Purchase of new truck gives township 8 plows for winter

Christine Griffin, of Toledo, has been hired as the new police and fire dispatcher for Perrysburg Township.

The Blade/Rebecca Conklin Kleiboemer
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Third time's a charm, at least for Perrysburg Township maintenance supervisor Kraig Gottfried, whose third request to buy a new dump and plow truck got the go ahead Wednesday.

Trustees at their regular meeting unanimously approved purchase of a 2013 vehicle from Stoops Freightliner in Dayton for $133,507, a request they had denied twice before because of concerns about tapping the general fund.

The new vehicle will replace the 1997 dump truck that has an array of gremlin-like problems, including lights that go on and off at whim and a screaming hydraulic issue, Mr. Gottfried has said.

He estimated for the board the costs of repairs, which included $2,850 to patch and paint the dump box, $6,417 to replace the hydraulic system, and $1,700 to replace the brakes. Labor to just diagnose what the electrical problem might be would be $102 an hour, he said.

Trustee Craig LaHote said he had hoped to defer purchase of a new vehicle for another year but agreed that the cost of repairs, which totaled almost $11,000 not including any electrical work, was prohibitive for a vehicle that is currently worth about $12,000.

Purchase of the new truck will give the township a fleet of eight plows for winter.

Christine Griffin, of Toledo, has been hired as the new police and fire dispatcher for Perrysburg Township.

In other matters, Police Chief Mark Hetrick introduced to trustees the township's new police and fire dispatcher, Christine Griffin, of Toledo. Her hiring was approved by a 3-0 vote.

"We were impressed ... with her enthusiasm for joining our township team," trustee Robert Mack said.

Ms. Griffin will begin employment Oct. 22 at $20.50 an hour.

In other business, trustees approved by 3-0 votes:

- The hiring of Andrew Vasick for part-time employment in the fire and EMS department for $18 an hour, and increased the department's blanket purchasing order for medical supplies by $5,000.

- Renewal of a contract with Code Red emergency communications network for $4,958.40.

- A blanket purchase order of $500 for the recreation department to build recycle bins for plastic containers.

Contact Rebecca Conklin Kleiboemer at rconklin@theblade.com or 419-356-8786.