Trustees approved amended dispatch contract with sheriff’s department

by Melissa Martin

March 4 township trustees meeting

The Hinckley Board of Trustees approved legislation to contract annual 911 dispatching services with the Medina County Sheriff for 2025. 

According to the terms of the revised contract, the township will pay $69,252 for those services. Of that amount, the township’s police department will pay 60%, or $41,551, while the township’s fire department will fund the remaining 40%, or $27,701.

In 2024, the township paid $67,233 for dispatch services. Unlike previous years, however, when the contract covered four years of service, the contract the board approved is only for 2025 due to departmental negotiations at the county level, said Administrative Sgt. Michael Shroll.

To approve the March 4 resolution, trustees had to rescind a Feb. 4 resolution to fund the 2025 dispatch services. That legislation contained the wrong total for the service, $64,649, which is what the township paid the county for emergency call services in 2023.

In other news, trustees approved the purchase of two mowers for the service department. The mowers, each of which costs $13,866, will cost the township $27,732.

According to Trustee Monique Ascherl, Road Superintendent Mike Behary had informed the board it would cost between $61,000 and $71,000 for an outside maintenance service to mow and maintain township-owned properties.

“And this is Ohio, so that isn’t even a full year,” Asherl said. “And now it’s going to cost under $30,000 to purchase the equipment and [maintain it in-house] moving forward.”Fire Chief Matt Payne also announced the township will save approximately $350 a month moving forward by switching oxygen suppliers.