Board approves amended fire chief agreement and extends administrator contract after executive sessions

Following closed sessions, the Brimfield Board of Trustees returned to public session and approved two personnel-related contract actions.

Trustees voted unanimously to amend Fire Chief Craig Malawi's employment agreement to resolve a pending disciplinary matter, impose a suspension period, align sick-leave language with other recent contracts and extend the agreement through Sept. 13, 2028. The board recorded the motion and passed it by roll call (Yes: Mike; Yes: Sue; Yes: Nick).

Later in the meeting trustees moved to extend Township Administrator Mike Ladd's contract to 2030. The motion includes an administrative clarification of five personal days, an additional week of vacation (bringing the total to six weeks, based on years of service) and updated sick-leave language to align with other contracts. The vote passed with two trustees voting yes and one voting no.

Board members discussed the timing and appropriateness of contract changes during an election season and noted concerns about opening multiple contracts before a new board is seated. One trustee said the extension is intended to retain institutional knowledge and preserve ongoing economic development progress; another said the timing was problematic with 14 months left on the existing administrator contract.

The board recorded both votes after returning from executive session. No base salary increases were included in the fire chief agreement; the agreement preserves an annual 3% step provision already in place.

Ending: Both approved amendments bring contract language into alignment across township executive contracts; trustees said other contract provisions (vehicle use, sick leave) remain areas for future review.