ADAMS TWP — Next year, Adams Township will introduce a new plan to help address a staffing shortage among emergency medical services in municipalities across Butler County.

Municipalities covered by Quality EMS — which includes Adams, Forward and Middlesex townships, Mars, Valencia and Callery — were asked last year to contribute funds to help address a staffing shortage of EMS workers brought on during the COVID-19 pandemic. With each municipality agreeing to pay a rate based on the roofs in the area, Adams Township allocated $125,000 in this year’s budget to cover the additional EMS costs paid in four quarterly installments.

But supervisors chairman Russell Ford said the township will be looking for a new way to pay Quality EMS to address the shortage. The planning stages on how to fund the additional EMS charges depends on several factors, including on how much other municipalities are contributing and how much Quality EMS needs to address its staffing emergency. That being said, Ford wanted to bring up the situation now to make residents aware of the seriousness.

“You’re going to hear a lot about it, and we’re going to talk about it,” said Ford. “You’re township, your tax dollars have stepped up to make a major investment in making sure that when 911 is called, EMS is there.”

Ford said supervisors had to “fight through the budget” to make the quarterly payments fit, and the contract with Quality EMS includes meetings with them to discuss any challenges. This includes some of Quality EMS’ revenue streams being stalled, hence the crisis. Ford mentioned a campaign to deal with the EMS situation in 2025 will begin in the coming months and one possible solution being discussed is to put some of the costs on the public.

At the Monday meeting, the township signed a form from the Federal Emergency Management Agency that defines the flood plains in the area of the Rightmyer Plan off Davidson Run Road. The previous flood plains were defined in 1989, and the new ones condense the area of the flood plain. The purpose of the study was not to condense the area, but to make it more accurate.

The signing signifies the township engineer agrees with the study done by an engineer hired by the developer. FEMA also approved the change of the flood plain, and the concurrence was required for the changes to be finalized. The changes will be reflected on the FEMA website for the public to see once FEMA receives the signed concurrence.

Several residents expressed concern over the flood plain changes, saying nearby properties could still be in danger due to soil being added and new houses being built on what was previously designated as a flood plain. Ford said the concurrence approval does not mean the development is going forward, only that it allows the township to get more information before a final vote on the development.

“This board doesn’t take anything lightly,” said Ford. “We don’t rubber stamp one developer that comes through this door … If you come in here with egg on your face, you’ll be sent packing.”

What the board did approve is the final stage of the repaving of Three Degree Road. The board awarded the final phase of paving to Shields Paving for about $2.2 million, with the hopes that the final section can be started midway through March and finished by the end of July. The board hopes to avoid issues on the previous phases, such as a lack of advertisement to the public and affecting school buses.

The repaving of Three Degree Road had started before the pandemic and has cost about $8 million, with most of the money coming from the state and county. Overall the township has paid less than $1 million for the repaving of the road, and the board said the work has made the area much safer, except for several people speeding on the road itself.

Residents can now book facilities in Adams Township Community Park for dates starting in May and continuing into September, however the process to do so is likely to change in the coming weeks.

Currently residents have to book a pavilion by coming to the municipality building and booking it in person, but the parks and recreation department is set to introduce online booking of the facilities.

Parks and recreation board member David Goodworth is resigning his position, although he will continue to attend the meetings to act as a liaison with the board. Two candidates are currently being considered to replace him, but the board can recommend further candidates as well.

The park will also see a new parking lot, pickleball court and basketball court with the bidding process expected to start next month. The current basketball court will be turned into a parking lot to prevent overflow parking near the park’s war memorials. With the current courts being turned into parking, the park will relocate the basketball courts near the splash pads. The township intended to start the bidding at the February meeting but tabled it to March.

Since the bidding process hasn’t started yet, there is no timeline for when the new courts and parking lot will be built and complete. Ford said he hopes to have the construction started sometime this summer.

“It’s really hard to tell because it depends on timing and whether the developer has the time in their schedule,” he said.

The department announced their Spring Easter Egg hunt will take place at 1 p.m. March 31 near the park’s veteran’s memorial.