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Perry road supervisor updates trustees on high water issue

PERRY TWP. — Flooding remains a problem at Chestnut Grove Road and South Lincoln Avenue, according to township road supervisor Darreck Farrell, who said he’s afraid there’s going to be nothing left of the road if the water problem doesn’t get fixed.

Farrell updated Perry Township Trustees Monday on the flooding that occurred after heavy rains this past weekend.

The issue of standing water after heavy rains is nothing new at that intersection near the railroad tracks. Both the trustees and Salem city officials have talked about the problem. Trustee Chairman Cliff Mix said they even agreed to work together, but without access to the former Salem Little Quakers property that sits on the hill off of South Lincoln to clean out a storm sewer pipe, he indicated the situation may be at a standstill.

Farrell said a pipe under the Norfolk Southern railroad property at the tracks has collapsed, but even if that gets fixed, he said there’s still a problem. He advised that he spoke to Soil & Water Conservation and learned they could possibly get grant money after the first of the year to put in a detention pond.

Mix said if they could get access to the Salem Little Quakers property, that may take care of the problem instead.

“I was looking for more of a permanent solution,” Farrell said.

Trustee Jim Armeni said he could try to find out who controls the Salem Little Quakers property. The bingo hall hasn’t been used or rented out for several years, with Tax Ease Ohio of Cincinnati listed as the taxpayer with the property still under the name Salem Little Quakers Inc. even though the booster group reportedly disbanded. The building is in the city limits.

The trustees held off again on two truck purchases, one for the fire department and one for the road department. Fire Chief Bruce Whitcher told trustees he checked into what he could get for a used truck, as they requested, and learned the cost would range anywhere from $20,000 to $30,000 for a 1-ton with 8-foot bed and under 300,000 miles. Finding one with a single axle was difficult and there would be no warranty.

Whitcher reported that after rebates, he could get a new truck at Stadium for $51,444. Columbiana Dodge Jeep made a lot of concessions for a Dodge RAM with crew cab retail-priced at $55,295 but being offered to the township for $40,000 with lots of extras thrown in, such as commercial grade seating.

“Everything you would need for a work truck,” Whitcher said.

The truck will replace the old grass truck being used by the department. There was also a five-year, 100,000 warranty.

The price at Diehl’s Salem Chrysler Jeep Dodge was $53,000.

Mix said they would look at the numbers seriously and possibly make a decision at the next meeting, which is 6:30 p.m. Sept. 24.

As for the road department’s truck, which had been discussed previously at the request of Armeni, the trustees were looking at withdrawing the idea and looking at getting additional appropriations for the requested purchase of a 14-foot dump trailer at a cost of $7,123 from Appalachian Trailer. No decision was made for sure on the trailer.

Farrell said the trailer would sit lower than the township dump trucks, making it easier on the workers’ backs during leaf pickup and spring cleanup.

Nothing was decided regarding possibly moving a police officer to the Columbiana County Drug Task Force. Police Chief Mike Emigh said calls are up but he needs to see the bottom line figures in the financial records for the police department before he can justify the request. He was planning to meet with Fiscal Officer Susan Johnston.

In street sign business, Farrell reported that the road crew is working on replacing all the road signs in the township through the grant awarded by the Ohio Department of Transportation, but he’s been getting phone calls and questions on why they’re taking down the Children At Play signs. Farrell explained that the state uses Pedestrian Walking signs instead, so that’s what they’ll be using.

He wanted to make the public aware.

In other action, Benton Road resident Jim Treharn asked trustees whether the township had a noise ordinance, complaining about a barking dog in the neighborhood, a neighbor playing music with a loud bass and trucks using their jake brakes when preparing to turn from Benton Road onto Allen Road to go to MAC Trailer. He said the jake brakes shake his whole house and he wanted to know if a sign could be put up to stop them from using them.

Emigh said if he can get the state to put up a sign, the police department could issue a citation under traffic control device. He said he had talked to the state about the issue and said it’s a matter of them getting the sign up. As for the other noise complaints, Emigh told him to keep calling the police. He explained that the township has to go by what the state has in place. For the barking dog, the resident was told if it continues, he could sign formal charges for a barking dog complaint and go to court.

Treharn complained, too, about vehicle speeding on his road, which is also known as state Route 14, after shift change at a nearby plant.

“We can have the police watch that,” Mix said.

Zoning inspector Allan Wolfgang reported 17 permits issued in August and one so far in September.

The trustees talked about moving the date of the first meeting in October, but didn’t make a decision yet.

mgreier@salemnews.net

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