Trustees table action on fees for hearings

A zoning hearing fee
increase has not netted
expected revenues.

By MARY SMITH

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

MINERAL RIDGE — Weathersfield Township trustees postponed action on a rollback of residential zoning hearing fees.

Trustees had raised the fee in May 2006 from no charge to $275 to cover the cost of a hearing by either the township’s zoning commission or the board of zoning appeals on a residential zone change request.

Hearings cost $125, and the balance of the fee is for advertising and mailing.

The general fund supplements the zoning department heavily, trustee vice chairman John Vogel said.

Trustees will discuss the issue further at their caucus Nov. 8 and then take action at their Nov. 13 meeting.

No resident has as yet been impacted by the fee, since no one has asked either body to approve a change in zoning for their property or for a nonconforming-use zoning.

The fee increase has not given the township the extra money trustees thought it would receive.

A meeting of Heaton-Chute development residents has been scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the township administration building over fees Heaton-Chute residents paid between 1958 and 1968 for a homeowner assessment that totaled $100,000.

Residents paid the fee on their taxes for a sewer project on DeForest Road that never put the development onto the project, but were informed by the Trumbull County Engineer’s office recently that what the residents and businesses paid for was “space” in the Heaton-Chute sewer line.

The sewer line runs along DeForest Road, but is at engineering capacity.