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Council extends pay for fire captain amid staffing concerns as chief balances outside jobs
Summary
Fire Chief Jason Ely reported 54 calls in September and said he will remain partially employed elsewhere while serving Strasburg; council voted to continue paying Fire Captain Maria Boswell at the fire chief rate for three months and entered executive session to discuss personnel.
Fire Chief Jason Ely reported 54 calls in September and 512 calls year-to-date during the Oct. 1 Strasburg Village Council meeting. Ely said he spent the day getting acclimated at the station and planned to be on shift that evening.
Council members expressed resident concerns about Ely's concurrent positions with Bolivar and Buckeye Career Center. Ely said he will remain part-time at those employers and serve as a volunteer in Mineral City; he also said his last full-time day at Bolivar is Oct. 12, 2024. Council members and a township trustee noted short staffing and said the village's fire staffing levy will expire in 2025.
On a motion by Wes Hostetler, seconded by Dustin Briggs, council entered executive session at 7:00 p.m. to discuss personnel and reconvened at 7:11 p.m. After returning to open session, council voted to continue paying Fire Captain Maria Boswell the fire chief rate of pay for three more months on a motion by Hostetler, seconded by Kathy Burrier; at roll call all members voted approval.
The meeting minutes record the council's action to provide temporary pay continuity while department staffing and hiring continue to be addressed.
