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Police chief trying to get generators for outages
NEW MIDDLETOWN — Police Chief Vince D’Egidio told village council on Monday that the village needs to “look at being self-sufficient for at least 72 hours” during future power outages.
He said the lack of a generator left the police department operating by flashlight after the Sept. 14 windstorm when the municipal building was in the dark for 14 hours, he said.
He said safety was compromised because the municipal building could not be operated as an emergency operations center.
The police department continued to operate using portable radios. Dispatching is done through Mahoning County’s 911 Center and was not affected. However, local telephone numbers at the police department did not work, and police computers were down.
D’Egidio said Home Depot in Boardman has agreed to donate a portable generator to the village. The small generator will run the police department radios, lights and computers. D’Egidio has inquired into getting a larger municipal generator which would keep the municipal building running for 72 hours. He said Mahoning County’s Emergency Management Agency has agreed to place the village on a priority list to try to get funding for a generator from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s 2009 funding round. He said after the meeting that such a generator can cost between $50,000 and $100,000. He said the village fire department has several generators that could provide limited temporary power to the building but that the fire department also needs the generators during outages.
In other business at council’s meeting Monday, council directed Solicitor Jeff Heintz to search the village ordinances to see if there is anything to prohibit leaving recreational vehicles parked in yards for long periods. If there is no ordinance, he will prepare one. They acted after hearing John Pope of Circleview Drive complain that a neighbor has had a large boat parked in his driveway for more than six months.
Fiscal Officer Carl Flitcraft Jr. reported that the village will spend about $7,000 this winter for salt, compared to $4,000 last year because of an increase in the price of salt.
Council also accepted an anonymous $2,716 donation from a local business that will allow the police department to buy a Taser and an Automatic External Defibrillator for the municipal building.
Council agreed to sell a 1999 Crown Victoria patrol car with 157,000 miles that does not run.
Council set trick-or-treat for 6 to 7 p.m. Oct. 31.