BOARDMAN New trustee wants to get down to work

The trustee is hoping to form a committee in January.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- The township's newest trustee is set to take her seat with the board and hit the ground running with several new ideas. One could be set in motion as early as January.
Kathy Miller took the oath of office Monday. She will replace longtime trustee John Cox. The other two trustees are Elaine Mancini and Tom Costello.
Miller is hoping to put together a 30-person volunteer committee of business owners, property owners and other residents to determine what township residents want for the area's image in the future.
"It would be really nice to do an actual survey of what people want for the future, kind of tie-in the business and residential sides of the township," said Miller. "That is where you have to start. If you do not have a plan, nothing gets accomplished."
Planning advice: Miller said that ideally she would like a professional planner to lay out any "setbacks" in zoning and the overall appearance of the township. She said a good example would be the South Avenue widening project, which she says has the potential to come out just like the busy U.S. Route 224 without proper planning.
Miller said the committee would come up with long-term goals people in the township would most like to see put in place. Those ideas would then be submitted to trustees for further consideration or action.
Miller would also like to take advantage of Ohio State University's Master Gardener Program to develop a project she calls "Boardman's Blooming." The project, she said, would encourage tree planting and improve neighborhood lawns and rights of way.
Miller said the idea is still in the early planning stages, but some residents would have to take the necessary courses offered by the university locally to become a part of the master gardener program. Those peoplecould then return to the community and teach others how to improve the aesthetics of the area by planning what to do with green space and landscaping.
To keep up newly developed green space and landscaping, Miller said, people who commit minor offenses could be given community service in lieu of any fines.
Bike trail: Miller said it would also be nice to place a bike trail alongside the railroad that runs along Southern Boulevard. The railroad is already a part of the community and has a right to operate, so a path next to it is a good idea, she said.
"These may all be big dreams, but it is time to get busy in Boardman," she said.
jgoodwin@vindy.com