Struthers senior van expected to roll out in November

By Sarah Lehr

slehr@vindy.com

STRUTHERS

It’s been a long time coming, but the city expects that a van to transport Struthers seniors will be ready to hit the road by mid-November.

The city paid for $9,990 of the van’s total $59,400 cost, according to Safety Director Ed Wildes. The remainder came from an Ohio Department of Transportation grant.

The van is required to run for at least five hours a day, five days a week, and must complete at least 10,000 miles per year. Council approved a policy and procedure manual for the van during a meeting Wednesday evening. Among other requirements, the van must be handicap accessible, and its driver must be certified in first aid and CPR.

After receiving the grant in June, city officials initially anticipated that the van would be road-ready by July or August. But state funding delayed the process by a few months, according to Mayor Terry Stocker.

In other business, the city has received $2,930 from a class-action settlement. Municipalities across Ohio received a total of $11.5 million after the Ohio Attorney General determined that they had overpaid Morton Salt Inc. and Cargill, Inc. for road salt between 2008 and 2011.

Trick or treat hours in Struthers are set for 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday.