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Residents have say in potential county land bank
By PAM JADUE
During the Monday meeting of the Austintown Board of Trustees, Debra Flora from Lien Forward Ohio made a presentation to the board updating them on the Grounds for Change Project.
She was urging residents to participate in a simple voting process supporting the project’s award of a $330,000 grant to create a County Land Bank by the organization Efficient Gov Now.
Flora was invited to speak at the meeting by Township Administrator Michael Dockry as the township board is interested in ways the community can benefit from this project.
At an earlier meeting, Flora introduced the board to the idea of creating a land bank. On this return visit, she explained the situation to the board.
“We are working to create a land bank which would provide the township with an alternate option in dealing with tax delinquent and underutilized properties,” she said.
Trustee Lisa Oles questioned Flora on the amount of time it would take to deal with foreclosed properties in comparison to the property going to a sheriff’s sale.
“A new Ohio law allows for the creation of land banks making the process of improving and developing vacant properties faster and cheaper for the community,” explained Flora.
Earlier this year, The Lien Forward Ohio Organization entered the Efficient Gov Now grant competition and is one of the final 10 projects being considered for the grant money.
Residents can help the project succeed by participating in a simple voting process. The top three vote getters in the competition will receive money.
Awards will be announced in early June by the Fund for Our Economic Future, a collaboration of philanthropies working to strengthen the region’s economic competitiveness.
More information is available at the EfficientGovNow.org or by telephone at 877-771-5206. Voting is open through May 31.
In other business, police chief Robert Gavalier introduced the board to the police department’s newest police dog. The dog has recently completed a six-week training course and has begun work.
According to Dockry, there are at least 82 nuisance complaints listed on the agenda in comparison to 44 last year at this time.
“I hope that it is not a sign of things to come. I am hoping that it is the result of people being more on top of things and calling to report properties that aren’t being cared for,” he said.
Gavalier said “most of the money for the purchase of the dog came from donations from residents.”