CAMBY — The scheduled Madison Township Board meeting intended to approve additional appropriations ran into a problem Thursday night.

The meeting had barely started when a person in the audience pointed out the meeting and its agenda had not been advertised in the Reporter-Times or the Mooresville-Decatur Times.

The person pointed out that according to state law, additional appropriations are to be advertised at least 10 days before the meeting.

The person said neither the meeting nor the additional appropriation had been advertised. They felt the meeting should not continue.

Board chairman Larry Ellis agreed the deadlines had not been met.

There was discussion about when the meeting was advertised at the trustee’s office.

It was finally agreed that notice of the meeting had been posted at the office in time so the meeting could go on but the board could not vote on the additional appropriations.

There was also discussion on whether the state would allow them to do additional appropriations in December.

The board decided to contact the state and county auditor to see if they can still do the additional appropriations this year.

It was disclosed the state board of accounts is in doing an audit of the township.

According to township clerk Denise McClure, the state needs the minutes of the last two meetings approved. She asked the board to approve the minutes so she could get them to the state.

Board chairman Larry Ellis said he felt the $8,000 budgeted for the 2022 salary of the township’s investigator was too much. He felt based on the hours the investigator said she worked, the salary was too high. He proposed lowering it to $4,000.

That sparked a discussion about the investigator’s job and what she did.

In the end, Ellis made a motion to table the matter until the January meeting. Board member Jim Johnson seconded the motion. The vote was 2-1 with board member Amy Russell voting no. Russell said she did not feel they needed to discuss the matter that the salary should be left as is.

The board scheduled a meeting at 7 p.m. Jan. 4 at the trustee’s office, 7947 E. Landersdale Rd., Camby.

Members of the board may meet later this month if they can meet the deadline for advertising the additions and if the state will allow them to approve them in December.

~ By Keith Rhoades | Reporter | Published December 10, 2021 in The Reporter Times

MADISON TOWNSHIP — Citing several problems with the township’s 2020 financial report, members of the Madison Township Advisory Board declined to approve it.

The board held a two-hour meeting Wednesday night at the township’s fire station on Landersdale Road.

While no money is unaccounted for at the township, board chairman Larry Ellis and members Jim Johnson and Amy Russell were not happy with the way some items were accounted for last year.

The board reviewed the 31-page report line by line.

Part of the problem was the township lost its clerk well into 2020.

Denise McClure has been hired to do the job.

McClure told board members that while she has experience in accounting, she is unfamiliar with the bookkeeping system used by the township.

In 2020, the township received funding to help pay for expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and there were questions about how the funding was accounted for.

There were several voided checks from 2020 and questions on why the checks were voided and how the money was replaced back into the township’s accounts.

A member of the audience questioned why some checks were written in 2021 with 2020 dates on them.

Several expenses for 2020 were questioned. Some expenses were for ongoing improvements to the two fire stations the township has.

After more than a hour of discussion, the board voted 3-0 to not approve the report. The financial report will now be sent to the state without board approval

Township trustee Scott McDonough and McClure said they will work to get the answers to the questions the board had before the next meeting.

McClure said anyone with questions about the township’s financial report may call her at the clerk’s office at 317-834-6027.

Fire chief questioned

In 2019, the township’s fire department received approval from the board for its capitol improvements plan.

One section of that plan called for the replacement of vehicles used by the department’s battalion chiefs.

One vehicle was to be replaced in 2020 if there was funding in the cumulative fire fund available for it.

According to township fire chief Mike Lang, there was funds available for the vehicle so the department purchased it.

Lang said it would be replacing a 10-year-old vehicle, which would be used as a pool car.

Board members felt that Lang should have informed them of his intent to purchase the vehicle.

They felt that since the fire department was planning to purchase new radios and medical equipment with funding from the cumulative fire fund, the vehicle’s purchase should have been delayed.

As for the new radios and medical equipment, the board discussed the purchasing and financing of the equipment.

Lang said the current radios are no longer made by the company.

He said anytime one has to be repaired, it is sent out of state to a repair facility, which has to wait for used parts to become available before the radio can be repaired.

He said the department has used those radios for more than 10 years.

The new radios would come from Motorola.

The department will be purchasing 40 portable radios and 14 base units.

With supporting equipment and programming, the total cost will be around $245,000.

Lang said the department has the same problems with their medical monitor/defibrillators.

The current monitors are more than 10 years old and are no longer maintained by the company.

Lang said the three new monitors/defibrillators along with the 14 new AEDs will cost around $133,300.

The chief said he had found a place, Republic First National, that had the best terms for a loan for the purchase of the equipment.

Lang said the loan would be for $365,000 for five years.

The township would have to make two payments a year of around $40,000 each.

The interest rate would not be more than 3.99 percent per year.

The money for the loan would come from the cumulative fire fund.

Lang said they should be able to make the equipment last for at least 10 years.

Board members approved the purchase of the equipment and the loan to pay for it.

They did caution the chief that for the next five years, nearly half of the money the township receives for the cumulative fire fund would be used to pay the loan.

No big hits for township relief

McDonough said at this time, the requests for help from residents has not jumped due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said there are other places for people to get financial assistance.

The trustee said he does not plan to open the office until the county opens its offices.

He said the township will follow what the county does when it comes to reopening.

At the end of the meeting, board members said they would like to see better coordination between the departments and the board.

The want everyone to “be on the same page” when it comes to making decisions.

They asked Lang about revisiting his capitol improvement plan to see if changes should be made.

The board has not schedule a meeting for March.

~ By Keith Rhoades | Reporter | Published February 26, 2021 in The Reporter Times

MADISON TOWNSHIP — Members of the Madison Township Board held their first meeting of 2021 to reorganize the board. Larry Ellis was elected chairman and Jim Johnson was elected secretary.

Board members asked township trustee Scott McDonough if he could get information they would be voting on a week ahead of time so they could review it.

McDonough said he would try but sometimes items come in late.

A lady in the audience asked if the board would be electing a finance committee chairman.

McDonough responded the township has no investments and that all their money is in a bank.

After the meeting, several members of the public stayed to discuss items with both the board and trustee.

One person asked if the township’s web site could be updated. They asked if the minutes of the meetings could be posted on it. The trustee said at some point in time, the township’s new clerk would be posting that information.

There were also comments on the agreement the township has entered with Morgan County to provide ambulance coverage to Harrison Township.

One person asked if, once the construction of I-69 is finished, if the township could be contracted to cover Harrison Township.

Currently, the Harrison Township Fire District contracts with the Bargersville Fire Department to cover the township.

McDonough and board members said that was something they would look into.

McDonough told board members he may be asking for them to consider changes in pay for some fire department employees.

He noted there is a need to fill some vacant positions in the department.

Board members decided to meet at 7 p.m. on an as needed basis and not have a set specific meeting dates for the rest of the year.

~ By Keith Rhoades | Reporter | Published January 8, 2021 in The Reporter Times

MADISON TOWNSHIP — Madison Township will temporarily provide EMS service to Harrison Township after the Madison Township Board approved an agreement Tuesday night.

Madison Township Fire Chief Mike Lang told members of the township board that Morgan County Commissioner Ryan Goodwin and county administrator Josh Messmer approached the township’s fire department this past summer to ask that it help provide EMS service to Harrison Township during the construction of Interstate 69.

Currently, Morgan County EMS provides EMS service to Harrison Township — but the construction of the interstate will likely make it difficult for crews to arrive to an emergency situation quickly in the township.

Lang noted that the agreement between Madison Township and the county is “almost identical” to a countywide mutual-aid agreement.

“What they are asking us to do is relocate our medic truck, which is right now stationed here at Station 32,” Lang said. “They are asking us to put it at Station 31 for a period of 12 to 18 months during the construction process when (Ind.) 37 will be shut down.”

Station 31 is located along Kitchen Road, just south of Ind. 144, while Station 32 is located on Landersdale Road, between Slideoff and Paddock roads.

According to Lang, moving the primary medic truck, as well as the paramedic to staff it, to Station 31 locates it in the middle of Madison Township, and makes it more accessible to Harrison Township.

The county will provide Madison Township with $48,000 per year to help provide EMS services to Harrison Township.

“So, essentially, we already have a mutual aid that says we’re supposed go over there if we are called,” Madison Township Trustee Scott McDonough said. “So, now this is an opportunity for us to get paid additional funds to help offset our cost on that.”

Bargersville Fire Department currently provides fire services in Harrison Township, and Lang said that Bargersville would provide “first response EMS.”

“They just don’t have a transporting unit at Station 202,” Lang said.

Lang also noted that Harrison Township has about 120 runs per year, and that the township would have the ability to bill patients for many of those runs.

The agreement will go into affect on Jan. 1, 2021.

The Madison Township Board unanimously approved the agreement, 3-0.

Fire Chief report

Lang noted that in 2019, the township fire department responded to 822 calls.

“As of today, we are at 1,057,” Lang said Tuesday night. “Our fire runs are up from 245 last year to 369 so far this year.”

The department’s ambulance calls are at 688 so far this year, up from 577 in 2019.

Lang also reported that EMS revenue this year is up more than $57,000 more than what was projected for 2020.

With the extra revenue for EMS services, and the $48,000 from the county, Lang asked that the board consider giving hourly firefighters a raise of 50 cents per hour, instead of the 25 per hour.

“We are now comfortable with our revenue numbers on both EMS and the interlocal agreement that we would be able to fund that extra quarter per hour,” Lang said.

The township board approved the salary increase for the firefighters unanimously, 3-0.

The next meeting of the Madison Township Board is scheduled to take place at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 5 at Madison Township Station 32, 7047 E. Landersdale Road, Camby.

~ By Lance Gideon | Reporter | Published December 25, 2020 in The Reporter Times