BOARDMAN — The ABC Water District board said it needs to host town hall meetings in Austintown to explore the idea of charging those residents a fee that would go toward the district for stormwater projects, it was announced at a board meeting Tuesday.

Now, Boardman and Canfield Township residents are charged a monthly fee that goes toward the district. The money collected in each township is used only for projects in that township, unless the project would benefit both townships, then they share costs.

Austintown residents are not charged a fee, but Austintown Trustee Robert Santos, who is the township’s representative on the ABC board, said he does not see another way to complete the work that needs done in the township.

“I did my due diligence. Austintown does have a lot of stormwater issues that are degrading. They have been neglected for years, prior to me, prior to (Trustee) Monica (Deavers), prior to (Trustee) Steve (Kent),” Santos said. “I feel that it is wrong that Austintown residents are going to be burdened this way. I do not foresee another alternative to fix these problems and want to ensure that we are more proactive so that a $5,000 problem does not turn into a $500,000 problem like the ones we are doing soon. I do want to start some town halls.”

At the Austintown trustees meeting Monday, trustees approved a resolution that would allow the township to be reimbursed by the water district for a $500,000 project if township residents ever start paying the district fee. The project involves the replacement of three stormwater culverts on Pinebrook Court, Fitch Boulevard and Wyndclift Circle that Santos said are causing sink holes on people’s property.

The ABC Water District board approved the same resolution on Tuesday.

Right now, the township must find a way to cover that cost in the road department budget. The project has not yet gone out to bid.

Santos said the last thing he wants to do is put another fee on Austintown residents and said he is open to finding another way, but wants to explore the option of residents paying into the district. The average single-family home in Boardman and Canfield Townships pay about $37 per year toward the district.

Santos said he likes that the funds that come through the water district are restricted, so residents know exactly where their money is going. No town halls had been scheduled as of Tuesday.

After the town halls are held, the township trustees would have to approve and pay for a nonpervious surface study, the cost of which would be reimbursed by the district if a fee were to be collected. This study would build the billing file.

Jason Loree, Boardman Township administrator and representative to the district, said the study would ensure that everyone is paying their share of stormwater runoff that they contribute. This largely depends on the sizes of roofs, driveways and parking lots.

Once the study is complete, the district board would decide to enact a fee, not the township trustees. Loree said the district was set up so that each entity approves one thing, either the study or the fee enactment, to ensure the township and the district are both on board.

“You see a pattern in government where things are ignored, ignored, ignored until you can’t ignore it anymore and things need to be addressed,” Santos said. “Who do they go to to fix the problem? The residents. Is that fair? I don’t think so in any way, shape or form. It’s not. I wish I could find another way but I don’t see how we can play catch up to where we can start maintaining properly and not have these problems.”

Loree said any stormwater infrastructure installed from the 1970s to the 1990s or earlier that has not been maintained likely will “need help,” because it just wasn’t meant to last that long.

When Mahoning County was being built up, Loree said properties were developed then the maintenance cost for stormwater was passed on to the townships, which may not have the funds for that available. Because of that, he said the townships have been working on playing catchup since the 1950s. He noted that it is a “daunting task,” but said that’s why the district was created.