Council addresses village concerns regarding dogs
Council also is considering limiting the use of jake brakes on Calla Road.
By MARY GRZEBIENIAK
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NEW MIDDLETOWN — Any resident attacked by a dog in the village should immediately contact the police department, Village Police Sgt. Vince D’Egidio told village council at its meeting Monday.
He was responding to a report by council member Harry Kale that there are two pit bulls living on Woodland Avenue and that recently one of the dogs went after some residents of Robinwood who were out walking.
D’Egidio said he knows of no complaints filed about the dogs, but added that police will immediately contact the owner of a dog involved in any incident and enforce the village’s dangerous dog ordinance.
That ordinance lists pit bulls and certain other breeds as dangerous dogs and outlines the type of enclosure that must contain them. It designates any dog as dangerous if it has attacked a person or another dog without provocation. Owners of such dogs are required to carry $100,000 liability insurance on the animal.
Other business
Also Monday, council passed a first reading on an ordinance prohibiting jake brakes from being used on Calla Road because of the noise. The brake is a device attached to the engine that slows a tractor-trailer by reversing engine valves. Council member Dan Santangelo voted against the measure and William Douglas abstained.
The legislation will come up for a second reading in July. Three readings are necessary for it to become law.
In other business, council also accepted Russell Hawkins as a new village firefighter. Fire Chief William Opsitnik said Hawkins was a member of the Lisbon Fire Department before moving to New Middletown.
Council also passed a resolution supporting the Western Reserve Port Authority’s application for a Small Community Air Service Development Grant to encourage more passenger service at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport.