NEW SPRINGFIELD Waste company to donate $600,000 to sewer project

A trustee criticized state Rep. Boccieri, who's been called to active duty.
By MARY GRZEBIENIAK
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NEW SPRINGFIELD -- Waste Management American Landfill Inc. has agreed to donate $600,000 to the Petersburg sanitary sewer project.
Jerry Ross, district manager for Northeast Ohio, said Waste will make the donation in exchange for Springfield Township's signing a host community agreement.
Waste Management operates a landfill in the township.
Ross attended the regular meeting of the township trustees Wednesday where Trustees Shirley Heck and Reed Metzka agreed to hire Atty. David Shepherd to represent the township in working out the host community agreement. Ross said such agreements are encouraged by the Environmental Protection Agency and are common in communities that have landfills.
For example, he said, Poland Township has one. While details of the local agreement have not been decided, Heck said it will provide the local community with benefits from the landfill.
Waste Management had indicated earlier that it would provide money for the Petersburg sewer project but had not announced the amount. Construction on that $2.7 million sewer project is expected to begin in July and take 18 months. The remainder of funding for the sewer will come from Mahoning County Solid Waste District and sales tax, the township, Community Development Block Grants, Ohio Public Works, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Boccieri seat
Also Wednesday, Metzka criticized state Rep. John Boccieri of New Middletown, D-61st, who recently announced he will retain his seat in the Statehouse and run for another term during the next year even though he has been called to active duty with the U.S. Army Reserves.
& quot;No one will be representing our district, & quot; Metzka said. As a township trustee, I think it's wrong. & quot; He added that if a township trustee is gone for 90 days, according to the Ohio Revised Code, they lose their position.
Heck commented, & quot;I think it would probably be advisable to have someone else act on his behalf while he's gone. & quot;
In other business, Metzka noted that the Mahoning County Solid Waste Policy Board has now postponed, for the third time, a meeting to name a new member.
The new date is 8:30 a.m. Jan. 6 at the board's offices on Westchester Drive, Austintown. He urged residents to attend. Trustees would like to see a representative from Springfield Township named because of the landfill there.
Heck said a public meeting will be set for early January at Petersburg Fire Station 3 to answer questions about the planned sidewalk project in New Springfield. Letters will be sent to all those affected by the sidewalk.
She also reported that Mike Heher of BFI, Poland Township, has announced that new methane wells are being drilled to eliminate odors for those who live near the township line.
Also at the meeting, John Campbell of Waste Management presented Gene Waylon with a & quot;Good Samaritan Award & quot; for following thieves who took several rolls of fencing from Waste Management's property, then getting their license number, and calling authorities.Heck reported that Al Rivalsky Sr., a township firefighter and first responder, will be honored from 5:30 to 7 p.m. today at the Poland Library by Consumers' Ohio Water Company with a Neighborhood Hero Award.
Others to be honored will be Alfred Hamrock of Coitsville Township and Bill and Sarah Zavarello of Boardman. Trustees noted that the new township clerk, Patti Gibson, was sworn in Nov. 21. She has assumed her duties early because of the death of her predecessor, Shirley Casity.
Heck thanked Trustee Lee Kohler for his 12 years of service to the township. Kohler did not win re-election to his seat. He did not attend the meeting.