Canfield hires attorney for water service review

Staff report

CANFIELD

City council members approved hiring a special legal counsel who will review the city’s bulk-water purchase agreement with the city of Youngstown.

“In the future, we may need a little support and some help in terms of water negotiations, if that landscape currently changes,” said City Atty. Mark Fortunato after a Wednesday council meeting.

Fortunato is referring to a new agreement between Youngstown and the ABC Water and Storm Water District that allows the district to provide potable water to nearly 800 township residents otherwise drawing well water.

City Manager Wade Calhoun claims that agreement’s service area overlaps the service area set in a similar water agreement between the cities of Canfield and Youngstown. A 2011 agreement between Youngstown and its water provider also outlines areas where service expansion is allowed in Austintown, Boardman and Canfield.

Keith Rogers, a district member and Canfield Township administrator, told The Vindicator last week he’s met with Aqua Ohio and Youngstown representatives, the latter of whom “didn’t have an issue” with setting the district’s new proposed service area. Under that deal, Aqua would be allowed to expand its service area farther west, past state Route 11 and south to state Route 46.

The city’s new attorney, Matthew Blair, would be paid $200 an hour on an as-needed basis, Fortunato said.