Trustees OK applying for grant to alleviate flooding problems

The township will apply for grants to improve two parks.
AUSTINTOWN -- Residents on Ayrshire Drive could be getting some relief this year from flooding problems.
Township Trustee Lisa Oles said trustees voted Monday to try to obtain a state grant to fix the problems.
Oles said infrastructure in the area can't handle all the storm water generated from housing built since it was installed.
She said the seriousness of the situation was made clear in June 2004 when the ground was so soggy that a large tree uprooted and fell on an Ayrshire resident's home, causing about $50,000 in damage.
Oles said the township hopes to begin the project this year.
Park improvements
OIes also said that township parks supervisor Joyce Gottron will apply for state grants to make improvements at Wedgewood Park off Lancaster Circle and to improve the ballpark at Township Park on Kirk Road. The grant for Wedgewood might be for a new play center, Oles said, but it would be up to the park committee to decide how the $15,000 would be used.
The grant for Township Park would be for $60,000, she said.
Oles also urged residents to check their new home valuations at the Mahoning County auditor's Web site. She said she was surprised to find that the value of her home had gone up about $30,000, and she's made no property improvements since the last assessment.
Reassessments are done every six years. Oles said residents whose valuations have risen can calculate how much more they'll pay in taxes under the category for levies on the site. The site address is mahoningcountyauditor.org.