New equipment
The Sylvania Township Trustees authorized Roads Superintendent Rob Nash to purchase a Felling FT-40-2 trailer for $38,151.92, a new Yanmar SV100-7 Excavator for $124,700 from Buck & Knobby Equipment Company, and an uplift for the recently acquired 2025 HV607 Dump Truck from Kalida Truck & Equipment for $137,700. He was also given approval to sell a 2001 ten-ton Interstate Trailer on GovDeals.
Following Nash’s explanation of the department’s increased responsibilities for maintaining 140.82 miles of roads he was given approval to hire an assistant foreman and a utility worker. This increase will put the department’s work force at the level it was in 1999.
Policy update
The trustees also okayed Sylvania Township Administrator Oliver Turner’s proposed Attendance and Sick Pay policy update.
JEDD Board vacancy
Turner noted that a vacancy has been created on the Sylvania JEDD Board of Directors with the resignation of Loren Sengstock. Two names have been proposed and the Trustees made the decision to defer the question until the Feb. 4 meeting to allow time to meet with the candidates.
Under budget
Once again, Sylvania Township revenue exceeded expenditures according to Township Fiscal Officer David Simko. “Fortunately, our revenue exceeded what we had anticipated. We invest those funds in CDs, shopping for the highest rates from locally owned banks, who are happy to work with us,” he noted.
“While we cannot control this side of our budget, we can control our expenditures,” Simko stated. He credits the Township administrative staff with doing an excellent job staying within department budgets. “We have an outstanding staff, many of whom have worked together for a long time. They all watch spending and are good stewards of taxpayer money. We have excellent people in every department. We have a good working relationship and there is a lot of mutual trust between staff and the administration,” he said.
Public hearing
Sylvania Township resident Kevin Webb spoke to the Board of Township Trustees regarding what he and his neighbors considered excessive property tax increases issued by the Lucas County Auditor Katie Moline. The Trustees agreed to authorize Administrator Turner to send a letter on behalf of residents.