Chad Butcherine of Niles pins the badge on his daughter, Makenzie Butcherine, after her swearing in as a Boardman police officer during Monday’s Boardman trustees meeting.

BOARDMAN — Township trustees appropriated more than $1.3 million to the police, fire and road departments for various items at their meeting Monday.

Fire Chief Mark Pitzer requested $297,816 for a new 2023 Osage Ford F550 ambulance. The new vehicle will include a Stryker PowerLoad frame that supports and stabilizes a cot carrying a patient, according to the Stryker website. The new ambulance will be the frontline unit for first responders.

Other accessories for the new ambulance include a Lucas CPR machine, a one-stair chair that helps EMS transport patients, and other accessories at a total cost of $31,304. Pitzer also requested purchases of a cardiac monitor at $21,581; a mobile radio system at $16,220; and a design and graphics for the new ambulance at $10,625.

Pitzer explained that the new ambulance is a replacement for the ambulance now in use. The current ambulance is “an older vehicle,” Pitzer said. “It’s not very reliable. It’s had some mechanical problems.”

The new ambulance should be in service by mid-May of 2024, he said.

Trustees also approved the purchase of three 2023 Ford F-150s to serve as police responder vehicles in the trafficdivision; and three Ford 2025 interceptor vehicles to serve as unmarked cruisers assigned to the department’s operations division. All purchases will be made from Montrose Ford. The total cost of all six vehicles will be $276.989.

Road Superintendent Marilyn Kenner requested $18,000 to hire National Pavement Analysis to rate the pavement condition of township roads.

“We had this done several years ago,” Kenner said, “and we wanted to show some progress, especially with the sales tax funding. We want to show that we are trying to get all the roads in the neighborhood done.”

She also reported that the township will save nearly $10,000 on a bid to York Mahoning Mechanical Contractors for $640,247 for HVAC improvements to the township administrative building. The previous bid had been over $650,000.

Fiscal Officer William D. Leicht swore in Makenzie Butcherine as a new Boardman police officer. Her father, Chad Butcherine of Niles had the honor of pinning the badge to his daughter’s uniform.

“I am very proud that she has come this far and will be representing Boardman Township,” Chad Butcherine said.

“This has been a lifelong dream of mine,” Makenzie Butcherine said. “I’m very excited to be here and work for such a great department and such a great team to work with.”

A dozen Boardman police officers were in attendance to watch the swearing in and received an ovation from the audience.

Police Todd Werth requested that retired officer Timothy Hughes be rehired.

“There is a benefit to keeping our older officers with all that experience,” Werth said, and explained that this was not “double dipping,” the slang term for receiving a pension and a salary at the same time, since Hughes’ salary will be considerably reduced and the pension is money already accrued from years of employment. Hughes’ rehire would actually save the department more than $20,000 annually in salary.

Trustee Tom Costello read a proclamation to Joyce Mistovich, a retired arts educator, thanking her for her 15 years working as a Boardman Park Commissioner. Her accomplishments include expansion of the Lariccia Family Community Center, the Georgiana Parker Community Center, a dog park and a parks trail, according to the proclamation. “She has served this community with everything that she has,” Trustee Brad Calhoun said.

Mistovich thanked her staff. “I am blessed to be giving back to our beautiful Green Oasis,” she said, referring to the nickname for the Boardman Park. “I feel Boardman Park is in a really wonderful place right now.”

Mark Luke of Youngstown from the Youngstown Kiwanis Club discussed plans for the upcoming Memorial Day parade. This year will mark the 120th memorial service in the township. Luke explained the history of Memorial Day, which began in Confederate graveyards when civilians began decorating the unadorned graves of Union soldiers.

“I am proud of a community that takes this holiday seriously,” Luke said. “It is not necessarily a day to be joyful, but a day to remember those people who sacrificed their lives on the altar of freedom so that we may live as free Americans in this country.”

Administrator Jason Loree gave CT Consulting permission to submit bids on various road improvements.

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