Friday, February 8, 2002
The contribution adds up to 10 miles of extra road paving each year, officials said.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County commissioners approved contracts totaling nearly $462,000 for the county's recycling division Thursday.
The largest was a $250,000 agreement between the recycling division, known as the Green Team, and the county engineer's office.
Timothy Berlekamp, the Green Team executive director, said the recycling division contributes annually toward the upkeep of "haul roads," which are roads frequently used by trash trucks hauling materials to and from landfills.
Such an expenditure is permitted under Ohio law, he said.
Amount: The engineer's office had asked that the recycling division's contribution be increased this year from $230,000 to $270,000, Berlekamp said. The $250,000 amount was negotiated as a compromise and will be in effect for three years.
Engineer Richard Marsico said there are landfills in Poland, Smith and Springfield townships, and that any road in those townships is considered a haul road.
The recycling division money enables the paving of about 7 to 10 additional miles of road each year, Marsico said.
Other expenses: The recycling division also will pay $120,000 to the Center for Engineering Research and Transfer Technology at Youngstown State University for industrial waste assessments, Berlekamp said. That's also an ongoing agreement.
One-time payments ranging from $7,000 to $22,000 will be made to Austintown, Beaver, Berlin, Green and Springfield townships and the city of Campbell for housing recycling drop-off sites.
Other agreements are for $14,000 with the Home Builders Association of Mahoning Valley for recycling programs, and $8,800 with Cboss Community Network for development of a Web site.
Video equipment: Commissioners also bought $13,206 worth of equipment to expand the county's video arraignment system to the Ohio State Penitentiary on Coitsville-Hubbard Road.
The county is installing video arraignment equipment in common pleas court and at the area courts in Austintown, Boardman, Canfield and Sebring. The equipment will be bought through the state purchasing program.
The prison will pay the monthly cost of telephone lines for transporting data, said Joseph Caruso, special projects director.
Abatement: Commissioners also approved a nine-year, 60 percent property tax abatement for Cold Metal Products of Campbell.
Thomas Presby of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber said money saved through the abatement will help to buy some $3 million worth of new machinery, which will help the company retain jobs and eventually create 22 new ones.
bjackson@vindy.com