Trending
PERRY TOWNSHIP--The township will be pushing forward with efforts to improve Painter Road despite missing out on state funding.
Board of Trustees Vice Chairman Jim Armeni said that the township has been working toward a major renovation to Painter Road, which would see the road's width expanded and drainage improvements implemented, since 2019. Armeni explained that in addition to significant deterioration caused by a combination of stormwater runoff, and annual winter freeze and thaw, the road "has never been as wide as it should be," at a width of only 17 feet, while most township roads are 20-22 feet in width, with additional drainage built in.
"The road is 17 feet wide; my driveway is 16 feet to give you an indication," said Armeni.
Armeni said that the township had submitted a preliminary plan to replace the road through the Columbiana County Engineer's Office to secure grant funding and a potential loan through the Ohio Public Works Commission, which passed the county and regional level, but came up "just shy," of securing funding. The total project had an estimated cost of $800,000, which Armeni said was the "biggest undertaking," that the township had ever attempted to his knowledge, and that it was the only time he was aware of that the township had requested grant assistance of this nature from the OPWC. Of the total $800,000 estimated cost of the project, the township was prepared to contribute $140,000, with up to $50,000 to be committed by the Columbiana County Commissioners with American Rescue Plan Act Funds, and the remainder hoped to be paid through a combination of grant and loan funding from the OPWC.
However, with that plan no longer viable Armeni said the township is pivoting to a "plan B," developed by Trustee Tony Ieropoli, to complete as much of the work as possible with the funding the township already has available for the project.
"We need to do something about it or eventually the road will have to be closed. So, we're going with plan B, we're going to try to do some drainage work, cut some trees down on the side, and cut the bank down, and go as far as we can on our own," said Armeni.
Armeni also said that Board of Trustee Chairman Steve Bailey owned some of the property adjacent to Painter Road, and that the township would be signing a work agreement to access the property and that as a result Bailey would abstain from voting on items related to the work.
"Trustee Bailey owns some of the property on the south side of the road, that just happened last year, so we'll be doing a work agreement and Chairman Bailey will be abstaining from any decisions going forward as the township does this work. I want to emphasize that this was a project I initiated with former trustees prior to Steve Bailey being a township trustee and I'd like to see it continue on," said Armeni.
Ieropoli, and Armeni both stressed that the work agreement was typical of any the township might enact, with Ieropoli comparing it to an easement, and Armeni noting the township had done a similar agreement to conduct drainage work "behind the bingo hall," to address flooding issues on Chestnut Grove Road in the past. Armeni also noted that the documentation regarding the agreement had been compiled and reviewed by the Columbiana County Prosecutor's Office.
To that end trustees voted to approve a resolution approving the temporary work agreement for the project with the Bailey Family Trust, which will see the trust receive $1 in consideration of the agreement, and to approve a quote from Columbiana Tree Service to clear trees and brush on Painter Road for $27,000. Bailey abstained from both motions as promised, with Armeni and Ieropoli both voting in favor.
Armeni said that residents in the area should expect to begin seeing tree cutting "within the next 60 days," and that trustees would work to keep township residents informed of ongoing work on the project and associated road closures. Armeni explained that the township was conducting tree cutting now to avoid potential issues from arising with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources should the trees in the area be used in spring by a rare species of migratory bat native to the midwestern United States called the Indiana Bat which hibernates in caves during winter before migrating to wooded areas throughout the midwest including northeast Ohio.
"There's a thing called the Indiana Bat and it migrates to parts of our area in Ohio, and if you do not get the trees down in a timely manner, I think before March 1, you can get problems with Natural Resources or whoever monitors that, so we decided to take action this winter and start the tree cutting now," said Armeni.
The board of trustees will meet next 4 p.m. Jan 22.