TRUMBULL CO. Sewer grant sought

State money is needed for the project at the Ohio Turnpike interchange.
WARREN -- Trumbull County is seeking state help in funding a sanitary sewer at the Ohio Turnpike interchange.
The Trumbull County Planning Commission has had to reject two rounds of bids for the project because they exceeded available funding.
Now, the staff has prepared a grant application requesting $150,000 from the state Issue 2 program.
Securing the money will allow the use of $250,000 from the county revolving loan fund, and $250,000 from businesses and property owners near the interchange.
Trumbull County commissioners were expected to authorize the grant application today to the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments for the $150,000.
Also today, commissioners were to award a $38,700 contract to J.S. Northeast Co., Girard, for construction of a maintenance building at state Route 305 along the Western Reserve Greenway Bike trail in Champion Township. The company is run by John Sliwinski, a planning commission member.
Assistant Prosecutor James Misocky was going to make sure it's OK for commissioners to award the contract.
Alan Knapp, planning commission director, assured commissioners that there is "no collusion whatsoever" and that the work was publicly bid. "It's a little project that he was the low bidder on."
Construction is funded entirely through the Trumbull County Metropolitan Park Board and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Bids ranged from $38,700 to $72,793.