Tuesday, January 15, 2002
The new trustee seated Monday wants a more prominent police presence in the northern part of the township.
By PETER H. MILLIKEN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- To minimize downtime, and possibly cut costs, township police cars will be maintained by township road department personnel, who have been maintaining all other township vehicles, with limited exceptions.
To make that possible, trustees bought a rotary lift, a transmission jack, tire changer and balancer from Myers Tire Supply of Akron at Monday's meeting for a total cost of $9,321.
Until now, maintenance on the township's 35 police cars has been performed for about $60,000 a year by Utzinger's Towing, where Trustee Chairman Thomas P. Costello said downtime was encountered while waiting for vehicle maintenance.
Costello said the township plans to hire at least one additional mechanic, but he still hopes for some cost savings to be achieved by the change to in-house police-car maintenance.
Other purchases: Trustees also bought a Dodge Dakota pickup truck for $23,613 from Norris Auto Mall of Medina, a tailgate salt spreader for $1,602 and a snowplow for $2,998, both from Quality Truck Body of Boardman.
Costello, who was formerly vice-chairman of the trustees, was elected chairman, and Elaine R. Mancini, vice chairwoman. Seated as a trustee for the first time was Kathy Miller, who defeated former trustee chairman John Cox in the November election. Miller is a financial adviser with New York Life Insurance and a real estate broker.
Fire Chief James Dorman said fire loss for 2001 totaled $513,785, about $1,190 less than for 2000. There were a record 3,127 calls to his department in 2001, 183 more than in 2000, he reported.
Miller said she thinks a more prominent police presence is needed in the northern part of the township, and Costello agreed that there should be a larger, more visible police substation on Market Street north of Shields Road as soon as suitable quarters can be found to replace the Hillman Way substation.
Subject of side roads: Township resident David Piper of Sugartree Drive said, and Miller agreed, that side service roads are needed along the section of South Avenue that will be widened from two to five lanes beginning this year between Presidential Drive and Western Reserve Road to avoid the type of congestion that has developed along five-lane U.S. Route 224. "If you look at 224, you're having businesses close because people do not want that traffic," Piper said.
Costello said side service roads would probably be cost-prohibitive and noted that the work has already been awarded to A.P. O'Horo Construction Co. of Liberty.
Trustees will meet with Mahoning County Engineer Richard Marsico and his staff at 9 a.m. Jan. 24 at the county engineer's office to discuss this project. The county project is being done with state and county funds.
Mancini noted that the South Avenue widening project began in 1997.
"So, it takes a couple more years, let's get it right," Miller replied.