Center Township Board has new head

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CROWN POINT — Bryan Bodamer, president of the reorganized Center Township Board, added items to the board’s agenda last week that did not necessarily sit well with others. That is his prerogative as president.

Bodamer wanted a discussion on the possible use of a digital recording device as opposed to a cassette recorder.

Bodamer’s idea was to use a digital recorder to allow a continuous recording of board discussion and comments from the public without having to stop and flip a tape or put in a new one when the tape ends.

“A digital runs for 60 hours or more, and instead of storing cassettes, (storage) can all be done on the computer,” Bodamer said.

“Like anything else you have a tape. If a computer crashes you lose records. The secretary (recording secretary) has to have everything on the tape in the minutes then,” said Eldon Strong, Township Trustee.

In addition to just copying that digital recording to a computer to be played back at a later date, there are software programs that can be purchased to transcribe that recording to a word document that can be saved as such or printed for off site safety and storage.

When asked how much a digital recorder would cost Bodamer told the board and Trustee between $50 to $80 dollars.

Vice President Kate Webster said, “I have been secretary of the Lions Club for three years and verbatim minutes are not necessary.”

The subject was raised because of a statement Strong had made in September that was lost, and was not recorded in the minutes.

Webster told Bodamer, “You can do the minutes if you want them done a certain way.”

Strong did not think the suggestion was realistic and should be tabled. Webster said, “Scrap it.”

In other business, since the township has purchased new office furniture and equipment, Strong asked to be allowed to donate the old office equipment and furniture to South Lake Community Services.

The donation would include various laminated furniture and an old copier. Board member Roland “Bub” Wise asked, “Can we switch and have her (Margot Sabato, head of SLCS, which owns the building in which township offices are housed) give us this room for free?”

Webster said, “I motion to give the things to South Lake Community Services.”

“The equipment is in fine shape and we have offices that need the furniture,” Sabato said.

Strong told Wise, the board’s recording secretary, to “Make sure this is in the minutes.”

Bodamer also requested an inventory list of township property. He was told to get the list from the fire department.

Wise said he would get the list, because the department had just finished doing an inventory. There were some things missing on the township truck, such as a scoop shovel and a gas can. Wise told them that he donated a gas can.

Bodamer also wanted a list of what is in the office, and Strong said he will provide that.

Webster wanted to know where the equipment on the truck went. Wise said, “The volunteers bought the equipment for the truck, not the township.”

Wise brought up that the fire department was requesting that the township assist with the purchase of new air bags. The volunteers already ordered the bags and they had just come in. The total cost was $8,612.92. It is to replace outdated air bags. These bags are placed under a vehicle at three points and then inflated. They aid in extraction after an accident.

Strong said he can pay Towers Fire Apparatus Co. $4,306.46, or half of the cost. He just could not write a check to the Volunteers, with out getting approval from down state.