The Leland Township Board has hired two more full-time emergency responders, and is considering whether to offer health insurance coverage to all full-time township employees.

At its meeting Monday, the board unanimously approved a recommendation from the township fire and rescue administration board to hire Jeff Friedenstab and Russell Korson as full-time Level II firefighters and Emergency Medical Technicians(EMT)-Basic.

Fire board director John Kenney said Friedenstab and Korson are the first two full-time department employees to meet all requirements for daytime responder positions. He said a third employee stands watch during the day, but has not completed training. Korson and Friedenstab and the third member will be scheduled to provide two full-time daytime responders on duty from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday. Other department members will cover nights and weekends with on-call shifts.

Kenney also said the fire and rescue department would like the township to consider offering its full-time employees health insurance coverage. The department has set aside funds for insurance in its proposed 2007-08 budget, and Kenney said he is in the process of receiving bids for providing single-person coverage for the full-time employees in the department.

Kenney said fire board members first want to make sure that providing health insurance to the department’s full-time employees, won’t obligate the township to do the same for its full-time employees.

Supervisor Harry Larkin said the township has three other full-time employees: harbormaster Russell Dzuba, head township librarian Sylvia Merz, and maintenance worker Ken Hagstrom. He said he would like to learn how much it would cost to offer health insurance coverage under similar terms for the three full-time employees not part of the fire and rescue department.

“The question before us is, should we be treating all our full-time township employees the same?” Larkin said.

The board made no decision, but will consider the matter at its April 9 meeting. Kenney said the department will eventually need six full-time EMT-B/FFII employees to provide the necessary coverage for fire and ambulance service during daytime hours.

In other business, the board approved:

• A non-smoking policy for the Leland and Lake Leelanau fire stations, with the ban to go into effect immediately. Smoking will no longer be allowed inside either of the township fire station buildings. The board also unanimously approved a policy for disposing of excess fire department equipment and materials.
• A letter of understanding with North Flight, Inc., based in Traverse City, to provide Advanced Life Support intercept ambulance service. The term of the agreement is for one year, beginning today, March 15, and is renewed annually unless either the township or North Flight wants to terminate the arrangement.
• Larkin’s recommendation to reappoint treasure Michael Kirt Jr. as the board representative on the fire and rescue administrative board. The term is for one year.
• Hiring Tobin and Company to conduct the township audit of the 2006-07 fiscal year. Larkin recommended Tobin since the firm has performed the township audit in the past.
• Changing the township polling place from the Leland fire hall to Leland Public School Performing Arts Center. Keen said the Leland fire station is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Holding elections at the fire hall also requires moving department equipment, and propping the side door open to allow disabled people inside. Keen said Leland school officials are willing to let the township use the performing arts center area as township polling place No. 1.
• Township Board meeting dates, time and place for the 2007-08 fiscal year. The board will continue to meet on the second Monday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the Munnecke Room of the Leland Township Library in Leland. The board also approved holding its Annual Meeting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 24, in the Old Art Building in Leland, with coffee and social hour to start at 9 a.m.
• Larkin’s recommendation to reappoint Cris Telgard and Dale Whalen to three-year terms on the township harbor commission.
• Amending the 2006-07 library budget to increase the information technology expense by $2,500 to cover the cost for a new computer. Revenues for the computer will come out of the library’s donation fund.