Showing posts with label Railroad Township Board. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Railroad Township Board. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Chaffins Appointed to Railroad Township Board, Following Paperwork Delays, Caucus Confusion
Posted on November 7, 2017
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI
Railroad Township appears to have a new township board member. Roger Chaffins Sr. has been appointed to the position by Starke County Democratic Party Chair Kenny Wallace. Chaffins replaces Board President Gus Eckert, who resigned.
The process was not without some confusion, though. Wallace says a caucus was held on October 9, but because Eckert did not file his resignation letter with the Starke County Clerk’s Office in a timely manner, Wallace has declared the results of the caucus to be null and void.
He adds that since Chaffins was the only one to show an interest in the position, he decided to appoint him to the township board. All the paperwork has now been filed properly, according to Wallace. He says he thought more people would be interested in filling the vacancy, which is why he called for a caucus in the first place.
Chaffins previously served as Railroad Township trustee, before he was narrowly defeated by Mandy Thomason in the 2014 election.
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI
Railroad Township appears to have a new township board member. Roger Chaffins Sr. has been appointed to the position by Starke County Democratic Party Chair Kenny Wallace. Chaffins replaces Board President Gus Eckert, who resigned.
The process was not without some confusion, though. Wallace says a caucus was held on October 9, but because Eckert did not file his resignation letter with the Starke County Clerk’s Office in a timely manner, Wallace has declared the results of the caucus to be null and void.
He adds that since Chaffins was the only one to show an interest in the position, he decided to appoint him to the township board. All the paperwork has now been filed properly, according to Wallace. He says he thought more people would be interested in filling the vacancy, which is why he called for a caucus in the first place.
Chaffins previously served as Railroad Township trustee, before he was narrowly defeated by Mandy Thomason in the 2014 election.
Thursday, June 15, 2017
Four N.J.-S.P. School Board Candidates Interviewed by Railroad Township Board
Posted on June 15, 2017
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI
The Railroad Township Board heard from four candidates Tuesday who’d like to represent the township on the North Judson-San Pierre School Board.
Cassandra Hine is an attorney specializing in family law. She told board members she’s seen the effect the local school corporation has on the community. “Actually, I currently have a case where a mom lives here in San Pierre, and her former significant other lives in Valparaiso, and a guardian ad litem was involved in the case, and did an evaluation of who should have custody of this child,” Hine said. “And one of the factors in her evaluation in ruling for the father to have custody of a two-year-old girl was the Valparaiso school systems far exceed the school systems here in this county.”
Megan Korous has two children at N.J.-S.P. When it comes to deciding how to prioritize taxpayer money, she said it’s important to adjust to students’ unique learning styles while preparing them for the workforce. “I think we need to look at different types of teaching and making sure that all children are being taught to how they learn, and making sure that there are classes available for not only those kids that are high learners, if you will, but also the kids that maybe are more hands-on, book work isn’t for them, but they need something after high school,” she said.
Susan McCormack has prior experience serving on a school board. She said her six years on the LaPorte School Board have prepared her for just about anything that could come up at N.J.-S.P. “LaPorte Community School Corporation is a much bigger corporation than this,” she said. “So I’m hoping that this would not be as big of a job as that was, and believe me, it was a big job. We had 10 board members and two alternates, and we went through the process of replacing the superintendent three times, and I served as board president, as well as a couple of other positions on the board.”
Deb Wappel is a former N.J.-S.P. teacher. She’s been following the school board for the past couple years and has been looking for ways to get more involved with the corporation. “I have applied many times at the schools,” she said. “Most recently, I met with the school board president and vice-president and offered to work for the school system for one dollar a year, as a communications manager/director/liaison because there have been many, many bad feelings in the community because of the referendum and the elected school board thing. So I’ve done everything I can to try to help, and I feel like this may be my last effort and chance to make the difference.”
When asked how they’d deal with complaints from angry parents, Korous, McCormack, and Wappel all said they’d refer them to school staff first to go through the proper chain of command. Hine said she would gather all the facts, and address concerns in public, during a school board meeting. However, most of the candidates emphasized the importance of listening to parents’ concerns.
When it came to how they’d prioritize money, Korous and Wappel both talked about increasing vocational training, while Hine opposed sacrificing arts and sports programs for the sake of boosting test scores.
The Railroad Township Board will meet Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. at the old San Pierre Elementary School to appoint a new school board member. That person will replace current N.J.-S.P. School Board President Pat Goin.
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI
The Railroad Township Board heard from four candidates Tuesday who’d like to represent the township on the North Judson-San Pierre School Board.
Cassandra Hine is an attorney specializing in family law. She told board members she’s seen the effect the local school corporation has on the community. “Actually, I currently have a case where a mom lives here in San Pierre, and her former significant other lives in Valparaiso, and a guardian ad litem was involved in the case, and did an evaluation of who should have custody of this child,” Hine said. “And one of the factors in her evaluation in ruling for the father to have custody of a two-year-old girl was the Valparaiso school systems far exceed the school systems here in this county.”
Megan Korous has two children at N.J.-S.P. When it comes to deciding how to prioritize taxpayer money, she said it’s important to adjust to students’ unique learning styles while preparing them for the workforce. “I think we need to look at different types of teaching and making sure that all children are being taught to how they learn, and making sure that there are classes available for not only those kids that are high learners, if you will, but also the kids that maybe are more hands-on, book work isn’t for them, but they need something after high school,” she said.
Susan McCormack has prior experience serving on a school board. She said her six years on the LaPorte School Board have prepared her for just about anything that could come up at N.J.-S.P. “LaPorte Community School Corporation is a much bigger corporation than this,” she said. “So I’m hoping that this would not be as big of a job as that was, and believe me, it was a big job. We had 10 board members and two alternates, and we went through the process of replacing the superintendent three times, and I served as board president, as well as a couple of other positions on the board.”
Deb Wappel is a former N.J.-S.P. teacher. She’s been following the school board for the past couple years and has been looking for ways to get more involved with the corporation. “I have applied many times at the schools,” she said. “Most recently, I met with the school board president and vice-president and offered to work for the school system for one dollar a year, as a communications manager/director/liaison because there have been many, many bad feelings in the community because of the referendum and the elected school board thing. So I’ve done everything I can to try to help, and I feel like this may be my last effort and chance to make the difference.”
When asked how they’d deal with complaints from angry parents, Korous, McCormack, and Wappel all said they’d refer them to school staff first to go through the proper chain of command. Hine said she would gather all the facts, and address concerns in public, during a school board meeting. However, most of the candidates emphasized the importance of listening to parents’ concerns.
When it came to how they’d prioritize money, Korous and Wappel both talked about increasing vocational training, while Hine opposed sacrificing arts and sports programs for the sake of boosting test scores.
The Railroad Township Board will meet Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. at the old San Pierre Elementary School to appoint a new school board member. That person will replace current N.J.-S.P. School Board President Pat Goin.
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Starke Circuit Court Schedules Emergency Hearing on Railroad Township Fire Protection Contract
Posted on December 29, 2016
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI
The controversy surrounding the planned restructuring of the San Pierre Volunteer Fire Department has led to an emergency hearing in Starke Circuit Court. A complaint filed on behalf of Fire Chief Joe Kryzyzanowski and Railroad Township Board members Clarence Gehrke and Gus Eckert requests an emergency order allowing the department to continue providing fire protection under a temporary contract.
It states that Township Trustee Mandy Thomason has so far failed to present board members with a contract, as requested by Gehrke and Eckert last week. The complaint alleges that Thomason’s decision not to renew the San Pierre Volunteer Fire Department’s contract violates Indiana’s Open Door Law, since it didn’t happen during an advertised board meeting.
However, Attorney Stephen Buschmann says that since the township trustee is an executive and not a governing body, she is not bound by Open Door Law, according to Township Trustee Clerk Sarah Gillard. Buschmann represents Thomason, and acts as general counsel for the Indiana Township Association.
That raises the question of whether Thomason has the authority to make decisions about fire protection without approval of the township board. Buschmann says she does. However, Attorney Cassandra Hine, who filed the complaint, says she doesn’t.
The emergency hearing is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 11:30 in Starke Circuit Court. The Railroad Township Board plans to meet in special session tomorrow evening at 6:00 at the San Pierre Fire Station to potentially consider a contract.
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI
The controversy surrounding the planned restructuring of the San Pierre Volunteer Fire Department has led to an emergency hearing in Starke Circuit Court. A complaint filed on behalf of Fire Chief Joe Kryzyzanowski and Railroad Township Board members Clarence Gehrke and Gus Eckert requests an emergency order allowing the department to continue providing fire protection under a temporary contract.
It states that Township Trustee Mandy Thomason has so far failed to present board members with a contract, as requested by Gehrke and Eckert last week. The complaint alleges that Thomason’s decision not to renew the San Pierre Volunteer Fire Department’s contract violates Indiana’s Open Door Law, since it didn’t happen during an advertised board meeting.
However, Attorney Stephen Buschmann says that since the township trustee is an executive and not a governing body, she is not bound by Open Door Law, according to Township Trustee Clerk Sarah Gillard. Buschmann represents Thomason, and acts as general counsel for the Indiana Township Association.
That raises the question of whether Thomason has the authority to make decisions about fire protection without approval of the township board. Buschmann says she does. However, Attorney Cassandra Hine, who filed the complaint, says she doesn’t.
The emergency hearing is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 11:30 in Starke Circuit Court. The Railroad Township Board plans to meet in special session tomorrow evening at 6:00 at the San Pierre Fire Station to potentially consider a contract.
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Railroad Township Board Calls for Stop to Fire Department Restructuring
Posted on December 22, 2016
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI
The Railroad Township Board is calling for a stop to the restructuring of the township’s fire protection services. Board members Gus Eckert and Clarence Gehrke gathered in special session Wednesday to pass a resolution rejecting a plan to sever ties with the San Pierre Volunteer Fire Department.
The department is a legally-separate organization that’s contracted to provide fire protection to Railroad Township. Township Trustee Mandy Thomason announced plans last week not to renew that contract at the end of the year.
In addition to contracting with volunteer departments, townships do have the option to hire firefighters and operate the service directly, which Thomason seems to favor. But board members say changing the fire protection method can’t be done without their approval.
Reading from a prepared resolution, Eckert said the township board has not agreed to Thomason’s plan. “The board has not approved procuring fire protection from any entity other than the San Pierre Fire Department, Inc.,” he said. “The board rejects procuring fire protection from any other entity other than the San Pierre Fire Department, Inc. The creation of a new township fire department must cease, and no aspect of it has been approved by the board.”
The resolution also calls for Thomason to present a contract with the San Pierre Volunteer Fire Department for the board’s approval during another special session to be held Friday, December 30 at 6:00 p.m. “Which means the trustee must put together a contract,” Eckert said. “She must give it to the fire department with enough time that they can review it, and at the special meeting, the contract approved by both parties will be brought to the board for signature.” If no contract is approved at that meeting, board members plan to vote on emergency fire protection measures.
The board rejected a previous contract proposal back in October. Eckert and Gehrke said Wednesday they felt the contract was unacceptable for firefighters. Firefighters say Thomason failed to schedule a meeting for further negotiations, before announcing her plan to restructure the department last week.
Eckert said the current situation is uncharted territory, with the board never having significant disagreements with a township trustee before. “I did not know what our powers really were, and I have talked to gentlemen and people in this township,” he said. “We were lax. We were lazy. That’s why the state wanted to get rid of trustee government was because the boards were like us. I am making the promise to you that this next year will be entirely different.”
Former trustee Roger Chaffins, who was unseated by Thomason two years ago, also offered his input on the situation. “She’s stirred up some stuff that, maybe it’s a big deal. I don’t think it is,” Chaffins said. “She’s just trying to stir up things with the fire department and cause problems. She wants total control over everything, and that’s not right. That’s just not going to work. The fire department works great. I never had any trouble with them. My wife, prior to that, never had any trouble with them.”
Thomason was not in attendance during Wednesday’s meeting.
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI
The Railroad Township Board is calling for a stop to the restructuring of the township’s fire protection services. Board members Gus Eckert and Clarence Gehrke gathered in special session Wednesday to pass a resolution rejecting a plan to sever ties with the San Pierre Volunteer Fire Department.
The department is a legally-separate organization that’s contracted to provide fire protection to Railroad Township. Township Trustee Mandy Thomason announced plans last week not to renew that contract at the end of the year.
In addition to contracting with volunteer departments, townships do have the option to hire firefighters and operate the service directly, which Thomason seems to favor. But board members say changing the fire protection method can’t be done without their approval.
Reading from a prepared resolution, Eckert said the township board has not agreed to Thomason’s plan. “The board has not approved procuring fire protection from any entity other than the San Pierre Fire Department, Inc.,” he said. “The board rejects procuring fire protection from any other entity other than the San Pierre Fire Department, Inc. The creation of a new township fire department must cease, and no aspect of it has been approved by the board.”
The resolution also calls for Thomason to present a contract with the San Pierre Volunteer Fire Department for the board’s approval during another special session to be held Friday, December 30 at 6:00 p.m. “Which means the trustee must put together a contract,” Eckert said. “She must give it to the fire department with enough time that they can review it, and at the special meeting, the contract approved by both parties will be brought to the board for signature.” If no contract is approved at that meeting, board members plan to vote on emergency fire protection measures.
The board rejected a previous contract proposal back in October. Eckert and Gehrke said Wednesday they felt the contract was unacceptable for firefighters. Firefighters say Thomason failed to schedule a meeting for further negotiations, before announcing her plan to restructure the department last week.
Eckert said the current situation is uncharted territory, with the board never having significant disagreements with a township trustee before. “I did not know what our powers really were, and I have talked to gentlemen and people in this township,” he said. “We were lax. We were lazy. That’s why the state wanted to get rid of trustee government was because the boards were like us. I am making the promise to you that this next year will be entirely different.”
Former trustee Roger Chaffins, who was unseated by Thomason two years ago, also offered his input on the situation. “She’s stirred up some stuff that, maybe it’s a big deal. I don’t think it is,” Chaffins said. “She’s just trying to stir up things with the fire department and cause problems. She wants total control over everything, and that’s not right. That’s just not going to work. The fire department works great. I never had any trouble with them. My wife, prior to that, never had any trouble with them.”
Thomason was not in attendance during Wednesday’s meeting.
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