CLAY TOWNSHIP — The trustees hired a police officer at a special meeting held Tuesday, April 23.

The trustees hired Lawrence Lovins as a full-time officer at $21.50 an hour.

“I went through all the information with chief (John Van Gundy) and I do believe that Mr. Lovins will be a good addition for the township,” trustee chairperson Angela Howell said.

“He (Lovins) is used to working in a rural area like ours and he was looking to becoming a full-time police officer,” Howell continued.

Howell noted a starting date for Lovins has not been established.

“He is going to give his current employer a three-week notice,” Howell said.

Lovins is currently employed as a correction officer for the Warren County Sheriff’s Office in Lebanon, Ohio.

Howell said once Lovins is informed by Van Gundy the trustees approved his conditional hiring, Lovins plans to give his notice and then give Van Gundy the date he will be available to assume his duties as a police officer.

Howell noted because of his military background, Lovins will receive $21.50 an hour instead of the normal starting pay of $20.86 an hour.

“Lovins is active in the U.S. Army and has two terms under his belt as a military police officer,” Howell said.

“He brings a lot of good qualities to the township,” Howell added.

Lovins has served as a Warren County Sheriff’s Office correction officer since December of 2019.

Lovins has also served in the United States Army Reserves as a military police officer in Cincinnati since December of 2017.

He was employed as a deputy jailer at the Campbell County Detention Center in Newport, Ky., from August of 2018 to December of 2019.

He was a heavy equipment operator for the Army National Guard from November of 2011 to October of 2017.

Lovins earned an associate’s degree in construction, heavy equipment, earthmoving equipment and equipment operation from Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio.

He also earned an associate’s degree in law enforcement in 2017-18 from the Butler Tech-D Russel Lee Career Center in Hamilton, Ohio.

In other matters, the trustees voted to encumber the remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to be used for the renovation of the township building.

According to trustee Dale Winner, the township has $21,086.28 in ARPA funds still available.

“We have to have that encumbered by the end of this year,” Winner said.

Winner noted the trustees in a past meeting discussed using the funds for projects inside the township building.

“One time we had talked about putting in new carpet in the township meeting room and upgrading the other two offices in the township building,” Winner said.

“I’m not as concerned that we have to decide what we are going to spend it on right now,” Winner said.

“I’d rather the trustees kind of think and talk to other people as to where we could spend the funds,” Winner continued.

The trustees plan to hold further discussions on how to use the funds at a later meeting.

Reach Terry Baver at [email protected].