A new truck for the park department and new firefighter gear are among the purchases approved by Liberty Township trustees at their meeting Monday, Aug. 6.

The trustees voted to buy a Ford F-350 pickup truck for $22,436 to replace a 22-year-old maintenance truck used by the township's park department.

The vehicle is used for transporting equipment, plowing snow and other maintenance needs.

Also approved was the purchase of new turnout gear for seven firefighters hired in late 2011.

The purchases include station clothes as well as fire-resistant coats, pants, helmets, boots and gloves for a total of $20,286.

In other fire department news, the trustees approved the resignation of Lt. Steve Lord.

Township Administrator Dave Anderson said Lord decided to resign early after suffering several personal tragedies.

Lord worked as a firefighter for 30 years and served the township fire department for 22 years.

Fire Chief Tim Jensen said Lord helped to shape the character of the local department during its infancy.

"He had a very early hand in the development of how this department runs," Jensen said. "He will be missed."

Also at the Aug. 6 meeting, the trustees approved a construction contract for multiple projects to reduce stormwater runoff at Liberty Park to help slow asphalt erosion.

Under the terms of the new contract, the township will pay $69,508 to DCH Landscaping for work on the projects.

At its July 2 meeting, the township approved plans to seek bids for construction of nine projects, including a rain garden, retention ponds and porous pavement.

In January, the township accepted a $160,379 grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to complete the initiatives, with the township set to contribute an additional $47,578 in staff time and cash.

In exchange for the grant, Liberty Park will serve as an example to other municipalities and organizations, showcasing a variety of ways to reduce stormwater runoff, which can cause erosion and contaminate nearby waterways.

Also at this week's meeting, trustees approved new three-year contracts for members of the newly formed AFL-CIO-CLC union. The group consists of 11 township employees: three parks workers, four road workers and four zoning inspectors.

The contract took effect retroactively starting July 1, 2012, and expires June 30, 2015.

It grants a 6.5 percent increase in hourly wages for the first year of the contract and 2.25 percent increases the following two years.

The park workers currently make between $10 and 14.64 per hour. The road workers all make $16.26 per hour. The zoning inspectors earn between $14 and $24.41 per hour.