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Fairfield trustees discuss zoning, property clean up

FAIRFIELD TWP. — Tires collected by the township during the recent drive were delivered to Liberty Recycling, Road Supervisor Mel Miller advised trustees during Thursday’s meeting.

Along with replacing several culverts, Miller said they took down a willow tree on Woodville Road for access to a culvert needing work and they worked on hot patching several roads in preparation for the chip and seal program.

Miller also received approval from trustees for line striping and for a purchase order not to exceed $10,000 for a primer sealant to protect the roads once they are chip and sealed.

Trustees also approved a motion to forward a request to the Columbiana County auditor to come up with a tax valuation for a renewal of an existing fire levy.

Trustee Chairman Bob Hum said the levy will go on the November ballot as a renewal, noting the last time it was passed it was as a replacement.

“This is a renewal,” he said and trustees approved the motion with a 3-0 vote.

Trustee Barry Miner said the bids for the headwater nature trail were set to be opened Monday and three contractors attended the pre-bid meeting, but the bids will be opened at 2 p.m. May 30 instead.

He said no action will be taken when they are opened and expected trustees to discuss them during the regular meeting on June 1.

Trustees also approved an amount not to exceed $1,000 to paint the asphalt area with disability signs.

They also discussed the additional traffic that will be routed to Beeson Mill and Cherry Fork roads when the Ohio Department of Transportation closes state Route 14 for a bridge project over state Route 11. A portion of state Route 14 between Columbiana and Washingtonville will be closed and traffic rerouted.

Trustees agreed the road closing will have an affect.

Trustees also had a lengthy discussion on zoning and cleaning up properties as it looks at revisions to the zoning code that hasn’t been changed from 1988.

Miner suggested hiring someone in law enforcement to obtain information regarding properties, such as vehicle registrations on junk vehicles so they could turn it over to the county prosecutor’s office.

“We need to get the county prosecutor’s office in on this,” he said, while suggesting reaching out to Perry Township that has a towing company on retainer for vehicle removal.

It also has a police department, something Fairfield Township doesn’t have.

Miner said he would contact Perry Township and then talk with assistant county prosecutor Andy Beech regarding the issue.

Trustee John Garwood said they have to dig into what the township had 20 years ago to see “what direction we are going in here.”

He asked, “Do we want to be like Poland?” He also wondered if they were “nit-picking.”

Miner said, “I guess I don’t understand nit-picking” and Garwood said he was concerned.

“Do we want to be pristine?” he asked, adding, “I listen, when I vote on something it will be on something that points the township in the right direction.

“Nit-picking … not pointing at you,” he said to Miner, “I want to be careful.”

Miner said he was talking of enforcing rules that have been there since 1996.

Garwood said, “What I think I’m hearing (is) we already have a resolution for junk cars.”

He added the township also had a constable before.

Miner said the three trustees have to enforce zoning and asked if they needed to hire someone to do that.

Hum said most of the people he talks to take pride in their property but a guest at the meeting said sometimes people don’t have the money to take care of issues on their property.

lshields@salemnews.net

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