Sylvania Township Trustees gave their approval for Sylvania Township Fire Chief Chris Nye to hire six full-time firefighters/paramedics to fill vacancies. The trustees also authorized Chief Nye to certify the department’s lieutenant and captain promotional lists.
Cooperative agreements
Road Superintendent Rob Nash was authorized to enter a joint cooperative agreement with Lucas County and the city of Sylvania to apply for 2028 Ohio Public Works Commission grants for improvements to Jamesford Woods, Spring Forest, other subdivision roads, and Sylvania Avenue.
Zoning change
In other business, Planning and Zoning Manager Daryl Graus noted that the Zoning Department learned about an inaccuracy in the township zoning regulations regarding agricultural uses. The Ohio Revised Code notes that townships in Ohio cannot regulate agricultural uses on any parcel not in a platted subdivision, regardless of the size of the parcel.
Sylvania Township Board of Zoning Appeals Chairman Yuri Osterhout presented two zoning change proposals to the trustees during a public hearing. The trustees approved the second proposal, which permits no more than one hoofed animal and no more than six non-hoofed animals on lots over one acre to five acres. Buildings or stables need to have a fifty-foot setback and livestock shall be no closer than five feet from a property line and secured with a fence or enclosure. Poultry will be provided with a covered, well-ventilated, predator-proof coop and have access to a secured outdoor enclosure.
Attends symposium
Sylvania Township Assistant Fire Chief Mike Behan was one of 17 fire service officers to graduate from the 2026 Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association’s Resource Symposium. The symposium is highly exclusive, limiting each session to fewer than 20 students to foster hands-on mentorship, peer-to-peer networking, and high-level strategic sharing during an intensive, two-day professional development program. Participants engaged in rigorous training covering leadership fundamentals, budgeting and finance, and complex fire service legal issues.