VERMILION Twp — Vermilion Township trustees voted Wednesday to reduce regular board meetings from twice monthly to once per month, a decision that drew objections from Trustee Kenn Baughman.
Schedule Change Approved
The change was approved during the May 6 regular business meeting under new business. Under the new structure, the township will now hold one regular trustee meeting each month on the first Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., eliminating the second regularly scheduled meeting previously held on the third Wednesday of each month.
The vote took effect immediately, eliminating the township’s previously scheduled second regular meeting for May unless a special meeting is called.
Trustee Don Rowe, currently serving as acting chair after Baughman temporarily stepped away from the chair position in April, introduced the motion. Previous Vermilion Daily coverage addressed the leadership change.
Rowe said he believed the township could continue functioning effectively with one regular meeting per month and noted that additional meetings could still be called when necessary.
“The Board of Trustees has been able to do quite a bit of work,” Rowe said during discussion. “For now, we don’t see any reason that we can’t perform the same amount of work in one meeting.”
Trustee Keith Sexton agreed, saying he believed township business could continue to be handled efficiently if meetings remained focused on the work at hand.
Baughman Objects To Reduction
Baughman strongly opposed the proposal, arguing residents had previously expressed dissatisfaction when the township operated with only one regular meeting per month.
“We were down to one meeting a month, and it was a lot of chaos and a lot of stuff didn’t get done,” Baughman said. “We’re barely keeping our head above water now, so going to one meeting a month is a colossal mistake.”
Baughman also argued that residents had made it clear they preferred having two regular meetings monthly and said he would not support the change if he returned to the chair position.
During discussion, Rowe responded that if a majority of trustees supported the change, it would become the township’s new meeting procedure.
Rowe also emphasized that the reduction only applies to regularly scheduled business meetings and does not prevent trustees from holding special meetings, executive sessions or additional meetings if township business requires it.
“Any meetings that the board needs to have, whether it be executive, working session, special called-for meeting, those can still be determined at any time,” Rowe said.
The motion ultimately passed with Rowe and Sexton voting in favor. Baughman declined to vote on the motion.
The change takes effect immediately.