Officials cheer $730,000 for road improvements in Howland, Liberty

Staff report

WARREN

County and township officials are celebrating successful grant applications for improvements to roads in low- to moderate-income neighborhoods in Howland and Liberty townships.

Julie Green, grant writer for the Trumbull County commissioners, said she learned this week that the Ohio Development Service Agency awarded grants totaling $730,000 for improvements to five streets off of North River Road in Howland and three streets in Liberty.

Howland Township Administrator Darlene St. George thanked Green at the county commissioners’ workshop meeting Wednesday for her help in writing the Howland grant, which will pay $466,600 for road reconstruction and storm-drainage improvements to Elmwood, Beechwood, Basswood, Thornwood and Ashwood avenues. The dead-end Elmwood, Beechwood and Basswood avenues also will get turnarounds for emergency vehicles. The project will benefit 181 people living in 67 homes. Howland will contribute $51,444.

The other award is $263,500 for road reconstruction and storm-sewer improvements on Trumbull Avenue, Northgate Drive and Greenacres Drive in Liberty.

Green said she and staff from the county engineer’s office applied for the Liberty grant, which will benefit 375 people living in 140 households. Liberty Township will contribute $21,463.

The three roads are full of holes and ruts, causing hazards for emergency vehicles as well as parents taking their children to a church day care in the area, letters of support for the project said.

In other business, the commissioners on Thursday awarded contracts of $150,042 to VEC Inc. of Girard for purchase and installation of security cameras and recording devices for Harmon Street beside the county administration building.

Of the $150,042, $99,280 will be paid for with a Local Government Safety grant awarded to commissioners in 2017.

The remaining $50,762 will come from county funds.