BATH TOWNSHIP — The Bath Township Board of Trustees got a jump on business for the new year and held their 2018 reorganizational meeting Dec. 29 at the township office.
Township Fiscal Officer Elaine Brown called the meeting to order and conducted the first order of business, which was the nomination for chairman of the board for 2018. Township Trustee John Martin motioned to retain Township Trustee Steve Ross as chairman, citing Ross’ outstanding performance when dealing with the ongoing healthcare insurance issues during 2017. Township Trustee Tom Pitstick seconded the motion, which carried unanimously. Brown turned over the proceedings to Ross who motioned to retain Martin as vice-chairman of the board, seconded by Pitstick. With all in favor, the motion passed.
The township trustees unanimously agreed to continue to hold regular township sessions at 7 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays of the month at the township office, 1006 Yellow Springs-Fairfield Road in Fairborn. The trustees will also conduct a third township session during those months that have a fifth Wednesday.
The board of trustees approved Resolution 1-2018 which established an hourly wage schedule for township employees and a payment method for trustees during 2018. Starting pay for employees will be $14 per hour. Employees will receive a scheduled step increase of $1.50 per hour each year, from year two through year four but will only receive annual increases thereafter. All township employees will receive a 25-cent raise in 2018. Trustees can also grant annual pay increases, based upon employees’ evaluations. The trustees’ annual salary will be paid in equal monthly payments, taken from the general fund.
The township trustees also approved Resolution 2-2018 which established the rates of compensation for the township road supervisor and laborers appointed by the trustees.
Vern Heizer will continue to serve as township road supervisor while Michael Burchett will serve as a full-time laborer. Michael Rhoades and Robert Harris will serve as full-time laborers.
Heizer and all road department employees will receive medical, dental, vision, cancer, short-term disability and accident, and life and accidental death/dismemberment insurance coverage, as well as time and one-half their regular rates of pay for overtime.
The township trustees ratified Resolution 3-2018 which detailed the duties and compensation of the township cemetery supervisor, grounds foreman, and laborers for Byron and Funderburg Cemeteries. Teresa Phillips will continue to serve as cemetery supervisor. Her duties and pay scale are defined in Resolution 6-2018.
Trustees appointed Patrick Partee as grounds foreman in the cemeteries. He will receive medical, dental, vision, and cancer insurance, as well as short term disability and accident insurance and life and accidental death/dismemberment insurance. Travis Harrell, Matt Trimbach and Seth Treon will serve as laborers in the cemeteries. All laborers will receive the same insurance benefits as Partee. Partee and the three laborers will receive time and one-half their regular rates of pay for overtime.
Approved Resolution 4-2018 established paid vacation, holidays and sick leave, health, vision, and dental premiums, and fringe benefits for full-time employees in 2018. Township employees will receive 10 days paid vacation after one year of employment, 15 days paid vacation when employed for eight years at the township and 20 days paid vacation when employed 16 full years or more. Employees will be granted 10 hours of sick leave per month, which can be accumulated up to one year. Township employees will be granted a number of paid holidays as well.
The township trustees also approved Resolution 5-2018 which established the appointment of Phillips as zoning clerk for the Bath Township Zoning Commission and the Bath Township Zoning Board of Appeals for 2018.
Approved Resolution 6-2018 provided for the reappointment of Phillips as secretary/office manager and supervisor for Byron Cemetery for 2018. Estimated time allocation for the dual position will be 25 percent for office duties and 75 percent as supervisor of the cemetery. She will also receive the same insurance benefits provided for all township employees.
Resolution 7-2018 established the reappointment of Robin Joseph who will serve a five-year term on the township’s Zoning Commission, and Resolution 8-2018 provided for the reappointment of Michael Uecker who will serve a five-year term on the township’s Board of Zoning Appeals.
The final resolution the board of trustees passed, Resolution 9-2018, provided for post-retirement compensation of accumulated sick leave and vacation pay. Any employee retiring from Bath Township in 2018, who has unused earned vacation time, will be paid a lump sum amount for time earned, which cannot exceed 2080 hours. Any retiring employee, who has accumulated a minimum of 480 hours of unused sick leave, is eligible for a lump sum payment for one hour for every three hours of unused sick leave, not to exceed the total of 400 hours.
The board adjourned and reconvened into executive session to consider the employment of an employee.
The Bath Township Board of Trustee will meet again at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27.
