By Justin Dennis

jdennis@vindy.com

AUSTINTOWN

Township officials took umbrage with local criticism for road-clearing work the weekend of Jan. 19, when a storm dumped up to a foot of snow in some areas.

“In that 34-hour period, we happened to be out for 27 hours,” Administrator Michael Dockry said during a trustees meeting this week, adding even the township’s chief foreman, a 20-year road worker, was “shocked” to find blustering winds undid much of workers’ plowing.

“Unfortunately, when you have 12 inches of wet snow, it takes that kind of time, that kind of manpower to get it off the roads. In addition, if the wind blows it back in, it’s going to take you even longer,” he said.

Trustee Jim Davis said the township maintains 150 miles of road, more than 150 half and full cul-de-sacs and the township-owned Westchester building and parks. It lost two of its highest-paid foremen through attrition – a result of the most recent road-levy ballot failure.

“Unfortunately, that was a cause-and-effect of you, the public, saying ‘No, we don’t want our taxes raised,’” he said.

Just before the recent police levy passage, however, the township was able to purchase two new road trucks that cost about $150,000 each.

In other business, Trustee Doug McGlynn was named to the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District’s advisory council, a previously two-man council which has recently been appointing representatives from local municipalities. Boardman, Liberty, Howland, Weathersfield, Canfield and other townships already are involved.

The council seeks to make district rates more level across municipalities that receive Youngstown water or sewer services.

“The idea with this advisory council is to make the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District a little more accountable for their rates and their rate increases,” he said.

Trustees also approved the township’s share of the Austintown-Boardman-Mahoning County Council of Governments 2019 budget at $438,900. The COG budget represents the money its member municipalities receive from the county justice fund for 911 dispatching services.