NILES TOWNSHIP — Trustees voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve the installation of a Cisco Firewall and grant access to a limited number of township employees who may need to work from home.

The technology will allow township employees permitted to use the software to have access to the server which will give them the option to do work and access documents remotely.

Trustee Richard Cooper added the item to the agenda and said that he was prompted to install the device partly because he will be out of office in February for a surgery and wanted to be able to have access to the database.

“This pertains to having access outside to our computers,” Cooper said. “This can be done secure wise. It is so you can work from any place.”

Treasurer Jim Ringler agreed that the firewall operation could be useful, especially given that sometimes an employee out of office is the only one with access to documents.

“If we had a snow day and we were closed it makes it handy,” Ringler said.

Cooper received a quote from I.T. Right for the product’s installation, which could cost up $1,385 to install if 25 people use it. The price is expected to be reduced because fewer people are expected to have access to the firewall. The number of employees who will be granted access are part of an ongoing discussion, but Ringler said he anticipates that less than 10 employees will have access.

Cooper also said security measures would be in place.

“If an elected official does not run again, they will be disconnected and not have access,” Cooper said. “We could authorize that license to be removed.”

Cooper said they will also be able to add more people to the firewall should the need arise.

“This is going to be an asset to the township,” Cooper said.

Trustees said they do not anticipate the software should take long to install and that township employees could have access in the next couple of weeks.

Also Tuesday night:

• Trustees voted unanimously to establish a public hearing for the assessment roll for Harrah Road. The public hearing will take place at 6 p.m. Jan. 29 at the Niles Township Hall, 320 Bell Road

• Trustees voted unanimously to approve Sue Priest as a Board of Review Alternative

• Trustees voted unanimously to adopt the 2018 Master Plan

• Trustees voted unanimously to approve a 2018 building inspector contract

• Trustees voted unanimously to approve a 2018 mechanical/plumbing inspection contract