How do we better connect with the residents? How do we better serve the residents? So, when it's urgent and timely, uh it's impactful. Uh, and that shows because um I mean you guys are both incredible to my left and my right here. But I would also, you know, say that um moving into a general election season, too, there's absolutely no opposition to both of these guys for their reelection for township trustee. And I say that that is a hard black and white fact and endorsement from the community at how great Union Township is doing at delivering transparency, accountability, and communication. And I give you so much credit to being able to take vision, policy guidance that gets put

out there, working handinand with people like uh Mr. Wright and our our directors and and being able to continue to execute. And now you get to have even more of a challenge and deliver even more. And um you know and that's that's that is a core function of of this position is always being able to I say effectively communicate on behalf of the taxpayers and show the value and the resources that go back to them. And I know you're going to do a wonderful job at that. You've already been doing that. You're going to continue to take it to the next level. So we really appreciate that. So thank you for your time and your family. thank you for loaning her to us for the time that that you do and um and just know she's making the community better for you know the families and and families like yours and and everyone else in the community. So it's really been impactful. So thank you.

Thank you Mr. Wright. Anyone any further comments there? All right, Mr. Campbell. Roll call, please. Mr. Dills, yes. Mr. Becker, yes. Mr. Lo, yes. Motion carries. Congratulations. Congratulations. I'm sorry. Did you want to say something? Like I forgot something right here. Can we do a another quarterly report? Congratulations.

All right, gentlemen. If we um go ahead and we'll get a picture down here. Miss R and Stand with those hands. Congratulations. or afterwards.

Yeah.

Just seems like I gota learn about it. All right, gentlemen. Uh, moving forward. Uh, public comments. Not seeing that we have any public comments. Is anyone here for public comments? Okay, seeing none. Uh, department reports, fire and emergency medical services. Chief Austin Clemens, please.

Thank you, Mr. Lo. In the month of August, the fire department responded to 164 fire and service calls, 509 emergency medical responses. We made patient contact with 460 patients, and we transported 385 of those patients. We completed 1,058 hours of training, took part in 10 10 public education details, hosted ride time uh for EMT students on a total of 72 hours, completed life uh two life safety inspections and 11 inspections with the Claremont County Building Department. And that concludes my report. Thanks, Chief. Trusty Dillsy, any questions?

No, Chief. Well done. Thank you, sir. Trusty Becker. No, I'm good. Police Department Chief Anthony Ree.

Thank you, Mr. Logan. In the month of August, the communications center handled 4,921 calls for service for police, fire, and EMS. And our clerks handled 487 juvenile and adult court related documents for court. Uh, our record section also processed8 119 court notices requiring an officer's appearance in court, processed 10 rule 16s for the prosecutor's office, issued one vendor permit, handled 168 records requests, and redacted 29 body camera videos. In the area public affairs, our officers conducted uh or attended two events. The first was our police night out that we put on back in uh August, which was received very well from the public. And the second event was the start of our 20th citizen police academy uh which will run for the next 12 weeks. In the area of operations, our officers took 369 incident reports, 128 crash reports, conducted 433 traffic stops, issued 174 citations, 279 warnings, made 92 criminal arrests, 95 traffic arrests, and served 77 warrants. Our honor guard uh in the month of August participated in four events. Uh they presented the colors at our at not only our township night out uh but Pierce Township's police night out and they also presented the colors at the Bavaria Rotary Club's annual golf outing. Uh they also which uh our command staff attended. I was very proud of them. They also handled funeral ceremonies uh for Williamsburg PD's K9 Braggy which passed away uh last month at Williamsburg High School. In the area of training, our officers attended 152 hours of training uh that included all police department employees and we currently have two open positions uh for the position of police officer department. That concludes my report, sir.

Thank you, Trusty Beckers. are your trusty deals. Um, I have a uh funny story to share about our police department. So, I'm driving back from Fairfield at 9:00 at night. That's my daughter does gymnastics out there and it's a 30 40 minute drive back and my oldest daughter is 16 and my my son is seven. They're both at home. My daughter calls me on the way back home. So, it's like 9:15, 9:20 and she's like, "Dad, we got a problem." I'm like, "What's up?" And she starts laughing and she's like, "Well, Gunnar, my son, put on handcuffs around his ankle, just the one ankle." And because for Christmas, I bought him legit real like metal handcuffs, right? And I start laughing and I'm like, "All right, well, I'll see what I can do when I get home." So, I get home 9:30, 9:40, and I'm like, he's crying. He can't get them off. And it's past bedtime and I'm trying to get these handcuffs off. I cannot get them off. He obviously lost the keys. and I'm taking lotion all over his foot and everything. I can't get this thing off. He's crying. And I'm like, I I don't know what to do. I'm we're have to go to the police department. So, I got hopefully they could do something. Um and I'm driving and I actually see an officer stopped uh probably doing a report or something. He's by himself and I'm like, "Hey, I need your help. I got to you're going to laugh at this." And and I pull Gunner out and and Officer Davidson is who it was. And uh I tell you what, because you know to be a police officer, you got to have also a good personality. And Gunnar's crying. He's, you know, whatever. He's got a handcuff around his his ankle and an officer comes over, makes him laugh, lickickety split, pulls out some kind of tool, gets it off, and uh but truly like, and then Gunner starts laughing, flipped it around, and so pretty funny. And if luckily my seven-year-old, because who in the world would watch these meetings on a Tuesday night, so my son would never see this because he'd be very angry if I told the story. And so, uh, but it was just funny. David, Officer David did an excellent job. He was funny. Made my son relaxed and calm and it was cool. So, he did a good job and all that. So, I

didn't want to have to have to go to the police station. But, um, good story. So, second thing is I'm actually in the police citizens police academy as we speak. It's actually tonight downstairs. Obviously, I'm missing it. Uh, but man, I I'm really glad I'm doing it. It's I'm learning a lot more than I ever thought I would. You know, I'm like, I'm a trustee. I've never been. We do this. I should go. And finally, I'm going. and learned a lot and it is fun. Uh actually really enjoyed it. Everyone the whole class loves it. Your office is doing a great job by the way. So every one of them they're just studs. They're all doing a great job and and uh answer everybody's questions and just friendly and just presentable. So uh Chief, I don't know I assume you or or Lieutenant Hines pick or or maybe Lieutenant Blanket picks whoever does it, but whoever's doing it does every night has done a great job. So C police Academy has done very well professional and it's good. So for what it's worth.

Thank you. So yeah. Thank you sir. That's all I got. Mr. Trusty Becker, Trusty Dills, that was a great story. Isn't that crazy? Um, yeah, it's a that's good stuff. And and with the police academy, um, yeah, you know, I went through that some years ago and very rewarding and, uh, it's well well worth the time. A lot of fascinating work that what what those guys do.

Hey, Chief Reese, I have um on on the call reports one I wanted to ask you about. This was August 17th on Barb Salt Road. Um, the witness of the offense observed a vehicle stopped on bars, heard several gunshots, smoke coming from the driver's window of the vehicle. You know, police responded. Um, you know, warrants were issued. Uh, guy went to jail, got incar incarcerated. He was charged with improper handling of firearms and discharging of firearm near prohibited premises. What was the prohibited premise? What was What can you tell us about that?

So, the incident you're talking about, not quite as nefarious as it might sound. This was actually a subject who was test firing a new gun that he purchased. He he figured this area of Barksaw was remote enough that he could do it safely. Uh, unfortunately for him, somebody did witness it and one of our officers was able to stop the vehicle. The charges emanate from uh the improper handling, which would be firing it from a car. From a car is illegal. Y and the second charge is the fact that he fired it across the street, across the road in an area that's residential. So, um I mean, yeah, that's that's how I think it must be, right? I mean, obviously, the potential for somebody to get hurt there is pretty serious. So, we have to we have to take that serious. He'll probably be smarter about it now next time he's firing.

All right. Good story, Art. Thank you. That's all I have, Chairman. All right. Thank you. Uh, hey, thank you, Chief. Has there been any updates or uh new information about um first draft uh type of products and AI um as far as trying to do a test or test pilot and looking at just on the product lines that are out?

Yeah, we're we're going to move on that right now. We're we're kind of halfway through our year contract year with body cameras. Um there is I think we've talked about this, there is product out there that has those capabilities. Um whether or not Axon will let us do that on a trial basis, we'll have to find out. But if that's something that the township wants to pursue, there's an avenue for that.

Okay. Uh and I'm sure you know between yourself and the team you're keeping a somewhat of an eye uh definitely out there as far as the coming um utilization of new technology that helps be more impactful with the outcome base and and efficiency of the taxpayer spend. Uh, I know some of these things can seem like there's an upfront cost, but again, if we're able to be more effective with our our police force and less paperwork or less reports versus actual policing, that may be a benefit. Likewise, there's another I believe I've mentioned this before, but I want to believe Flock Safety has one of the the product line where it is uh tied in. I know we have dis a dispatch center conversation later tonight, but it's tied in with your dispatch center and uh let's say a 911 call comes into your dispatch center. A drone automatically goes up and goes to where the point of call is and has eyes, audio, everything on on on um display so that it can one this instance right here, a guy's just shooting a gun in his car and bar salt run. We got a run send a police officer, one of, you know, not a whole lot that we have probably sitting around the township idle. Uh, without getting into the specific numbers, uh, up for something that may be a threat or may not be a threat, but at the very least, let's say it is a threat, we've got immediately more information for those officers on their arrival. or it's not a threat and we can we don't even need to dispatch someone potentially because we've already sent you know a drone and it's got there in 30 seconds 60 seconds time of flight across the township you name it and it's back to the dispatch center. So, I I just I think that those are some really um interesting uh technology adaptions to to be looking for the local government structure and

especially a structure like ours where we got 50,000 residents swells to 100,000 residents during the day with the work population and we're always trying to look at being able to do more with less. It's tough to recruit hire police officers. So good use of um humans for human activities and a good use of machines for machine type activities. And that's just kind of the preference that I want to continue to put on the radar. So appreciate it and I share that also in detail just for our fellow board members to hear my my perspective on it. All right. Um over to the service department, Mr. Matthew Taylor.

Thank you, Mr. Lo. In the cemetery division from August 1st through the 31st, 18 burials were performed generating $7,625. Four resident graves were purchased generating $2,800. One non-resident grave was purchased for $1,700 and five columbarium niches were purchased for $2,400. Four cremation scattering gardens were purchased for $2,400. The total amount generated for the period was $24,337.80. In the parks division, landscape area maintenance continues on all the township properties. And in the road department, uh they repaired and filled 94 potholes on seven township roads and a total of 36 work orders were completed by the road department staff. Uh, and that, oh, and the final thing, September, just a reminder to everyone, September 20th is the lantern lighting ceremony at Mount Mariah. And that concludes my

Thank you, Mr. Taylor. Trusty Dills. Um, Mr. Taylor, just um, uh, your, um, your team's doing a fine job. Parks look good. I was there several days last week. Um what's the status on the the park at Veterans Park?

So the um there's like three items we have to finish. Uh, one is, uh, well, so there's been a delay from the manufacturer on the blue turf. Uh, that wasn't on the contractor, but that should be in this week, um, by the end of the week, and that should be installed. And then all that's left are the three sidewalks. And there, two of them are already dug out. Um, my guess is they'll be poured tomorrow. And the third one, and then it's just basically rough grading, seating, and straw. Fair enough. Okay. And then the I can do the comfort zone is just missing the shades. Those should be in this week as well. Uh and then the picnic tables are already there. We just have to once we get the shade structures installed, we will install the picnic tables. And then at the splash pad, uh it is operational.

Um the uh soccer club is doing a fine job at keeping those nets up, by the way. Okay. I made sure to check those out. So those are all good. So but I appreciate the update, sir. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you, Trusty Becker. Yeah, Mr. Teller, you made uh residents happy over on Deer Valley in the uh Rumpky Road area. Uh street street looks uh beautiful and uh you know, you know how it is when the residents are happy, then the trustees are happy. So good job. Thank you for that. That's all. Thank you. Um yeah, Mr. Taylor, thanks for thanks for the great work. um planning and zoning. Mr. McCormick.

Thank you, Mr. Lo. uh for month of August in terms of inspections for violations. We had 39 inspections, 27 complaints, two unfounded complaints, seven warning citations, nine 15-day non-compliance letters, two 30-day violation letters, 12 cases resolved, 386 illegal signs removed, uh 26 violations for the month, 21 reinspections of violations, and one nuisance. In terms of permit activity, we had one commercial permit, 10 changes of use, 12 signs, one temporary sales permit, five single family dwellings, three additions, three decks, eight accessory structures, 16 permits for pools and fences uh for 59 permits for the month, and a revenue of $8,965 and an additional $300 in fire permit revenue. Um, the other thing that was not in your reports I was going to mention is we finally started receiving applications for the Mount Carmel revitalation revitalization grant. Two will be um out for award tomorrow. I'm doing the paperwork for those now. One I'm waiting for one document and then that one will be included and we expect another three within the next week or so and potentially another six to eight before it's all said and done. Uh so we are finally starting to see applicants for that. And the other thing related to Mount Carmel is you may have noticed the McDonald's is open in Mount Carmel and Wawa should follow soon after. That concludes my report.

Thank you, Mr. McCormick. Trusty Dills. Mr. McCormack, well done. Good job, sir. Appreciate you. Thank you, Trusty Becker. I'm good. Thanks. Um hey, thank you, Mr. McCormack. Uh Mr. Taylor, I do have one go back. Uh, were you able to to investigate any on the um fitness? Yes, I have one option, but I'm sure there's others. We're just looking at fun.

Yeah. What what type of range of rough order magnitude of fundings? I have no idea. And I want to share the board members. So, it's actually really timely with uh this presentation we had earlier tonight about mental health um recovery boards because it gets to the aspect of of the pillar of physical uh for your resiliency and being preventative uh for people's mental health. And that is um I was at a a outdoor facility and I came across what I'd say a rather um streamlined looking uh section of equipment that was for pull-ups, um backps, crunches, dips, all of that. Um and I know that uh I was just curious to see what is the rough order of magnitude and what those funding is is. And you can imagine uh parents, grandparents, I know you've gone out on some of the different equipment, but with your kids or whoever it may be are playing at the playground, uh you can also do some pull-ups and and keep yourself healthy and be active as you're kind of constrained to watching your little ones play.

You're right on that. So, uh it was roughly in the range of 300 to 330,000. Yeah. So, I was trying to find some grant funding that was To be honest with you, I was trying to find something to pay for it all. Yeah. But I'll talk to It's something to keep. Yeah. It's just something I wanted to have. I like to always at least just know what is um within a range if possible or what's unacceptable or you just got to know. You got to ask the question. Even if you don't like the answer, you got to ask the question. Trusty Dills, please.

Uh Mr. Joe, I forgot. I wanted to give a shout out to um this local Planet Fitness here. I ran into the owner up there and turns out he owns 60 locations. I had no idea that many former former police officer for New York City and uh he lives here now. Um and he he said to me that whenever he up he's got a lot of used equipment from all of his locations. So if we ever need equipment for our police, fire service department, whatever, he did say just give him a call. I got a cell phone number and uh he'll be more than happy to donate whatever we need if he's got it in stock. So it's kind of cool. So I just want to make sure to let you know that. Don't let me forget that. I will reach out because as we build a new service garage, remodel it might be something.

Yeah, great great guys. I just want to put you in touch with them all. I mean, that's kind of need a local business going to just give it to us for free for for that. So, it's all I got, Mr. Chairman. Yeah. No, that's great. I immediately uh go to thinking about the the fitness facility at uh the water tower uh station uh and on 125. Uh I see Mr. Clemen shaking his head. Yes. Uh I don't know if some of that old equipment is still there. Um we've made some upgrades. Yeah. But we're always looking to continue to make improvements. Sounds great. Mr. Becker, did you have something additional?

Uh no, I'm just thinking a uh corporate donation of that uh of that nature. I believe it's going to be a tax deduction for the donor. Maybe other businesses can take note. They can make some money, get rid of some old equipment.

Win-win. Yeah, I believe we've we've uh stepped over that issue with um with the community improvement corporation, I believe, being able to be our entity that can can do that processing because I know that was an early question. Hey, if we had something that someone wanted a gift, h how how does it actually uh impact them? And so I see Mr. Wright saying, "Yeah, it's all figured out now." So, okay. Over to Mr. Wright, administration.

Thank you, sir. Uh, splash pads open through September. It's a little cold, but the kids seem to approve. Uh, we got a little bit of um repairs we have to make at the end of the season, but it was important that we got it open this year. We said we would get it open this year, and it is open this year. Uh, Matt uh and his crews continue to do some refinement on the drainage around there. And I think it's going to look great next year when we open it, whenever that is. It'll be sometime in early early May or late April. It's never too cold, I guess, for them. So, um, Veterans Park Playground, Matt talked about that. Just a little bit of finished work there. We're under We're in the final week of planning for the Jungle Gyms, fireworks, and I should I take it back. Union Township Fireworks in partnership with Jungle Gyms and R.J.'s. And this year we are celebrating Jungle Gym's 50th anniversary. So we're including a drone show that'll kick off just before the fireworks. So it'll be a little bit longer. And

it's this Saturday, right?

Yeah. This Saturday. Yep. And uh traveling wall planning is well underway. I think this is going to be a fabulous event. Anybody that was here previously remembers how moving and that tribute was. I'm really looking forward to it again this year. Um we actually we started our roundabout landscaping finally. It has cooled off enough and uh so those beautifification enhancements are occurring right around the corner here on the Icults roundabouts. Duke Energy had some uh supply issues on some bracket arms for the trail, but as you can see if you walk back there, the concrete is nearly complete. Well, we have the ability to let the concrete cure about 30 days and we'll be able to get light traffic back on it to complete the light installation. So, the brackets are in. They just didn't come in time. So, but that is underway. Um Mark is still working on the EV charger grants. The process has been beyond challenging. Uh we did receive systemic safety funding for some sidewalk improvements along Old 74. Uh the this do a little bit of back history. The old 74 improvements through the Bach Buckston area. They originally, I remember, had some sidewalks on it if I recall and magically they disappeared during the value engineering phase of the Blockbucks and old 74 project. Some of that was due to some alignment shifts. So, the state was gracious enough to fund a systemic safety application to at least restore some walks in that area to get some more pedestrian connectivity. It doesn't completely solves it solve it, but it gives us sort of a bridge head there to kind of build off of. Uh so that's good news. Um we uh have renovations underway at Bach Bucks at the new service facility. Uh there's a whole lot of resolutions uh this evening. Uh and uh most of those

are related to tiff extensions. I do have to apologize in my report. I forgot there is no cases tonight, but we do have some some um other things uh to go through. Um we are going to advance some text amendments to uh deal with short-term rentals. There was a pretty vigorous discussion at the BCA the other evening about that. Uh we are finalizing the Kapper parcels with ODOT. So that is good news. I think we're at a at a be able to get put 3.7 acres back in play here very soon. So that will be very good.

Um the uh other uh items this evening and they're on the agenda. There's some larger IT and communications center related issues that you know I want to have a significant discussion or at least brief the board about because they are not small ticket items. One is our 911 CAD computer aated dispatch system and dispatch consoles which are both sort of at the end of their useful life. we and it's one of those things that we can't wait for it to break before we fix it. The other thing is our aging access control security system, which is essentially what secures all of our facilities. Again, that's 21 22 years old. It's like trying to run a spaceship with a with a I don't know, a a graphing calculator. It doesn't work. Uh it's just it doesn't work. So, you know, two of those things are big ticket items. They're going to be relatively expensive. It's things that we can phase in over time, which is good and uh all of that. There one other item for discussion about plate fees. Um we uh need to pursue additional revenue. We have the ability under OC 454181 to raise plate fees. Every dollar of that will be dumped back into our road program. if we do that. I wanted to have a discussion for the board, just talk to you about the process and what that looks like or whatever. Um, and then uh we had some uh great candidates tonight. We pleased that uh back filled the administrative position in the administrative assistant position in the service department and we can get some kind of restored to normal activity there and looking forward to uh Lisa getting into this and learning more too. So I think this all in all been a positive month for us. So

trusty deals on Mr. Wright. Um the last month's zoning case, have you heard any update? Did Mr. Freley and that builder come to an agreement? So Mr. McCormack uh actually went out and conducted a field review and you know he has the scars to prove it literally because he had to walk through a brier patch or three out and I mean it's pretty rugged terrain over there. Was it a workers comp plan? No. No, it didn't rise to that level. He uh but uh he got torn up a little bit in the briars and all that. I know he spent a lot of time. He met with them. Did you meet with him a separate time as well? Are you going to hear that case again?

Yeah. Yes. I and I always keep a machete in my car. It was a good thing that I had it because we walked through the difficult way to get back there. And um but you're not It seems like there was an agreement pending, but they were waiting to have a surveyor go out there and mark the line and I think they'll be back probably at the next meeting.

Okay. So, I want to accommodate the neighbors. Um, but that builder has every right. It's his land. So, I don't want to take advantage of him and his time. I'm sure he wants to get started before the weather breaks for winter. So, uh, maybe give Mr. Freley a nudge and say, "Hey, you're going to have to compromise or just, you know, they my understanding is they met again and he's just he was just trying to pin him down to get something in writing so that there was no wiggling after the fact about what they agreed to."

Okay. No sweat. the uh Mr. Ike, great job on Lisa. I just uh challenge you to make sure she works with Mr. McCormick, works with you. You know, she becomes a Corey Wright 2.0 just like Mr. Gist did with you. We want to do the same thing. Um then I'm going to steal that a uh spaceship and uh graphing graphing calculator. Steal it up. What? Well done. Yeah. So the rest of the stuff we'll go over when we get to the resolutions and talk about it. So good stuff. Thank you, Mr. Ray. Yes, Trusty Becker.

I'm just sitting here envisioning Mr. McCormack um with machete and you know wearing a safari hat or something out out in the briars uh hacking his way through. Did do you have a technique you want to show us? I have an axe also and the hat in the car. I actually which I always keep in there for my camping and fishing gear. So Any pictures or proof at all? I do. Oh, okay. You want to put them up on the screen? Next time he does it, can we fly a drone over him? Yeah, we might get some video. Yeah, let's do that. That's all I have. Thanks.

Uh, Mr. Wright, how's the um I'm not a supporter of it, but how's the uh electric vehicle issue moving forward?

And what was that? Is that $900,000 of federal tax dollars? It's about I think about 900,000 all in and some of that was lo was toll money from the state of Ohio that they pledged toll credits to that. Um truth be told and Mr. McCormack and I have lamented about this uh frequently. When they pitched the program, it was sold as e, you know, easy as pie and it has been nothing but complicated. And part of that's been exacerbated by the fact that a lot of the folks with a lot with most experience at ODOT are now fully on the Brent Spence Bridge project. That's basically an all hands- on deck project.

And so we have people that are learning as they go there. and we are having to delve kind of go around and figure things out and do it by committee. We're almost there. Mark's got some contract documents that he's got to send them. But a key milestone was reached today. OKI updated their s they're going to recommend the stip or the tip or whatever they call it. It's included in there. They advanced the whole thing because we're going to advance it as a design build project because we can achieve some efficiencies on the design side and not pay an engineer to engineer it and then bid it out. It's kind of got to be they're all at risk. They have to do it and we're allowed to do that per OC. Uh that has apparently melted brains at ODOT because they don't understand the design build process. They understand the design bid build process.

Yeah. And so there was a whole they had to advance the DD and the construction phase together. And we appreciate them uh working through this. I mean, I'm never going to be um ungrateful for a grant opportunity, but it's just been a it's been a pretty challenging project. I think we're we're right at the end of the tunnel, though. Okay. Yep. I I'll I'll spare any further updates until we actually get an award, you know, letter, a funding commitment and they uh you know, we're putting out the proposals. So, Okay.

Yeah. Well, I appreciate that. Just, you know, my my discussions with uh OKI in the past is these these grant programs right there were out there for the EV programs, etc. It's like, wow, could the federal government just maybe do grant funding for hard items that are needed like roads, bridges, that and that's exactly okay. I was like, yeah, trust me, we know, right? But at that point in time, that was the prior administration. Then moving forward, we have a new administration that was clearly on the path of um not wanting to continue the reliance on, you know, um rare earth minerals that come from China and and different um slave trade type of uh mining. And at the same rate, it's just like, is that what our residents want? Do they want that? I still have not heard from any of them. So anyway, I lament on the overall issue, but um how many Mr. McCormack, you may recall this. How many charging stations and level two and level three that Waw Wa is going to have?

I don't know how many WA is going to have. They're gonna I think they're going to have an area reserve for them, but I don't know how many. I thought they had four or six planned. If anyone remembers from their presentation, do you remember their presentation? I just remember that there Wawa means Canadian geese. That's right. And I hate it. You absolutely do. So, all right. Well, no, I appreciate it. Thanks for keeping up the great work, Mr. Rightight. Appreciate it.

All right, gentlemen. Uh, moving forward, we have no public hearings tonight. Old business, seeing none, open the floor if we have any that's not on the agenda. Uh, new business. Item alpha is the consent agenda. And we're seeking uh a motion to approve the consent agenda consisting of item one, approval of meeting minutes. Um, Alpha Bravo, August 12th, 2025 regular meeting minutes and August 12th, 2025 zoning meeting minutes. Item two, approval of payments is prepared by Mr. Campbell, fiscal officer. And item three, approval of monthly financial report is prepared by Mr. Campbell, fiscal officer. Do we have that motion? So moved. Second.

Any discussion, gentlemen? Hearing none. Roll call. Mr. Campbell. Mr. Dills. Yes. Mr. Becker. Yes. Mr. Lo. Yes. Motion carries. Item Bravo. Motion agenda. Item one uh approval of purchase orders. If we have that motion uh to approve and we'll enter uh discussion for Mr. Wright to present. So move. Second. Mr. Wright.

Sure. Uh thank you uh Mr. Lo. Uh the bulk the the bulk of these 1 2 3 4 five six seven eight purchase orders. The first eight purchase orders are to total quality logistics for their economic development reimbursement agreements uh from December 2024, January 25, February 25, March 2025, April of 2025, June May of 2025, June of 2025, and July of 2025. So that is this is not us. They were behind on their submittals and they dropped them all on us at once. So kudos to Mr. Campbell staff for producing those. Those are in the amounts of 28,780.76 29,42.36 73,38965 311232260595 56 29417 2863780 and 2947612. Um, we certainly appreciate all the detail they provide us with though because they make the they do make the reimbursement process very easy, our friends over there. So, and this is a portion of just earnings taxes that are rebated back that are collected by the district. It's part of a economic incentive. So, uh, next purchase order is for the Baldwin Road landslide repairs for in the amount of $150,000. Uh, the trustees have, just a note, you guys have already approved that via docy sign because it was timesensitive. if we wanted to get the agreement back to them. That was a project that was authorized in October of 2023. Um, Echelon by 360. This is the second half tiff settlement for phase one of Echelon. Uh, $48,3749. Just a note here. Next year you will see a much larger settlement on this because

apparently again we had issues with the first half tax bills and then I think people they if they pay by a day late they'll hold it until the next settlement. So Mr. Campbell advised me that that actually occurred here and uh so the next one will be much larger. Redwood Living for uh the second half settlement for their development incentive agreement on uh uh Redwood Dolimer Bach Buckston 106 642 uh76 did I read the amount for Echelon? There's so many of them on here.

48 30749 for echelon 10664276 for Redwood Milford Board of Education. That is our makehole payment on the Milford tiffs. $895,24.72. Claremont Northeastern. That is our TIFF settlement for the Round Bottom Road area. 28,63694. West Claremont Second half TIF settlement in the amount of $1,680. know $1,680,36616. Great Oaks Institutional Technologies, that's the second half tiff settlement for $30,89062. And we also have an award on here for Morton Salt for our uh 2526 highway rock salt in the amount of $195,000. Um and that concludes purchase orders.

Thank you, Mr. Right. Gentlemen, any discussion? Hearing none. Roll call. Mr. Campbell. Mr. Dills. Yes. Mr. Becker. Yes. Mr. Lo. Yes. Motion carries. Item two. Gentlemen, uh, seek a motion to approve the 2025 Halloween trick-or- treat hours. This establishes Halloween trick-or- treat hours in New Township as Friday, October 31st, 2025 between 6:00 and 8:00 PM. Do we have that motion? So moved. Second. Any discussion? Hearing none. Roll call. Mr. Campbell. Mr. Dills. Yes. Mr. Becker. Yes. Mr. Log. Yes.

Motion carries. Item three, swap 4G 2025 2026 road salt contract continuation. Gentlemen, do we have a motion to continue the 2025 2026 winter salt program with Morton Salt, the lowest responsive, most responsible bidder. The township is a member of swap 4G, which is the entity that administers the bidding. The price per ton is $82.24 for 2,400 tons. We have that motion. So moved. Second. Any discussion? Hearing none. Roll call. Mr. Campbell. Mr. Dills. Yes. Mr. Becker. Yes. Mr. Log. Yes.

Motion carries. Item four, Union Township Fall Jump Days. Gentlemen, seeking a motion to establish Union Township Fall Jump Days for November 6th through November 8th, 2025. Hosted the Union Township Service Department annex 4312 Glen Winsville Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45245. Hours of operation, Thursday and Friday, 7 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. Do we have that motion? So moved. Second. Any discussion, gentlemen? Hear none. Roll call. Mr. Dills. Yes, Mr. Becker. Yes, Mr. Log. Yes. Motion carries.

Item uh five, approval of 2025 tax incentive review council Turk recommendation. Gentlemen, it's a motion to approve and accept the recommendations of the 2025 tax incentive review council taken at the August 6, 2025 Turk annual meeting for all applicable enterprise zone agreements, tax incentive agreements, community reinvestment agreements, or other tax incentive granted with the new town of Claremont County, Ohio. Pursuant to higher revised code section 5709.85 echo do that motion. So moved. Second. Any discussion? Roll call. Mr. Campbell. Mr. Dills. Yes. Mr. Becker. Yes. Mr. Lo. Yes. Motion carries.

All right. That brings us to item six, townshipwide facilities access control upgrade discussion. Mr. Wright wants to present a uh enthralling discussion on our access cards. And I will be very brief because we got a lot in front of us. So our access control system 20 years old uh it we have sort of a scab together uh security system camera infrastructure uh the current system that we have and I'm not going to talk about the software system because it's a security infrastructure record. Uh it's absolutely deplorable. We can't figure out what the doors are, Matt. It it resets. We have issues with it's aging now.

That's so that's the answer. Huh. I thought it was the most bizarre thing when I first was elected and I was here and one day I like locked my wallet with my key card in my office and I came upstairs and I was like I'm locked out and at the time is Bob McGee was the other trustee and he's like here I got you. I'm like you got a key to to my office like that's odd. So that's the answer. Okay. It's the access control system. It's absolutely I don't know if it's that's the specific answer that that occurs but we have

I know it was not private. No, we have issues with the doors. We have issues with the user groups. The panels reset on their own. They fail open. They fail closed. Uh we just had an issue where we were chasing we had a brief and I mean and I don't know if you guys experienced it at the PD, but we we had a brief power outage. It was less than 30 seconds here about a week and a half ago for some reason around here. and it threw our entire access control system into a complete upside down mess.

It's a significant project and Lieutenant Blanket Chip has been working on this with three two or three different providers. Um very expensive. It's all expensive. It's just a matter of degree. Uh provided the board with the quote. The good news is we've been able to negotiate a system. It's uh through mobilecom. Uh it's about a total amount of a ground I'd just say ground numbers $425,000. The good news is there's an upfront payment that we will pursue later either later this year or early next year depending on how the budget wraps up and I'll work with Mr. Campbell on that as we look at our appropriations and whether we're trending over and under. But then we'll be on a pay as you go because there's no way they can complete this project in less than probably 22 to 24 months I'm guessing. So we'll be able to implement as we go to to do this which is good in that and uh by the by the end of that we'll have all our access control integrated into this system. Uh phase two includes uh camera integration and it gives us a new architecture and backbone to basically finish the existing facilities that we have. We have some facilities that are still hard locked and really don't have cameras and things and we'll be able to add to that over time. So I know it's a lot. It's but it's a big deal and it's something that I I don't believe we can afford for this to break. It's just like the computer aed dispatch. It's one of those things that you become so reliant upon it, you can't afford for it to break before you fix it. You have to upgrade it. So, I just wanted to make you guys aware of that. Any discussion or whatever, if you want to hear the nuts and bolts about access control, Lieutenant Blankenship knows all about it, what it does, the the system, but I think I've kind of given you a high level unless you really want to get down in the weeds on it. Trusty Dills,

I just want to hear what Mr. Becker has to say on it. I've heard everything I need to know. You What's your take? So, what's your perspective on it? I'm a yes vote. So, what's the uh um You said $400,000. What's the schedule? Right. It sounds pretty emergent that this needed to be one of those capital budget items uh that was funded yesterday. So capital

uh I've been want us to move towards having some some items like that that would be right like capital budgeting for here's a building cost here's an expense it's going to be foreseeable foreseeable in the next three to five years. Yeah that's not emergency. Yeah that's what I'm saying like it seems like it's fun it's something that is emergent now but we frankly should fund already yesterday today. Let's go. Yes. So, what's the schedule look like?

The schedule looks like as soon as uh you know, I think with Lieutenant Blanket will secure the he has the quote. I'll probably put the purchase order in. I wanted to get the board's feedback first on that. Put the purchase order in. We can send it out docuign which will allow me to execute the contract depending on the budget and I want to talk to Mr. Campbell about the budget because it is a big number that we will have to encumber this year and we may want to look at. I think we can limp along through September, through the end of this year, right? But I think we'll also need to marshall resources to make sure we're prepared to execute on our side.

What's what what would be the reason it went belong? Well, from a budgetary perspective, it's about fund allocation and the appropriations and wanting to make sure that, you know, we I know we have funding reserves, but I don't necessarily know that. It just depends on if they'll honor the quote for longer than 30 days. If they won't honor the quote for longer than 30 days, then we may move on it now. If they will honor the quote for longer than 30 days, you know, they prices move, right? um we may be able to stretch that out because every dollar that we say, you know, we earn interest on every dollar we have in the bank right now. So

that's that's another place I was just going to go was say some sometimes and a lot of times there's um finance options for different pathways. So is this a finance option? They're essentially no and financing, but they're they're essentially letting us pay as we go as they implement the project. So it's a it's a large, you know, down a large down payment then. No, no, it's 100,000. There's a trunch of 100,000 due and then we'll be on monthly installments just like our body. It's basically like the body cams in in a certain way because they're not going to they're going to have a big trunch of equipment that they have to buy, right?

So, there's a upfront cost of about 25%. And then they're going to implement and build those costs and those labor costs as they implement and roll that out. The bulk of the work is at this building. There are 68 doors in this building that are access controlled. Okay. So, the rest of it's all our satellite facilities. We'll start here and work our way up. Aside from we will have to run a zombie system next to the system until we until we implement the new system too. So aside from having a new system that fully supports the former capabilities, is there new capabilities that the new system is going to bring on easier access like easier administration control certain doors?

Yes, there is the ability Matt and Lieutenant Blankship have sat extensively through the demos. It's very similar to a platform that we used when we were in Loveland where we had granular control of the schedules. We had uh granular control of the doors. We were able to tell what doors were what. you have camera integration into the system which is an incredible asset for us because right now we're either on it or IP or some DVR cameras and you know when you and you can actually get in the system and see when cameras are working and when they're not and it's it's a very powerful tool. The other cool part about this is it's an open-source platform that you know and I think the licensing was for 10 years is that correct? So if after 10 years we don't like this software platform and assuming the equipment's still viable, we could pursue another software platform, you know, that that runs on the same stuff. So anything that was one critical component of this is we did not want proprietary

proprietary stuff because we want to be able to open source. Yeah, it's huge. So great work on tracking that radio. It is a Motorola product. Full disclosure. Um but what was the question? Motorola radios will be uh spent out the wazoo for it's a mobile comm product but yeah Motorola's got the market cornered on the radios. I can't really do anything about that. So flex with our dip system too if we do it. Yes. So that's all I have. I mean I just needed some feedback from the board if you want me to just push this forward or not. I'll just go ahead and push it forward. You guys will see purchase orders.

U Mr. Chairman I do a I guess a thought I'd like to to share with the board just kind of generally on the topic. I'm a believer in technology, especially when it comes to security. Not saying we need to have the best of the best that's out there, but whatever makes the best most sense at a at price point. Um, and that's why I was so quickly saying, "Yeah, I've heard enough. I'm in." Those are that's why Joshy Dills, anything.

Nope. We're good. It'll put it on for Well, do you want to defer till next year? Um, I want to look at the budget with Mr. Campbell at the end of this year, but if if we have the funds available, I'd like to try and get it encumbered and get started because it's a big project. But if we have to wait till dece December maybe or at the end of the year, uh, I don't think I don't think that'll be a problem. We'll figure it out. So, we'll move on as quick as we can. All right. Is that it for item six? That's all I have for for that. I appreciate the feedback from the board. Item seven, Union Township 911 Communication Center, CAD upgrade discussion.

I'm going to turn that over to Chief Ree. He's got about a minute and a half to two minutes and high level stuff here.

Yes, sir. I'll make it very brief just real quick to give you a yman's knowledge of CAD. That's our computer aated dispatch. It's really the brain center of our communication center. All our reports go through there, master names, people, contacts we've made over the last 16 years that we've been with alerts. So, um, a big part of of our whole process. Um, right now we are with alerts and in my 27 years in Union Township, we've only had two CAD systems, uh, inner badge and alerts. And over the last five years, Alerts has changed ownership twice. Simply, quite simply, we believe it's a failing system. had a lot of issues with it and we have concerns about long-term viability with it which is why we've started to look to different products. Um over the last couple of months, Sergeant Graham and Lieutenant Hines have brought in three different vendors. Um Motorola Flex, which is the one we like the most, Central Square and Pro Phoenix. Uh they they each of the three of them did an eight hour uh demonstration on how their product works. Um, we're we're very fond of the Mo Motorola product and it's also about $500,000 less over five years than the other two products. So, we believe it's a better product for what we're doing at a cheaper at a cheaper cost. And they're very flexible in how they're willing to allow us to pay that off, whether it's front-loaded over five years, frontloaded in the first year, frontloaded in the back year, even across all five years. They've been very willing to work with us. Just want to hit on some key points about uh Motorola Flex and why we'd like to go to them. They've really separated theelves from the other companies when it comes to integration. They slot directly into the Motorola ecosystem that we already have, our radio uh our radios and our Call Works 911. Uh so the unit status and location flow into our CAD um without the the need for middleware, which can be fragile. We've spent a lot of money on that over the

years. Basically, instead of several different products trying to help us accomplish our goal, we did one simple product with Motorola Flex, and it it cuts out a lot of the middlemen, so to speak. Um, they're organizationally, their their mapping really stood out with us. Uh, they provide us with real-time um automatic vehicle location in the field. Um, so we're able to track our people better and what they're doing uh more easier. It slots into the radios that we already use. The GPS capability uh installed in our current APX radios will also enable the dispatchers and users to see and track our police and fire personnel better. Uh and as Mr. Wright had mentioned earlier, if we decide to go with the Motorola product um for our for our security systems, uh I think that these this will partner better with our video cameras uh that we we talked about earlier. So, um, it's going to allow us to tap into those cameras in case we need them for investigations. Um, both of both of them being Motorola products, they'll integrate better. And really for us, it comes down to integration and interfacing. Going with a new CAD system is going to be something that's going to take the better part of a year just to get all of our information to interface uh, with this new product to go from alerts essentially to Motorola. Um, that's kind of why we'd like to get started on this sooner rather than later. I'd really like to get started on at the beginning of 2026 because it's going to be about a year process to get all that information to interface and integrate over. Um, so all in all, we just really feel like the Motorola Flex product is the best for us and it comes at a cheaper rate. Uh just to give you an idea, uh if we evened it out over five years, it's a lot like our body cameras and our tasers. We'd be paying it out over five years and it'd be roughly uh if you even it out over five years, roughly 154,000 per year. Now, that first five years, that

includes everything. There would be no additional cost. Um additionally, I just would add this, their troubleshooting has been exceptionally better than the other products we've used. Motorola Flex's rep actually lives in the county. They may live in the township. I'm not sure. Um, we really believe that their customer service, if we do have issues, going to be significantly better than some of the other vendors that we brought in. Talk about the cons.

So, as we stated earlier, there's the need for some pretty significant upgrades in our dispatch center over the next five years. We've talked about 911 uh call works probably be going out of business here in a couple years. That's going to be something down the road that we're going to need. But our dispatch consoles will absolutely have to be replaced by 2028. Significant cost that comes with that. You're probably looking at close to $400,000 just to replace those consoles by 2028. So significant amount of money to upgrade our dispatch center over the next three to five years. Trusty Dills.

Thanks, Chief Reese. Uh, from my understanding, we don't have a choice. We have to upgrade this and the clock is ticking. Correct. We've had we've had significant issues with alerts over the last year. That has slowed down our our processes. Yeah. All good. I got nothing. Trusty Becker. Uh, really is the same answer as a previous uh you know, I'm a believer in technology. is public safety related and uh sounds like it's important to to do the upgrade. I'm on board. Chief, what was the total dollar figure roughly again uh for the Motorola Flex the new CS system? It'd be roughly 154,000 over five years.

So if you do the math um or I'm sorry, 154,000 annually uh over the next five years. So if you do the math, probably close to 700,000 750,000. Okay, consoles. Now, if you throw the CAD consoles in, you're talking about another 398,000. And those are needed as well. Those are needed by 2028. We'll need them. And it's 390,000. 390,724 is the total on the console. So, 400. So, 1.1 million by 2028,

rolling through 2028, rolling through 209, 2030 with 154,000 plus. So, okay. 1.1 million roughly. Okay. Um, how far out would getting the project started be? Motorola's been in contact with us. They're ready to go. They're just kind of waiting for for our timeline as far as purchasing the product. Okay. So, doing the math with the Motorola Flex would be 770,000 over five years.

Okay. And um technically I know keeping our in-house dispatch that's the path but transparently there is a choice there. The choice is we cannot have our own in-house dispatch and we could go to the Claremont County dispatch system. Right. Can you share a little bit about I know that that's been an issue pushed previously. So

yeah and I don't have raw numbers for you that this was something that we looked at several years ago. It actually would have cost us more. The comm center not only wanted us to pay for the additional dispatchers that they would need to handle our call volume, but we'd also be paying on a per call basis. Again, I don't have the numbers for you. I'm confident that it would be more expensive, right, to go with the comm center. And just the quality of service that we would receive. I mean, if we go with the comm center, we're basically in the queue along with six or seven other departments in the county.

Yeah. I I I asked that and I put that out there just as the transparent piece that you know that when the project moves forward, keeping an in-house dispatch uh and making these upgrades, there inevitably will be some people that want to question the process and the due diligence involved. And I know that historically, I've looked at that, looked into the numbers. To me, it makes sense that we have the quality of our own dispatch center. Um, so but technically people would say there is an option. Uh, and Trusty Becker as you ping the piece of technology, I agree with with that. That's I'm going to bring it up one more time. Um, I don't know what the demo and and the costs are, but drone as a first responder by flock safety is one thing I was talking about earlier. And uh, just a couple quick statements here, facts. 78% of service calls are first responded to by flock aer drones. 20% of calls are resolved without dispatching patrol. 86 seconds is the average time to reach calls for service and then 89% increase in subjects being located. So bad guy with a gun or missing person or whatever that may be at the same rate seems like reducing the patrol miles driven traffic and and and stuff of that nature. So that again we're on the same page why that piece of technology uh um to me is fitting with call center discussions but also um is something to be forward looking and thinking about as well when we look at these technology integrations. So thank you. Uh item eight Union Township Road Resurfacing Program OC4504.181 license plate fee discussion.

Thank you Mr. Thank you.

So, House Bill 62 created two new permissive taxes. Uh, one was for municipalities. It's an obscure code section. The other one is 45504181. Township currently levies $25 and or levies a total we collect is it a total of $25 in the township uh on the plate fees. We have the ability to go up to 30 with the passage of House Bill 62. Um, you know, one of the things that's unique about the township, unlike our surrounding communities, is we have created and sustained a pretty robust, you know, resurfacing program through, you know, economic development tools, create, you know, creative financing, a whole nine whole nine yards. But at the end of the day, the hole is too great to dig out of with the existing revenues, uh, just the deferred maintenance on that. And so, what I'm asking the board is for some direction because there's some time to implement it. I just learned today the earliest we can collect the tax is if we if we adopt it between now and June of 25. Let's see. If we adopt it between now and June, we begin collections in 27. So, you know, this isn't an end all beall. We probably have 55 to 60,000 registered vehicles. You know, we we estimate conservatively it could net, you know, a4 million dollars or more to the township in additional funding that would be placed directly into the road program to sustain and augment that current capital expense because um you know without it we're going to lo we're going to lose traction. Um you know other communities run road levies. Um, I know where I live, I pay 70, almost 70 bucks a year for a for a road levy. I would not recommend that we do that. I think that user fees are a more

appropriate way to go. I wish the general assembly would give us more user fees um that we could we could you know deploy, but this is the best I have right now and I just want to get the board's direction on it because there's some specific OC compliance requirements that I have to take as far as scheduling and noticing public hearings some significant expense on that and then there's a series of hearings not less than three not more than 10 aside from each other and Mr. Campbell and I have have looked at the numbers up and down and you know I you know especially with these pending security and infrastructure capital expenses that are coming up in the next two to three years. I mean we have to pivot. So it's where I'm at. I just need some direction from the board.

Just deals roughly. I know it varies ballpark. How much revenue will this bring in for the roads? You know, if it's $5 a plate times 55,000, I think the last check we looked at 285. Yeah, 285. I want to conservative. I was shooting a little low. 250. Yeah, I just said quarter million. Yeah. I mean, this year that'd be almost what? Two two miles of roads. Close to

Yeah. I mean, I don't I don't I don't want a roads levy, gentlemen. And I've got uh I've got four vehicles with my Harley. It's 20 bucks a year. It's fine. So, I'm in favor of insurance. All I got. Trusty Becker.

Um so, first off, I agree with the philosophy of a user fee over a property tax re levy. What I'm confused about or what I'm struggling with is just in the past few months, we've had some votes on parks and recreation related items of which I voted no on. And when I voted no, my reasoning was, you know, we got the deferred deferred maintenance problem with the roads. Let's put that money into the roads and we get the roads caught up to where they should be. then we can discuss I think at that point parks and recreation or other other alternatives with money and if I recall discussion correctly or at least my takeaway was that you know spending that money wasn't a problem we got enough money for the roads this is why I'm confused so if we had enough money for the roads a few months ago why do we need to add on this user fee to add more money or to collect more money from motorists to put into the roads. That's the issue I'm having with this. So, uh, the takeaway for you, Mr. Wright, is don't count on my vote for this.

That concludes my Okay. So, you're a no on the user fee. Um, I said don't count on my vote. Okay. Oh, sorry. All right. That's different from a no, but you can interpret it that way. It's a lean no. How's that? I It's not a hard no. It's a lean no, but I know you well enough that it's a no. We'll see when that when the time comes. So, um I might surprise you. Well, that I mean it's I think I think Joe and I could Joe, how's he gonna how's he gonna vote? He's not going to vote for it, but I can't even. So, my my I mean I think when you see Veterans Park finished, I think it's going to be packed and I I don't I stand by my vote and uh

I tell you what, my I was just there this past weekend. No, we're we're we're good. And I I'm not even going to debate this. So, I said I said what I said. Yeah, I'm in favor of it.

Hey, I'm with you. I'm just I'm going to address I think two two two pieces there. And that's one, we went from historically, and this is before you board members being here, uh a mile or a little less a mile a year in the repavement program of 133 miles per 133 miles in the township and being a mile per year or less, $200,000 roughly per year. Uh that left so many roads and miles of roads in disrepair from that sense that um it was a big initiative to fix roads and went from one mile to two miles to four miles to five miles and each subsequent year to 10 miles. Last year we did 10 miles, right? Um am I mistaken? We did total of 10 miles. Is that right, Mr. Taylor? last year for 2 million.

We got a good deal. We we did the volume buy with the county. We got a better deal on that. We lose a little bit of control, but we've we've done better there. But that was to fix all the failing roads, right? And not to rely on a study and a report from 2011 that just was a straight line algorithm to say, "Hey, the road's good." And you could be standing in the middle of a pothole and say, "Well, no, the study's terrible. It's garbage." But hey, if I want to be a non-transparent government, I can say, "Hey, the study's good." Uh, so we did fix the roads last year. Um, and parks, um, you know, it always gets forgotten, I think, but there was a park right next to TQL where they grew for another thousand employees, and we sold that park to TQL for about $1.2 million. And we reinvested that money from the sale of the park into the park system here in Union Township. And frankly, having like Mr. Dill said, more utilization out of the parks like Veterans Park and Clippers Park, that's actually taking care of the asset. Otherwise, develop it, bulldoze it, don't have a park because of 60 acres of a unused park, that's a terrible, you wouldn't you wouldn't spend money on something and then just put it in your house and have no use out of it, right? Um, you just wouldn't do that, especially if it's other people's money. Spend other people's money on something, put it in your house, and just look at it, but no one ever gets to touch it or use it. That's not what we would do. So,

should be wellmaintained and look nice. I certainly agree with that. Well, and that's why they're they're actually getting util utilization now after we've made some upgrades. Trusty does. So, uh, but anyway, um, license plate fee thing I'm being asked as far as would I be supportive of a user fee, uh, to be able to reimburse or go back into our road program. Is that is that question? Yes, sir. Okay.

Uh, I'm I'm fine with that. It makes sense. However, I do want to get some complexity background. You might be able to educate me on this um because of state house stuff. gas tax, right? Gas tax has been the issue for funding roads, but now that's different. Has that changed now? And Mr. Wright, you may be more up to speed on it than I don't want to put trust you back on the spot with it, but I'm just from your your being in the state house, you know, I'm talking about between electric vehicles now, and it's like they're getting utilization on the roads, but they're not paying the gas tax. They are now. So, where is that going? They are now paying it. How's it work? uh when you renew your license plate, I think it's $100 for for a hybrid or an additional 100 and 200 for a fully electric.

Okay. Okay. See, there you go. You you do know that. Um

so so just a little bit on the user fees that you have now. So there's a whole bunch of different statutes. So, Claremont County gets to keep 70% of a lot of plate fees that come in and we get 30 of quite a bit of the permissive money. And I would argue the county has plenty of money to pave roads. Not that I'm taking a shot at our friends at the county, but they have the ability to generate sales tax and Union Township generates probably 25 to 35% of the total revenue collected in the county coffers on a you know, on an annual basis just based on the economic development activity here. And you know, thankfully the county engineer has put some more money into the county roads, you know, in the township. But, you know, I mean, they take quite a they take quite a cut from us and uh you know, we don't see a lot of that sales tax revenue in return. And that's all I'm going to say. So,

is a lot of the budget controlled in the engineers's office? Is that what I'm No, it's controlled primarily by the county commissioners. County commissioners. Yeah. I wish we could get And that's part of the like when I go when I go and I pay for my license plate annually.

Yeah. They get permissive. Well, I mean, that's just license plate fees. Okay. they collect there's there's a breakdown and Cindy gets a copy of the breakdown and she can see all the permissive taxes and you know there's a cut that goes to the county and then we get a small cut and another cut and then we get our fees but then I think there's a larger discussion of you know there's a lot of sales tax that comes out of this there's a lot of sales tax revenue that comes out of Union Township I mean we're a donor state make no mistake about it compared to other organizations so you know in the larger port you the larger context of that we have to look for every source of revenue we can because I don't necessarily think I mean I can tell you with our CGBG grant process straight out Mount Carmel high population LMI population we've applied two or three years in a row for funding at Mount Carmel with a 35% local match or more and they've elected to give that money to other communities there's more LMI people in Mount Carmel than there are in entire villages in other parts of the county

and that's going through the econom e economic development and uh and I've set a meeting with the county because I'm not happy and the county commissioner I think there's a broader conversation that needs to happen and I don't want to I don't want to muddy this particular water here and I'm probably not making any friends here but at the end of the day I mean that's fine we're not here to make friends no we're a donor state there's no question sounds like Mr. Lo run for commissioner. I think that you both should. Yeah. But anyway, I appreciate your support. I'll I'll push that forward. I'll work with uh Brody to make sure we dot all our eyes and cross all our tees on the license plate fees. Okay. And I just I'm not running a campaign on license plate fees if that's what you're asking me to do. Mr. Becker might.

My my temperature on this is I'm in favor of it, sir. Thank you. All right. Thank you. We'll pledge to put it right back in the program. Mr. Campbell's already told me it's hands off. It's going in Matt's paving program budget. So, if it goes through, that's great. I appreciate the support. What was your rough estimate? You think it generates in a year? I conservatively estimated 250. If it's $5 a plate times 50,000, it could be a little more, you know, but we won't collect till 27. But if everybody in the township's like Mr. Dills here, then that's 200,000 plates. Well, is it cars like eggs are cheaper in the country? We should all buy a couple more of them. Register. Yeah.

All right. Appreciate it. All right. Great lively discussion. Thank you, gentlemen. Item C, legislation agenda. Item one, resolution 2025-43. Um, the Milford Village School District TIFF one and two tiff extension. Gentlemen, we have that motion adopt resolution 2025-43. Some move. Second. Hearing no discussion. Roll call. Mr. Dills. Yes. Mr. Becker. Yes. Mr. Lo. Yes. Motion carries. Item two, resolution 2025-44. Gentlemen, do we have a motion to adopt resolution 2025-44 of the Wilford TIFF district extension? So move. Second. Roll call. Mr. Dills. Yes. Mr. Becker. Yes. Mr. Lo.

Yes. Motion carries. Item three, resolution 2025-45, Sedaka West TIF District Extension. Do we have that motion to approve? So moved. Second. Hearing no discussion. Roll call. Mr. Dills. Yes. Mr. Becker. Yes. Mr. Lo. Yes. Motion carries. Item four, resolution 2025-46, Sedaka might tiff district. Gentlemen, do we have that motion to approve? So move. Second. Roll call. Mr. Dills. Yes. Mr. Becker. Yes. Mr. Lo. Yes. Motion carries. All right. Resolution item five, resolution 2525-47 Rum Tiff District. Do we have that motion to approve? So move. Second. Roll call. Mr. Dills.

Yes. Mr. Becker. Yes. Mr. Lo. Yes. Motion carries. Item six, resolution 2025-48, McGuirefields tip district extension. Do we have that motion to approve? So moved. Second. Roll call. M. Mr. Dills. Yes. Mr. Becker. Yes. Mr. Lo. Yes. Motion carries. Item seven, resolution 2025-49 Dimer Tiff District. We have that motion to approve. So moved. Second. Roll call. Mr. Dills. Yes. Mr. Becker. Yes. Mr. Lo. Yes. Motion carries. Resolution 2025-50 Daniel Courtific District Extension. Do I have that motion to approve? So moved. Second. Roll call. Mr. Dills. Yes. Mr. Becker. Yes. Mr. Lo. Yes. Motion carries.

Resolution 2025-51 Broamp Tist Extension. Do we have that motion to approve? So moved. Second. Roll call. Mr. Dills. Yes. Mr. Becker. Yes. Mr. Log. Yes. Motion carries. Resolution 2025-62 Milford 450 Mike Tiff district. Do we have that extension? Uh, do we have that motion to approve? So moved. Second. Roll call. Mr. Dills? Yes. Mr. Becker? Yes. Mr. Lo? Yes. Motion carries.

Resolution 2025-53 West Clim excess property transfer agreement. Gentlemen, this adopt resolution approving entering agreement west local school district authorizing substance transfer marketing disposition sale real property from West Clone District for economic development redevelopment job creation purposes. Further authorizing intouch ministry of fiscal officer to execute deliver the agreement and other related matters. Do we have that motion to approve? So moved. Second. Do we have any discussion? Anyone have any questions on it? Mr. Wright, do you need to share anything on it?

No, it's just something that we've been working with the school district to uh put some property back in play. They have some excess property at Somerside that can be supportive for economic development. And uh obviously they have no plans for the Brander site and just an opportunity. We have a we have a housing problem here in the township and you know they want to see it put back into productive use. We're we we stand nothing to gain here. Uh this is basically helping the district facilitate putting the property back into productive use. So Okay. You said housing. Is there uh single? Yeah, there's a couple of developers looking at like some single family stuff, stuff like that, you know. Okay.

Brandley Brandley. Roll call. Mr. Dills. Yes. Mr. Becker. Yes. Mr. Lo. Yes. Motion carries. Resolution 202554. Resolution accepting budget commission amounts and rates. Gentlemen accepting this resolution accepting the amounts rates determined by the budget commission authorizing necessary tax levies certifying them to county auditor. Do we have that motion? So moved. Second. Any discussion? Roll call. Mr. Dills. Yes. Mr. Becker. Yes. Mr. Lo. Yes.

Motion carries. Resolution 202555, resolution adopting Union Township IT Disaster Recovery Plan. This is a motion to adopt the Union Township IT Disaster Recovery Plan declaring plan of a security record and infrastructure record pursu Mr. Mr. Dills. Yes. Mr. Becker. Yes. Mr. L. Yes. Motion carries. Resolution 202556 amended FY25 permanent appropriation resolution approving amended calendar year 25 permanent appropriations resolution for union tax. Do we have that motion? So move second. Roll call. Mr. Dills. Yes. Mr. Becker. Yes. Mr. Lo.

Yes. Motion carries. Resolution 20257. Nuisance abatement resolution authorizing the abatement approval uh removal of vegetation noxious weeds, garbage, trash, debris pursuant to 50587 on the high revised code of the following properties. Item one 545 Hamlin Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45255 and item two 4472 Timber Ohio 45103. Do we have that motion? So move. Second. Any discussion? Gentlemen, roll call. Mr. Dills. Yes. Mr. Becker. Yes. Yes, Mr. Lo. Yes. Motion carries. Gentlemen, comments from board members. Trusty Dills.

Um,

yeah. Apologize for uh Mr. Becker uh by himself last night kind of getting the gauntlet with the uh Republican Central Committee. Uh I I couldn't be there. I think I had to be. So, apologies about that again, Mr. Becker. Sorry you had to be there by yourself and handle the gauntlet. Um, but I guess it was brought up how we don't have any um big water or uh uh fireworks of development coming to the township like another T2L, another Children's Hospital, another Jungle Gems or whatever. And I I take that as a compliment. I do. I think uh uh it's it's it's okay. I think uh we've got a lot of infrastructure going on, a lot of paving going on that we're all waiting for Glenn Bridge to get done. uh we're all waiting for, you know, it's so we only have so much green space left in this township. So I I just I think smart development is uh the way to go and I don't live in Hamilton County for a reason. So I don't want to I don't like the city. I like having a decent yard that my kids can play in a dog in the backyard. I don't want to live in Hamilton County. I want to live in Claremont and Union Township. So I'm okay with preserving our green space and just because we don't have a big fireworks of a TQL coming up every single month, I'm okay with that. And quite frankly, there is over 50,000 residents in this township and no one ran against us. So clearly, we might be doing something right. And I think uh we made it crystal clear. We're done with apartments. We're done with the senior housing. Uh we're done with it. At least for now. We're going to pump the brakes on it. So uh I stand by what I said. I'm okay with it. And I think if I took a survey of 100 people in our township, they would say Union Township has we got to relax on the construction, relax on the road paving, relax on on on all of it, and uh preserve our green space and do smart development and not we don't have to tear down every tree. So, I'm okay with it. I think the township's okay with it. And it's okay that we don't have a big construction project going around every single corner. So, uh just my personal opinion and that's all

I got. So, I want to say you back here. Yes. Um, you know, I probably should have brought this up earlier when we were talking about the um, uh, fall junk days. So, something that I think is going to be interesting to the public is that this is going to be the last junk days hopefully. Yes. At least that's the plan. Yes, that's right. Yes.

So, it's also later this year than normally because there was um just a lot of activity going on in in October. So, it got pushed out to uh um first week of November, which I don't think anybody's going to complain about that. So, the plan going forward with this, and Mr. R, correct me if I say something incorrect here or needs clarification. So, going forward, so so this fall junk day is going to be in the usual location at the uh you know, where everybody's been going all this time. Uh the new building down that that uh we're putting together down on uh Buck Buckton will never be, you know, never say never. It's not and we don't intend to ever use that for junk days. So what we're going to start doing then next year is issuing vouchers to Union Township residents for their junk as needed. So in essence then every day becomes junk day in Union Township. So they come up here, they get a voucher that's free. We give that to them. They take their junk down to uh the the the Rumpky facility that's in the process of being built that's down Rumpy Road. So that's that's expected to be up and running early next year. This is going to be more convenient for the residents in terms of again it's not twice a year, it's every day they can do junk day and it's also going to be cheaper for the residents because it's cheaper for us to manage this voucher program than it is to have the junk days twice a year. Anything you like to add? No, I think that that that was part of the uh partnership with them that we were able to successfully conclude late last year and then they started construction and we actually had meetings with uh Rumkey representatives. It was either last week or the week prior, I forget. Everything runs together, but uh you know, we had Matt and uh we actually had I had Lisa send them over some information on uh uh adopt a highway program. They were very thrilled about that. But the nice thing

is we're negotiating the vouchers. And so one of the things Matt's going to make a commitment to is he's going to try with his umpire clicker to have somebody check how many people go through junk days so we can give them an idea of like at least our semiannual volume because I think what what it'll be is, you know, we're we're negotiating that. Obviously, they can't afford to lose money on it. But anything we save is a savings to the taxpayers because we save a ton of time. We save a ton of time, manh hours, resources, and it's just a matter of convenience. You don't have to fill your garage up with junk or your basement up with junk twice a year. You just put it in the back of the pickup truck, go get a brush voucher, or not a brush voucher, but a but a um junk voucher. And honestly, the brush voucher program was the inspiration for that because, you know, it's it's been, you know, when we rolled it out, it wasn't utilized that much. He he does a ton of them now. I know that. And I believe the junk vouchers will be the same thing. So, I'm really thrilled that. And Rumy's been super receptive. So,

good. I'd be super receptive to them adopting State Route 32. Well, we can we can make suggestions to them about adopt the highways. So they were interested. Oh, good. All right, that's all I have. Chairman, thank you. Uh, Mr. Wright, remind me the uh economic impact of that facility there on Champions. So that's of as Mr. Dills references, jobs, and economic development.

The the best part about that is it opened up an additional 31 acres for industrial development. and uh you know the infrastructure uh we sort of had some of the infrastructure there from the Hamilton safe project but you know I'm a big believer that activity breeds activity and by putting that in and then I think their initial estimate was a $15 million facility actually we saw the OE QA stuff that came through it's going to be closer to 17 I think uh they're actually going to run an LP plant there so they can do natural gas trucks which is better for all of us And you know, I think they talked to us. It was probably 25 to 35 jobs to start and it could probably double in the next five to seven years. Their growth curve out here is this. And um so that's just the start of it. They have other tenants. There's three other outlots in that development that'll be industrial. And so, you know, my understanding is they're talking to both of them. And those could be 25, 35, 45 job employers. Again, there are not a lot of people that are building two, three, four, 500 job factories right now. But I'm a big believer that small business, family-owned business, small business is the backbone of America. And if we can put 31 acres into play and create 100 150 jobs there, that's a win for the township because it'll make the land that sat next door without sewer for forever more in River Valley much more valuable because now you can have normal industrial uses instead of light office uses because you're discharging not into a septic system, but you're discharging into a sanitary sewer plant. That's a big deal. I know Mr. Campbell spent a lot of time in industrial manufacturing and he knows he have you know not heavy industrial but industrial has different wastewater requirements different water requirements than a guy that might park some equipment and have

a small office in there and it's so and again it's a it's a slow burn down there but it it it's going to occur. Nobody ever thought that Hamilton Safe would be there you know and here they are you know and thank God they're there. We we they're great partners and I'm glad Rumpky's joining, you know, the group down there and I think as stuff starts to come out of the ground, more people will want to be down there. So, but I'm not going to lie, tariffs and interest rates are tough right now. I mean, it's hitting everybody. Seven, eight, 10% commercial, you know, loans. It's it's tough tough sledding right now. So, all the guys I talked to.

Yeah. Um and then was there there's already some positive traction on the site right next to Aldi and Steak and Shake.

Oh yes. Yes. Uh so in fact we exchanged emails today with um the guys Bonnel Hill guys that came in. They uh wanted to know if uh we were going to make them come back to the board to change the some of the brick colors and exterior colors. And we said of course not build your development. Let's go. and uh we're working on the access management and all that with our 4acre site. So, that's positive. I think that that's that's getting some traction. So, and our site is actually getting traction, too. Uh I just looked at a concept plan with the guys from Missouri uh today. They sent me a revised one, and it it's get, you know, it's ultimately going to be finding a user, but we've got some people that are interested. So,

and you think it's going to fall in line with kind of a vision of a Main Street project type? Oh, yeah. The the guys from uh the guys from uh Missouri, they have the same shared vision that uh our our friend at the the Cove has with that kind of that mixeduse building and sort of that feel and and and they they definitely get it. I can tell you that. Okay. So, Okay, great. Trusty Becker, you said you had uh something additional you wanted to add. Uh yeah, thank you, Chairman. So, uh, Mr. Wright said something about an outlot. It triggered my memory of something else I'd like to announce to the public and and and so it has to do with the Waw Wa. There was two or three outlets with that. Yeah, there's two left.

Okay. So, there's a total of three. There's two remaining. So, one of those outlets is is a McDonald's. It is now open for business. I have been there. Got a mobile order. Got the fish fillet special with free fries. It is Becker approved. I That's all I have. Chair. I drove past that on the way in and I was going to ask about it, but I was like, "Ah, he might think that I'm like poking fun at him or something and take it insulting, but nope. You you you you show me. You show me up. Already there doing business. Already doing it, Mr. Becker. We'll be there.

Already doing it." So, um, hey Joe, there's a lot of hurting people in the world, and if those people are going to attack towards you and Trusty Becker for not facing opposition um, in an upcoming election because the community feels that you're doing a good job. I just, you know, you can only do so much. We talked to Claremont County Mental Health Recovery Board earlier tonight, right? and prevention is is apparently the key there. So, everyone's trying to continue to to lean into where they can. I think it's there's no black and white answer for those issues, but um you know, my personal belief is that's what God's for. So, um do

you have any suggestions for anybody that should go see the mental health and recovery center? I I don't know enough about it. I want to ask Mr. Becker, but um that was a slight um

We're good. We're good. This is a list of upcoming events we're going to get into here. So, Union Township Zoning Commission meeting scheduled for Wednesday, September 24th, 2025 at 7 p.m. has been cancelled. No cases for review. The Union Township Board of Zoning Appeals meeting scheduled for October 2nd, 2025 at 7 p.m. has been cancelled. No cases for review. The Union Township Board of Trustees next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 14th, 2025 at 6 PM. The Union Township Fireworks Celebration will take place this year on Saturday, September 13, 2025. This community event includes Touch a Truck and Block Party. Bring your family and friends for our annual fireworks show presented by Rozy's Famous Fireworks. Mount Mariah Cemetery will host the annual lantern lighting event on Saturday, September 20th, 2025 from 5:00 pm to 7:30 p.m. Union Township is honoring our nation's veterans and active military with a multi-day military tribute event this October Veterans Memorial Park. This event features the traveling Vietnam wall and cost of freedom tribute that will be on display Thursday, October 9th through Sunday, October 12th. Learn more about military tribute event at utlclaremont.gov. Uh mark your calendars and join us for the second annual sip and shop at the Union Township Civic Center on Saturday, October 18th, 2025 from 12:00 pm to 4 p.m.

One question, sir. Yes, please. Mr. Wright, is there any kind of opening ceremony for that wall or anything special when they first do it? Yeah, we got a full for so there'll be a and again we've had a been a committee of people planning it. There'll be a whole bring the wall into town thing and then there'll be an opening ceremony because it takes like a day to set it up, but it comes in takes like a whole day. It's all hands- on deck. They set everything up. So, they'll probably set up Wednesday.

Yes. Yes. And then it'll be up on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and then Sunday is the last day. And then there's candle light vigil at the end of that. And uh there'll be engagement opportunities, there'll be special events. Uh there's a whole program and as we get that finalized, we will push that off to the board. So it's it's going to be I mean it's going to be a big Oh, shoot. That's that's it's next month. So we So we got to When are we going to have the agenda for that? Like the schedule? The schedule? Yeah. I mean I think she's wrapping it up right now. Okay. Okay. So, I mean, Matt and I and Lucy just met this morning about finalizing details.

Are we taking any um funds if people want to offer funds to help support? I mean, you know, I think, you know, not to put my hat out, but I think Union Township would accept any donations that I mean, we accept donations if people want to support it. Okay. All right. Thank you. Executive session. You good? fun part for you.

Uh motion to enter an executive session pursuant to higher revised code section 121.22 golf as follows. Item one, preparing for conducting or reviewing negotiations or bargaining sessions public employees concerning their compensation or other terms and conditions of their employment pursuant to higher revised code section 121.22 Golf 4. Item two, to consider confidential information related to the marketing plan, specific business strategy, production techniques, trade secrets or personal financial statements of applicant for economic development assistance and or negotiations with other political subdivisions respecting request for economic development assistance provided that both of the following conditions apply. Alpha, the information is directly related to a request for economic development assistance that is to be provided or administered under any provision of chapter 715,725 1724 or 1728 or section 701.073735.67 67 to 3735.70 5709.40 to 5709.435709.61 to 5709-69 to 5709.73 to 5709.75 or 5709.77 to 5709.81 of the highrise code or that involves public infrastructure improvements or the extension of utility services that are directly related to an economic development project and bravo. A unanimous quorum of the public body determines by a roll call vote that executive session is necessary to protect the interest of the applicant or the possible investment or expenditures of public funds to be made in connection with the economic development project pursuant to a higher revised code section 121.22 golf 8. Do we have that motion gentlemen?

So move second. Roll call. Mr. Campbell. Mr. Dills. Yes. Mr. Becker. Yes. Mr. Log. Yes. We're into executive session at 8:02 p.m. All right. Thank you. Thanks for coming out, guys. You know, we got to read through that to protect