MADISON TOWNSHIP — Madison Township expects to save nearly $4,800 annually by switching its information technology service provider.

Fiscal Officer Leanna Rhodes said Monday night the township reviewed its IT service costs while preparing the 2027 budget.

Cost savings prompt IT provider change

Net2 Services quoted the township $785.04 per month, including Microsoft services. COSI’s quote for 2027 was $1,182.24 per month, a difference of $397.20 per month, or about $4,766 annually.

Trustees unanimously approved ending the township’s agreement with COSI effective Nov. 29 and entering into an agreement with Net2 Services beginning Nov. 30.

Rhodes said the transition will take through the end of the year to complete, but the township does not expect an interruption in service. The township’s email addresses will remain the same.

Trustee Dan Fletcher said the township has worked with COSI since he and other trustees began serving.

He said the provider had done a good job but the change came down to saving taxpayer money.

“We certainly hope that Net2 will provide the same, if not better, services,” Fletcher said.

Road department updates radios, prepares for winter

Road Superintendent Larry Weirich said the township found a solution to its radio communication situation after an earlier attempt to address it did not work.

“I’d like to thank Captain Shears and Captain Green for their work on trying to pick up the radio situation,” he said.

The township purchased six Rapid Radios for $1,500. The devices work anywhere users can get a cellular signal and include microphones that workers can attach to their shoulders.

Weirich said the road crew has started using the radios for flagging and other work. The first year of service is free, followed by a monthly fee of about $40 per radio.

During public comment one resident asked about the road salt supply for the upcoming winter.

The township did not order additional salt this year because of the quoted price. Weirich said the township has about 2,000 tons of a mixture of grit and salt remaining from last year, including pure salt.

He said the quoted price would have cost the township about $60,000, which would have purchased only about 250 tons with the department’s salt budget.

The road department may use a heavier grit mixture to make its remaining supply last. Weirich said the township expects its current supply to be empty by the end of 2027’s snow season.

Pavement striping work also began on Stewart Road, including adding double arrows to help direct traffic. Weirich said crews will add a double-yellow line and adjust the traffic pattern near the bridge to better direct vehicles around the left-turn lane into Sheetz.

“The yellow line was set up to drive the traffic right into the left turn lane,” he said. “So, we kind of reconfigured that so it pushes them over a little bit to the right.”

Weirich said the repair on Expressview Drive is complete, but the township will need to find funding to replace the entire line. He described the pipe as being in poor condition, with sections running up and down and sitting 12 to 15 feet underground.

The repair will help move water away, but Weirich said the pipe’s condition makes drainage slow.

“Where we did this repair it was actually six inches lower than the outlet,” Weirich said. “So, we’ve got to have a lot of water to make that go through.”

“It’s working. It will get the water away. But it takes a while to push out water.”

He has started looking into possible grants to help fund a larger replacement project.

Other matters discussed during Monday’s meeting

  • Dumpster day: The township will hold its dumpster day Saturday at both fire stations from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., or until the dumpsters fill. Residents can bring unwanted items for disposal.
  • Leaf pickup: The township’s leaf pickup is scheduled to begin Nov. 9.
  • Election reminders: Trustee Dan Fletcher reminded residents Election Day is Nov. 3. He said the ballot includes fire and road levies and natural-gas aggregation.
  • Holiday donation drive: Madison Township firefighters will collect new clothing, gifts and food for families in need. The department will park an ambulance in front of Kroger on Dec. 6 and Dec. 13 from noon to 3 p.m. 
  • Firefighter resignation: Trustees unanimously approved the resignation of firefighter-paramedic Thomas Elliott, whose last day will be Nov. 13. Elliott accepted a position with another Ohio fire department after serving Madison Township for 12 years.

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