Dear Editor and Perry Township residents:

Just a little information about some of the happenings at our recent Perry Township board meetings (September – November). In addition to routine approval of minutes, bank reconciliation statements and bills, three resolutions were passed. At the Nov. 11 meeting our trustees approved a motion to make one annual payment instead of monthly payments to the Bureau of Workman Compensation, which will result in a 2% saving for the township.

In October our trustees approved a resolution to require at least a three-day notice when a grave needs to be dug for a burial. Recently the township received only a one-day notice from a funeral home. And such a short notice may make it difficult to open a grave in time for burial. (It’s my understanding that the graves are usually opened and closed by either Trustee Dusty Smith or Dick Wilson who, working as independent contractors, are paid by funeral homes to do the work.)

Also, the trustees passed a resolution to purchase and use an “employee dishonesty and faithful performance of duty” policy through the Ohio Township Association Risk Management Authority (OTARMA) as now permitted by House Bill 291, instead of purchasing individual security bonds to cover loss by fraudulent or dishonest actions of employees and failure by employees to faithfully perform duties.

Deeds have been issued for some grave sites at Cochran Cemetery and our fiscal officer, Brenda Hughes, will issue deeds for Sugar Grove Cemetery once she receives the plot numbers. The township now has an updated map of Sugar Grove drawn up by J.B., and trustees Tom Creachbaum and Smith are in the process of obtaining vinyl row markers and numbering the plots.

Hughes reported that starting in January, Medicare premiums will no longer be deducted from the payments the trustees receive for their health care reimbursements. She explained that currently health care reimbursements are issued through the payroll side of the system and the automatic medicare deductions can not be overridden. Starting in 2020, Hughes will be able to take the reimbursements out of the accounting side and the medicare deductions will not be made. Though not a large savings per individual, perhaps a $100 a year, it helps as trustee Creacbaum observed that we are taxed to death as it is.

I want to note that our township officials seemed to take umbrage at my August letter to the editor. Although during the September meeting trustee Wilson said that he was not coming at me, I gathered by his and fellow trustee Tom Creachbaum’s comments that they felt what I wrote about increases in completion time and price of the township garage addition from the initial estimates was misleading. Creachbaum and Wilson indicated that some township taxpayers had contacted them about this and they had to explain that the building cost and construction time became more since they added sides, doors, electricity and water to the plan approved by the building department in 2016.

Hughes noted that trustee Wilson, a man who works every day doing other things, donated his time and had to fit in the work when he could do it. Wilson added that he’s just getting paid as a trustee ($14,395 salary and benefits), but he tries to go out of his way to do extra stuff to save the township money. I asked our township officers if I made any errors in writing about the building addition, and they did not point out any errors to me. Congratulations to FO Hughes and trustee Wilson on their recent re-election to office.

Janet Anderson

Perry Township resident