Canfield officials plan public hearing on JEDD

February 25, 2015 at 12:02a.m.

By ROBERT CONNELLY

CANFIELD

Township trustees have set a public hearing for 5:30 p.m. March 31 at township hall on the proposed Canfield community joint economic development district.

Canfield City set its meeting last week for 5 p.m. March 25 for city residents.

The hearings are required by law after each side signed off on the agreement for a proposed Windsor House senior-living center to be built at state Route 446, bordered by Mill Creek MetroParks. Documents related to the agreement are available for public view at each governmental body until the hearings.

Township Administrator Keith Rogers said he’s working with Canfield City Manager Joe Warino to find grants to help Windsor House pay for installing water lines across Route 446.

“Grants will help defer the costs to the developer,” Rogers said at Tuesday night’s trustees meeting.

Both sides agreed earlier this month to the proposed JEDD. The Mahoning County Sheriff’s Department will police the area, and fire protection will be provided by Cardinal Joint Fire District, which both governments share.

The city will provide water, which is what had halted the project for months. The township will collect real-estate taxes, and the city would collect income taxes from the owner and employees at the current city rate of 1 percent.

There will be a five-person board with a representative from each government, a representative of employees and the employer, plus an at-large selection made by the four members. That at-large selection will chair the board.

The 25-year agreement has two 25-year extensions and is just for the proposed 72-bed Windsor House property, expected to bring 72 to 80 jobs to the area.

In other business, trustees appointed Charlotte Rogers to the Canfield Zoning Commission as an alternate, by a 2-1 vote. Trustee Marie Cartwright voted no, contending Rogers’ marriage to Township Administrator Keith Rogers constitutes a conflict of interest. Township Zoning Inspector Dave Morrison reports to Rogers.

“That’s my only hesitation is having two spouses being able to interact,” Cartwright said before the vote.

But Trustee Brian Governor said before the vote that the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office did not have an issue with it.