Residents advised to petition county about getting sewers

MINERAL RIDGE — About 25 residents of Weathersfield Township’s Heaton-Chute neighborhood, all property owners in the 80-home area, were advised to start a petition drive to get Trumbull County to look at putting sewers in their neighborhood.

The residents met Tuesday at a meeting organized by resident Lydia Infante. Attending were Gary Newbrough representing the Trumbull County sanitary engineer’s office, and county Commissioner Frank Fuda.

Residents were upset because they had paid an assessment 50 years ago for a total of $110,000, and now they see that the Bolindale area in Howland Township is getting tapped into sewers.

The officials told the residents that the fee they paid was for an interceptor sewer in Bolin Hills and that to put sewers in the Heaton-Chute area the county will have to apply for a grant. They said the county has to finish one of two projects it is already working on before it can apply for another sewer grant, then suggested residents sign petitions to be sent to the county asking for sewers.

Trustee John Vogel said Niles and county officials have both said that the residents and business prepaid for a hole in the sewer line, but they didn’t actually buy into the line. Some original property owners still live in the area and they have been asked to research records to bring them to prove that the assessment was paid.

Vogel said he met in September with officials from the sanitary engineer’s office and Niles about the funds, which would give “space availability” to those who paid the assessment to tie into the sewer line.