WEATHERSFIELD TRUSTEES Flooding concerns overflow at meeting

A second pickup of flood-damaged items will be Friday.
By MARY SMITH
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
MINERAL RIDGE -- An egg timer operated by Police Chief Joseph Consiglio made its debut to set the three-minute time limit for residents to speak at a packed house for the Weathersfield Township trustees meeting.
The timer, going off on schedule Tuesday night, sometimes provided comic relief as the chief himself was often caught by surprise when the device went off.
With up to 60 residents at the meeting, trustees conducted their regular business session, including reports, in just a half-hour. Residents then asked questions and argued or discussed issues with the trustees for the next 45 minutes to an hour.
Consiglio, Fire Chief Randy Pugh and David Pugh, township administrator, gave reports on the countless extra hours township workers contributed without overtime pay.
Pugh said crews are now digging gravel and street debris out of the ditches .
Flooding problems, ideas on how to solve them, requests that trustees try again to get help from Trumbull County for flooding on Depot Street and various flood-related questions also were asked.
Second pickup
Trustees said a second pickup of flood-ruined household items is set for Friday.
Residents are asked to call the township building at (330) 652-6326 or one of the township trustees to make sure their address is on the list for pickup.
McDonald Mayor James Border followed up questions from township resident James Squires of Warner Road, who asked why the township hired another law firm for $11,750 when Atty. William Roux is on retainer with the township at $2,300 a month.
He passed around a copy to residents of a statement from DelBene, Lapolla & amp; Thomas of Warren from April 1 to July 1 sent to Consiglio listing work related to negotiations for a contract with police. Trustees said they could not answer that question last night but would get an answer.
Roux said after the meeting he had no idea who the trustees had paid or for what services other than his own, but that particular bill may have been for labor relations.