By Amanda Ensinger
Staff Writer
The Franklin Township trustees revised the ballot language for the timed police levy the township’s police department is asking residents to approve this May.
“The police department will be asking for a 4.1 mill five-year time levy,” said Franklin Township trustee Don Cook. “If approved, the levy would cost residents an additional $8 per month.”
The police department said it is requesting the levy so the department can offer more protection to township residents. Currently, the police department is only operating two shifts. When the Franklin Township Police Department is off duty the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office provides minimal coverage to the township.
“If the levy is passed the police department will be able to have three full shifts,” Cook said. “If it fails, everything will stay as is.”
Some residents asked if the coverage the Franklin County Sheriff would provide would be reduced further in light of the election of new Sheriff Dallas Baldwin, who defeated previous Sheriff Zach Scott in last November’s election.
“We are hoping to get the new sheriff out to one of our meetings, but with his busy schedule we are not sure if that will be able to happen,” Cook said. “However, we don’t think this new leadership will change the coverage we currently get.”
In other news
•Jared Karner of Just Energy Affinity Program presented a proposal for an aggregated energy program to the Franklin Township trustees.
“They want us to enter into an aggregated energy program for gas and electric,” said Cook. “However, we won’t be moving forward with this because the residents have already turned this down once.”
In order for the township to enter into an aggregated electric or gas program, residents must vote in favor of it. Voters rejected it the last time the township placed it on the ballot.
A benefit of an aggregated energy program includes using your buying power to negotiate lower gas and electric rates.
•The road department applied for a Litter Management Grant to clean up tires throughout the township. The township has had an issue with residents illegally dumping tires in alleys.
•The road department will be tearing down three houses in the coming weeks and have approximately 25 others they hope to tear down soon.
“This is part of our 2017 effort to continue to clean up the township,” Cook said. “We really focused on this in 2016 and have seen great results and will be pushing this even more this year.”
In 2016, the trustees passed a resolution to eliminate junk cars from township properties, as well as write citations to residents for not cleaning up their properties.
•The annual township spring clean-up will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 29.
“During this clean-up day, we are encouraging residents to clean-up their neighborhoods,” Cook said. “We also encourage everyone to drop off old tires, medicine and computers to the township.”
