CANFIELD — Township trustees this week debated purchase of a new one-ton truck, how to best maintain the local cemetery and finding a new purpose for a bike trail grant.

“Is this truck really needed?” asked Trustee Brian Governor.

On hand was Bob Burkett from the public works-road department to answer that question.

“This is something we have been needing,” he said. “Our one-tons are used every day. We set them up to do everything.”

He said the truck being considered is a F-550 that would cost about $125,000 compared to $200,000 for a large size dump truck. With a trade, the final cost would be $90,000.

Burkett said the smaller 1-ton trucks often have been used when the big dumps went down. He said the crews really rely on the 1-tons.

No decision was made at the meeting, but with the budget for 2023 being finalized, Burkett said he would love to see the new truck and maybe a new trailer as well.

“If we had an enclosed trailer, we could put our heavier tools in it and just haul it right to the job site,” he said. “We wouldn’t have to load and unload those tools. Also, it would save valuable space at the township garage” on Messerly Road.

He said the trailer the township presently owns is too small. If a larger one were purchased, the smaller trailer could be kept for a second lawn mower. Burkett priced a new mower at about $9,900.

“We really need a second mower with the additional cemetery to care for,” he said.

That led the discussion to the Cornersburg Cemetery that Canfield Township recently took over from Austintown Township.

The cemetery is in Canfield Township, and was maintained by Austintown for years. Austintown recently said it is no longer going to care for it and turned the maintenance over to Canfield.

“I have a lot of questions on how we proceed,” Burkett said. “I know it is not in good shape. It is roughly 1.95 acres and a lot of headstones. Some of the headstones have trees growing around them and the entrance and parking area is actually in Austintown Township. We will need an easement.”

Burkett said the cemetery contains a lot of 1800s stones and a lot of veterans. He said there has been at least one wreath placed there and the newest headstone is 1996. He asked that the property pins be located first before any plans are made to clean it up.

No decisions were made about the cemetery.

But trustees discussed using the Ohio Department of Natural Resources grant for the bike trail connector to do a different project. The trail project was scrapped because property easements could not be obtained.

Township Administrator Keith Rogers said, however, a trail could be put through the northern park property that could connect it to Mill Creek MetroParks nature trails. Governor asked Rogers to check into it.

The first step, he said, is to see if the ODNR grant could be switched to another project. The ODNR grant was for about $199,000.