Wednesday, June 21, 2006
The chamber realizes that county commissioners make the decisions, an executive said.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- A Trumbull County commissioner lashed out at the Regional Chamber, accusing it of trying to usurp the commissioners' authority.
"They want to be a fourth commissioner," James Tsagaris, one of the three county board members, said Tuesday about the chamber.
He also reminded Alan Knapp, director of the Trumbull County Planning Commission, that the planning commission works for the county commissioners -- and not the chamber.
Aeropark Drive
Tsagaris' outburst centered around a $100,000 state grant to make improvements to a portion of Aeropark Drive. The road in Aeropark Industrial Park in Vienna services Delphi Packard Electric Systems and Timkin-Latrobe Steel Distribution Co.
The road was originally constructed in the 1980s by Industrial Hygiene Co., which manufactured shower curtains. Vienna Township dedicated the road five or six years ago with the stipulation that it be maintained by the county for 15 years.
Before the township took over the road, improvements were made. The project was expedited and the concrete portion was never allowed to cure before trucks began driving over it. As a result, cracks have appeared in the concrete.
The fight
During a commissioners work session Tuesday in preparation for their meeting today, a memorandum of understanding between the planning commission and county engineer accepting the grant did not appear on the proposed agenda.
Tsagaris explained that he looked at the road, and said repairing it shouldn't be a priority since it serves about 200 employees at the two companies.
"That road, to me, looks like brand new," Tsagaris said.
He called attention to Dietz Road in Howland that services a number of businesses that employ 600 people. It needs improving because the businesses are flooded during heavy rainfall, he said.
County Engineer John Latell pointed out the Regional Chamber got the Aeropark Drive grant and the planning commission would administer it.
"We thought it was for the betterment of the community," Latell said.
Misunderstanding?
Reid Dulberger, the chamber's senior vice president of community development, said he believes Tsagaris misunderstood what happened.
He said the chamber works with the technicians -- planning commission and county engineer -- with the understanding that the commissioners would make the ultimate decision.
"They may as well start here. They eventually have to come here," Tsagaris noted.
Tsagaris told Knapp that he complains that he has too much work and not enough staff, while doing work for the chamber. The three county commissioners sit on the planning commission.
Acceptance of the grant was placed back on today's agenda at the urging of Commissioner Paul Heltzel.
"I think we're doing a post-mortem. The patient is already dead," Heltzel said of the original road construction. "We have to move forward."
He did caution, however, that a presentation should have been made to the commissioners to determine where the grant could best be used.
yovich@vindy.com