HOWLAND Interest in shared services is growing, trustee says

The transit system has increased residents' qualify of life, an official says.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
HOWLAND -- The number of Trumbull County communities interested in pursuing the possibility of shared fire and emergency medical services is expanding.
Township Trustee Rick Clark said during trustees' Wednesday meeting that Bristol Township wants to join the consortium looking at sharing services to save money.
Representatives of Howland, Vienna, Warren, Bazetta, Champion and Fowler townships and Cortland city have met with John Preuer, a consultant from Mentor, to discuss the proposal.
The communities are attempting to determine what they want to do before formally hiring a consultant. The group will meet again at 6 p.m. Aug. 1 at the township administration building.
Tim Thomas, Howland's assistant fire chief, said he thinks there is interest in sharing equipment. "I think it's moving in the right direction," he said.
Darlene St. George, township administrator, said the effort is designed to provide quality service in a declining area economy.
Transit-system payment
In other business, trustees agreed to pay $17,500 as Howland's share to operate the Niles-Trumbull Transit System. Each member community pays $1 per resident to provide on-demand, door-to-door service to mostly elderly riders.
St. George said the transit system has been successful in increasing the quality of life for riders. One township resident, she noted, takes a ride to the Hot Dog Shoppe in Warren once a week.
Also, trustees set a public hearing for 5:30 p.m. July 12 at the administration building to consider a zone change to make way for a Dunkin' Donuts drive-through shop.
J.D.B. Family Ltd. of Chagrin Falls wants to change the zoning of less than an acre on the east side of North Road, about 400 feet north of North Road and East Market Street's intersection, from residential to a classification that allows the construction of office and institutional buildings.
Trustee Richard Orwig told trustees that residents along Kenyon Drive are complaining about a mudslide that happened during last week's heavy rainfalls.
The mud, St. George explained, washed out of a construction site at Kenyon and state Route 46. She said the township will take legal action, if necessary, to control the mud from washing down Kenyon.
yovich@vindy.com