Back on Board

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By SHAIYLA HAKEEM

shakeem@vindy.com

Boardman trustee Thomas Costello is no stranger to the Boardman community.

While sitting out of office over the past four years, he began to notice a change in his community. He decided that is was time to campaign once again.

“I would like to get back in, I would like to see some of the old Boardman come back,” Costello said he thought to himself.

Costello says that many residents complain about the closing Compost Site located on Southern Boulevard. This implies that the site was a valuable resource for the community.

According to Costello, the board of trustees are actively researching outlets that will aid in financing and possible reopening the Compost Site. Possible solutions could be working through the Recycling Division of the Mahoning County Green Team or other smaller communities that don’t possess “the beast.”

The beast is large mobile shredder owned by Boardman Township that turns biodegradable materials, such as leaves and branches, into materials that can be eventually be used for flower beds and gardening. The shredded material was free to residents and was an economical way to decorate and fertilize the surroundings of their home.

Over the summer, the beast was up for sale through an online auction called LightGov, but Costello says that it is currently no longer for sale. He goes on to say that the board is exploring all possible avenues to re-open the site.

“Maybe we can’t re-open the Compost Site five or six days like it had been,” explains Costello, “But three days is better than none.”

Re-opening the town’s Compost Site isn’t the only plan that is currently on the table. Opening all three fire stations is a major goal. Costello says that all of the departments have been hurt due to the decline in the economy, but changes still need to take place.

“We are down 15 police officers since I left office in 2005,” says Costello, “We are down four firefighters, we are down eight in the road department.”

Costello explains that Boardman is a “first ring” community. This means being located in the first ring outside of an older city such as Youngstown.

“We need to find a way to address that to keep the quality of life for those who decided they wanted to live in Boardman,” he said.

Costello believes that to maintain the sense of community in Boardman Township, zoning laws need to be enforced which will help maintain the integrity of neighborhoods. Though Boardman is known for its commercial value, it is imperative to remember the residential aspect of the community.

Costello says there may be light pollution from local establishments or noise pollution that may flow into the residential areas.

“We have to be very vigilant to prevent that from happening so that people will still want to come here and live,” he says, “We have to make sure there are buffers between the residential and the commercial so that they just don’t blend in.”

The first official trustee meeting was Jan. 4. But Costello, along with the other trustees, have been working together since the election.

“We started meeting shortly after the election, we logged over 50 hours,” said Costello. “We met with all the department heads, we met with all the union leaders, we met with the business committee and we met with the branding committee.”

The meeting resulted in the decision of Larry Molinaro remaining chair and Costello as vice-chair.

Costello said they are working to bring back the jobs and resources that have been lost due to the fall of the economy.

“I am thrilled and humbled to be back in this position,” says Costello, “We need to find ways to work together with other communities. What is good for the valley is good for all of us.”