County secures funds for sewers

Trustees will discuss a
waterline project that has been planned for years.

By MARY GRZEBIENIAK

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

NEW SPRINGFIELD — Funding is finally in place, and Mahoning County commissioners are expected to award the contract for the $4.3 million Petersburg sanitary sewer project Thursday.

Robert Orr, Springfield Township trustee, said commissioners have obtained the final piece of the funding picture — $400,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

He urged township residents to show support by attending the county commissioners’ meeting, which is 10 a.m. in the basement of the Mahoning County Courthouse, 120 Market St.

Orr lauded commissioners for their work on obtaining funding and noted they will meet in July to discuss another pending project — a $1.8 million waterline for Petersburg.

The sewer project has been on the drawing board for years and is urgently needed because tests have shown that about 30 percent of well water in portions of the Petersburg area are contaminated with fecal coliform bacteria from aging septic systems.

Fine paid

In other business at their recent meeting, trustees agreed to pay a $4,000 fine to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency for an April 2005 incident in which the township fire department failed to apply for necessary permits to burn down a barn.

Fire Chief Brian Hughes and Capt. Chuck Gossard have both been charged with misdemeanors in connection with that fire. Hughes is accused of engineering a false 911 call to cover up a prearranged barn fire. Gossard is charged with making false alarms. Their cases are both pending in Mahoning County Area Court in Canfield.

Orr said that the original fine was $7,500 but that the county prosecutor’s office negotiated it down to $4,000.

Police officer Sam Leicht, who retired in January, was rehired as a part-time officer. Resignations were accepted from part-time officer Leona Koroczynsky and reserve officer William Sosnosky.

Jessie Ortz and John Blankenship were approved as township firefighters, pending physicals and background checks. Trustees also accepted the resignation of paramedic and firefighter Debbie Massey.

Trustees approved paying the Ohio Township Association of Risk Management Authority, Columbus, $24,854 to renew liability and property insurance. The amount is slightly less than last year’s total.

They agreed to contact the prosecutor’s office about resident Luke Bilas’ request for permission to remove part of an alley that encroaches on his property on Grant Street, New Springfield.

Bilas also asked that potholes be filled and work be done in front of his business at 13647 Woodworth Road. Road Superintendent Richard Kennedy said he would contact the Ohio Department of Transportation, which has jurisdiction on the road.

Trustees also approved installing Internet service at fire stations 21 and 22. The service is needed for filing reports.