Cyndi Pauwels was sworn in at the April 6 Township Trustees meeting. (Video still)
Miami Township Trustees swear in new fiscal officer, talk MTFR grants
- Published: April 18, 2026
At its Monday, April 6, meeting, the Miami Township Board of Trustees covered a wide swath of business that began with officially welcoming on-board a new Township official.
Cyndi Pauwels was formally sworn in as Miami Township fiscal officer at the start of the meeting, following her appointment last month to fill the remainder of former Fiscal Officer Jeanna GunderKline’s term. Pauwels had previously served as fiscal officer assistant and has been working alongside GunderKline during the transition period. Pauwels’ term began April 1.
Following the swearing-in, Fire Chief James Cannell reported that MTFR has received two grants from the YS Community Foundation.
One grant, a $6,000 award, will support the department’s community paramedicine program, which launched earlier this year and provides ongoing care and check-ins for residents outside of emergency calls.
Cannell said the program, led by Steffinie Brewer, is averaging about five visits per week, with more participants expected in the coming weeks.
“[Brewer is] constantly on the phone and talking with people, getting referrals on a regular basis,” Cannell said, adding that he believes the program “is going to be very successful.”
Another grant will fund a firefighter cadet position through the Antioch College co-op program, covering wages for Antioch student Nicolas Rivera, who began work with the department this month. The cadet position was previously approved by trustees at their March 16 meeting.
Rivera, who is from Delaware, Ohio, is expected to work about 32 hours per week with the department.
“He came in very positive and eager, and we’ve been keeping him busy and getting him some gear and teaching him the firehouse way,” Cannell said.
Antioch College and Miami Township Fire-Rescue have a long-running shared history: From at least the mid 1920s to the mid 1990s, the college maintained a student-run fire department, colloquially known as Maples, which worked in coordination with the then largely volunteer MTFR, sharing calls and resources between the two institutions. Notably, former MTFR Fire Chiefs Colin Altman and Dennis Powell were both Maples fire chiefs before serving full-time at MTFR.
That shared history is apparent in a new logo for MTFR, debuted by Cannell at the meeting; the logo, Cannell said, was developed by a MTFR staff committee to help distinguish the department from “the [four] other Miami Townships in Ohio.”
“It’s got a lot of history in it; that was one thing we requested,” Cannell said. “It shows our beautiful wilderness, our waterways; it still has the Antioch towers in the background.”
Zoning amendments move forward
During the meeting, Trustees opened a public hearing on the first phase of proposed amendments to the Township’s Zoning Resolution, reviewing seven of a planned 15 updates.
As the News has reported in the past, the amendments have been in development since last year with support from the Greene County Regional Planning and Coordinating Commission and funded through a state grant. Zoning Administrator Bryan Lucas has said the revisions are intended to simplify language, eliminate inconsistencies and align the code with current state law and land-use practices.
The first batch of changes addressed projections into yard setbacks, parking and storage of recreational vehicles, swimming pool regulations, cemetery standards, private airstrips and updated rules for parking, loading and signage.
Additional hearings for the remaining amendments will be held during upcoming regular meetings, after which Trustees will vote on the amendments’ approval.
To read all 15 proposed amendments in full, go to miamitownship.net/zoning-resolution.
Insurance policy change approved
At meeting’s end, trustees approved a resolution to discontinue reimbursement of health insurance premiums for elected officials who opt out of the Township’s group health plan. The resolution was brought forward by Trustee Chair Marilan Moir, who cited concerns that the existing practice was not properly authorized and may not comply with state and federal requirements.
“This resolution is not codifying anything,” Moir said. “It is stating that we’re not in compliance with the state laws.”
According to the resolution and discussion, the Township had been reimbursing premiums for some officials without a formal policy in place and without clearly defined limits, eligible benefits or administrative procedures. Moir said that any reimbursement program must be formally adopted and applied consistently between elected officials and staff.
“To have an opt-out reimbursement program, it has to be a policy that’s offered to all — everyone in the organization,” she said.
Trustee Chris Mucher raised concerns about the personal financial impact of passing the resolution, noting that he had accrued about $6,700 in unreimbursed health insurance costs for his family so far since last year as part of the opt-out practice. He added that the reimbursement practice had been in place “for the last 20 to 25 years.”
Moir noted that the resolution includes language directing the Township to consult with insurance benefit compliance professionals and tax and payroll experts to “pursue the possibility of a healthcare premium reimbursement policy that is consistent with state and federal laws.”
Following discussion, trustees agreed to request that Greene County Prosecutor David Hayes review the situation and identify any legal options for reimbursing Mucher for premiums already paid in 2025 and 2026.
The next regular meeting of the Miami Township Trustees will be Monday, April 20, at 5 p.m., in the MTFR meeting room.
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