LIBERTY — Township trustees on Tuesday passed a motion requesting the township’s zoning code be reevaluated to keep neighborhoods aesthetically pleasing.

Arnie Clebone sided with some residents in attendance who voiced their disappointment about a few houses in their neighborhood. A few residents who live in the same neighborhood as Clebone questioned the board about its plans to deal with the condition of 50 Redfern Drive, to which police Chief Toby Meloro and Zoning Code Enforcement Director Jim Rodway responded that the property is not condemned.

“We gave them 60 days to fix the house up,” Meloro said. “But they didn’t do their follow-up, so that process starts all over again. That’s what I was told. I’m being the devil’s advocate. It’s not the township; this is the health department.”

The original owner, according to Rodway, died a couple of years ago, and Meloro confirmed after checking on the house that it didn’t appear that someone was living in it. Another house, at 57 Redfern Drive, which the neighbors also complained about, is in litigation.

“The wife was not made aware of the foreclosure,” Rodway said. “So there’s a legal filing now, by her attorney.”

Following more comments from the public and public officials, Clebone and Trustee Greg Cizmar discussed the option of talking with the zoning department about the future of the township’s handling of overgrown, unkempt properties.

“I think we can start to take action. We don’t have to wait for years and years,” Clebone said.

At the next meeting, the board will work on adopting changes to the township’s property maintainence code. Trustee Devon Stanley was not in attendance for the meeting.

In addition to declaring four properties throughout Liberty as nuisances, the board also passed a resolution to accept $450,000 in American Rescue Plan funds from the Trumbull County commissioners to improve the township’s parks.

Trustees also learned a culvert will be replaced on Trumbull Avenue next summer that will close the street for at least two weeks, between Utah and Belmont avenues, according to road director Wayne Hickman.

dnewman@tribtoday.com