Learn More About Your Trustees’ Decisions

To further our commitment to transparency, West Chester will begin publishing an agenda portfolio including back-up documentation for items to be considered by the Board of Trustees.

The portfolio will be published as an Adobe PDF with the final agenda and will be posted by approximately 3 p.m. on Monday, the day before the Board of Trustees meetings (effective April 11, 2022). This documentation has always been available as public record, but making it more accessible to the public is the goal.

The supporting documentation may have some redactions as required and permitted by Ohio Records Law. Actions documented in the supporting information are not final until approved by the Board of Trustees.

New Item Added to Regular Agenda 

The West Chester Township Board of Trustees added “Then and Now Certificates” as a new line under Action Items on the agenda.

Purchases made in the operations of the Township are typically made through the creation of a purchase order. A purchase order demonstrates that the funds to make a specific purchase are available. Township department directors can approve purchase orders up to $5,000.00 and the Township Administrator can approve purchase orders up to $7,500.00.

All others go to the Board of Trustees for approval – with the exception of payroll, benefits, utilities and similar.

Sometimes, however, purchases are made on an emergency basis for operational purposes before a purchase order is open – repair to a piece of equipment, fire truck repairs and similar.

Ohio Revised Code 5705.41 requires that purchases greater than $3,000.00 made before a purchase order was open be approved, or certified, by the Board of Trustees within 30 days. This is called a “Then and Now Certificate”.

An Update to Trustee Meeting Times

The West Chester Board of Trustees is making a change to its official meeting times, but the public regular meetings of the Board will continue to begin at 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month – with adjustments in November and December for the holiday season.

The West Chester Board of Trustees has typically planned for Executive Sessions for the end of the Regular Meeting. Ohio Revised Code Section 121.22, often referred to as the Open Meeting Act, provides for specific exceptions to the Open Meeting Act thereby allowing Township Trustees to meet in private session. The exceptions to the Open Meeting Act allow a public body to hold an executive (non-public) meeting at a regular or special meeting when the recognized protocol is followed and the topic to be discussed falls under one or more of specified discrete categories. These Executive Sessions are to be conducted as part of a public meeting being called to order and then going into these sessions of deliberation on specific categories recognized by ORC.

Beginning August 23, 2022, the Board of Trustees will convene at 5 p.m. when/if an Executive Session is required. The Board Chairman will gavel the meeting to order and seek a motion for Executive Session to discuss specific categories of topics allowable under ORC.

The public portion of the Board of Trustees meeting will begin at 6 p.m. The public portion of the meeting will not begin before 6 p.m., regardless of the duration of the Executive Session.