MADISON TOWNSHIP — Madison Township trustees discussed road work costs, a tree removal project and adopted a new cybersecurity policy during Tuesday’s meeting.
Cybersecurity policy adopted
Trustees adopted a cybersecurity policy to comply with Ohio Revised Code 9.64, enacted by HB 96 (136th G.A.). The law requires all governments and jurisdictions to have a policy in place by Sept. 30.
The policy covers access control, system security, data protection, incident response, training and vendor management, and calls for consultation with IT professionals and legal counsel for implementation.
It took effect immediately, with technical and training requirements to be in place by June 20, 2026, as directed by the Ohio Auditor of State.
The policy will apply to all elected officials, employees, vendors and third parties who access or manage Madison Township’s technology resources.
These resources include:
- Computers, servers and mobile devices
- Cloud services and hosted applications
- Networks and telecommunications systems
- Sensitive or confidential data
Fiscal Officer Leanna Rhodes said there will be more details to come.
“There is cybersecurity training that has to be done by every employee and logs kept,” she said.
She added if there are any incidents that happen they must be made aware of it.
“Fortunately, we haven’t had any issues,” Rhodes said.
2025 chip seal project finishes over budget
In other business, the township’s 2025 chip seal project was originally estimated at $132,716.40, but came in $5,556.46 over budget, bringing the total to $138,272.86.
The project was completed by The Shelly Company.
“The only thing I can figure is that we actually had someone with them, and they put the correct amount of oil and stone down,” Road Superintendent Larry Weirich said. “It was more than they estimated.”
He added the project appears to be holding well.
“We have lost very little stone, and that is the only thing I can think of,” he said.
Weirich noted chip seal projects frequently run over budget.
“You pay for what you put down,” he said. “They just estimate what they will put down.”
The fog seal on the original contract was $11,718. An additional $882 was added for a section on Manner Drive. The additional $882 is included in the $5,556.46.
“I overlooked it and said if you have any extra just put it on there,” he said. “I think it looks good. We will see how it looks after winter.”
Tree removal on Manner Drive
Trustees also approved $2,470.40 for removal of a large tree on Manner Drive. Trustee Chair Dan Fletcher said the price was fair.
“That’s two guys, eight hours, at minimum wage,” Fletcher said. “In my opinion that is very reasonable.”
The board agreed to move forward with the work.
“Get it done,” Trustee Tom Brandt said. “We aren’t holding these people up any longer.”
Township seeks OPWC funds
Trustees passed a resolution to apply for funding through the Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC).
The measure authorizes Trustee Craft to prepare and submit the application for the State Capital Improvement and Local Transportation Improvement programs.
The township plans to pursue upgrades to Barbara Lane, Keller Drive, other resurfacing projects, and the Hull Road storm sewer replacement.
The resolution states these projects are priorities for the community and qualify under OPWC program guidelines.
