Wednesday, November 26, 2014
By ROBERT CONNELLY
AUSTINTOWN
Police Chief Robert Gavalier on Thursday announced a recent grant and updated township officials about new speed-monitoring devices.
Gavalier said the department recently received a grant for $10,800 to replace six used Tasers and replace four old computers.
He also gave township officials an update on some of the department’s speed-monitoring devices, including a device that uses Bluetooth technology to register how many cars go past.
He put the device on Norquest Boulevard and set it to record motorists going past at 45 mph or faster, 10 miles an hour over the speed limit. Gavalier said 2.2 percent were over in one direction and 5.5 percent in the other direction from Nov. 11 to 23.
Mark Roberts, a resident of Norquest, had attended previous trustee meetings asking about patrolling his street for speeders and said that some drivers were going fast, above 60 mph.
“The 70 to 80 mph constant [speeding] is not happening,” Gavalier said Tuesday.
He remarked that residents had told him motorists were slowing down on the road in recent weeks. Gavalier also said the device “helps us out, telling us if we have a problem.”
In other business, township Administrator Mike Dockry said the township has enough salt for two to three more snowstorms until its rock salt shipment comes from the Ohio Department of Transportation. He expects that sometime next week.
A public hearing took place on changes to township law regarding digital billboards not on the premises of the businesses related to them. The changes, including still images and eight-second minimums on each image on the billboard, were done to “bring the ordinance into compliance with state and federal” laws, zoning inspector Darren Crivelli said.
The township currently has a handful of these within its boundaries. Trustees unanimously approved the changes after the township zoning board and Mahoning County Planning Commission both recommended approval.