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The village wants to remind residents that the dumping area at the end of Maple Street is to only be used by the street department and should not be used by residents.
Bill Hoover, chairman of the board of public affairs, spoke to village council members during their Tuesday meeting to ask them to close the area permanently. Hoover said that because of its proximity to the creek, the Environmental Protection Agency could revoke senior water plant operator Chris Peterson's license to operate if non-biodegradable objects end up in the water. If Peterson were to lose his license, Lisbon residents could lose their water.
"We need to do something because if we lose Chris's license, we will have to shut down the water plant, and no one in town will have water, and no one is going to be happy," Hoover said.
During routine inspections, objects such as paint cans have been found at the dumping grounds. The grounds make for a convenient place for the street department to dispose of tree debris and brush from post-storm clean up, so council was hesitant to completely close the area.
"It's a double-edged sword, but you're right, we're going to have to look at options," councilman Jerry Cox said.
A gate and partial fencing are already in place to dissuade residents from dumping there, but Peterson pointed out that the area can still be easily accessed when no one is looking. The street department keeps a close eye on the area, but residents tend to dump after dark.
Council president Dawn Thomas suggested putting up signage to inform residents that the area is private property owned by the village. She said she doesn't want to cut off the street department's only dumping area but doesn't want Peterson to lose his license.
Council voted to allow the street department and water department to use the area for the time being and it's to be monitored closely with the addition of signage.
In other business, council heard from Job and Family Services director Rachel Ketterman who asked council to approve JFS putting pinwheels on the square in April for Child Abuse Awareness month once again. In 2020, JFS investigated 468 allegations of abuse and neglect in Columbiana County, which was down from 508 in 2019. In honor of the children involved in those cases, 468 pinwheels will be placed on the square to bring awareness to them and others in similar situations.
"The only bad thing about this is the number of pinwheels on the square. With a population of somewhere around 108,000, it's amazing how many kids are being abused," Mayor Pete WiLson said.
In more business, council voted to approve:
-- The closure of South Park Avenue on April 17 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the Chamber of Commerce's "Spring Has Sprung in Lisbon" craft show. 13 vendors are scheduled to appear so far.
-- The village's participation in ODOT's road salt contract and raised the agreement from 75 to 100 tons based on the inclement weather this past winter.
-- The purchase of a Canon color image RUNNER copier for the Borden office for $4,330.
-- The purchase of new badges for the police department for $2,400.
-- The addition of a mandated clause for the police department regarding the use of chokeholds and use of force.
-- The resignation of full-time police officer Sarina Stacy.
lnickel@mojonews.com