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BOARDMAN -- Public comments by Boardman resident Beth Shutrump at the Sept. 25 Boardman Township trustees meeting led Boardman Township Trustee Tom Costello to admit that one reason he was not publicly opposing the Mill Creek MetroParks' deer reduction plan was his fear it would negatively affect the township's efforts to reduce flooding.
Shutrump brought the issue to the attention of the Mahoning County commissioners at their Oct. 12 meeting, saying Costello "finally stated that the director, Aaron Young of Mill Creek MetroParks, could be vindictive if they took a position against the deer hunt."
She made the remarks during the public comments portion of the commissioners meeting. Shutrump is part of the Save the Deer of Mill Creek Park organization.
An audio recording obtained by The Vindicator reveals that Costello said Sept. 25 that he did not want to jeopardize the cooperation the township is getting from the MetroParks on fixing the stormwater problems. However, Costello told The Vindicator last week he never called Young vindictive.
Shutrump opposes the deer reduction plan, which began Oct. 1 with hunting in several MetroParks in Boardman and other parts of the county. Thirty deer also were killed by U.S. Department of Agriculture-employed sharpshooters one night in mid-October at the Mill Creek MetroParks golf course in Boardman. The reduction plan eliminated 121 deer in October, according to the MetroParks.
A lawsuit filed by four people opposed to the deer reduction plan is pending in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.
Shutrump told the commissioners that Costello stated at the Sept. 25 trustees meeting that the township "has not had Mill Creek MetroParks' cooperation for many years, and now they do. Costello doesn't want to jeopardize that cooperation and jeopardize those people continuing to have flooding problems in Boardman," she said.
She quoted Costello as having said that stormwater pipes for Boardman flow into Mill Creek Park, and the MetroParks is "not fixing them" and the township has to "work with" the MetroParks to get "permission to go into Mill Creek Park."
Shutrump said the remark "demonstrates that Aaron Young is abusing his power. He does not own Mill Creek Park. We, the taxpayers of Mahoning County, support Mill Creek Park." She noted that "many of us witnessed this testimony live."
When she asked commissioners if they had any response, Commissioner Dave Ditzler said the public comment period is "not an interactive."
The Vindicator checked with Jason Loree, Boardman Township administrator to find out whether the township records its trustees meetings, and he said they do not.
But another person who attended the Boardman meeting later provided The Vindicator with an audio recording she made of part of the meeting.
AUDIO RECORDING
The interactions between Shutrump and Costello began with Costello telling Shutrump the trustees wrote a letter to the MetroParks Sept. 13 that said a group of township residents had spoken out to the trustees against the MetroParks deer reduction plan. The letter was written on township trustees letterhead and was signed by Loree.
The letter did not state that the trustees opposed the deer plan, only that the letter was meant to "clearly share the concerns of some of our residents who live and reside next to parts of Mill Creek Park and those who visit the park for recreation."
Shutrump pressed Costello to do something more. Costello said the trustees had not heard back from the MetroParks on the letter but they could ask the MetroParks for a response, then added: "We do not have the ability to stop the hunt. We were told by our legal counsel we can't do that."
Shutrump urged trustees to "say you oppose the hunt."
Costello replied, "I have personally spoken to two park members I know well and shared with them my concerns and my thoughts. Please understand Boardman Township works with Mill Creek Park on issues outside of the deer that we need cooperation with. Is it possible that Mr. Young would be vindictive if we took a position?"
It appears that Costello did not answer his question, but Shutrump pressed Costello further.
Shutrump said, "You are saying that he can be vindictive personally to you or in general to the whole community, which he has already done?"
Costello said: "I'm not worried about me personally. I'm worried about Boardman Township because that's who I've been elected to represent.
"That's beautiful. I love hearing that," Shutrump said. "We all do." She thanked Costello to loud applause.
Shutrump asked, "This vindictiveness. You're saying he can take it out on the citizens of Boardman and the surrounding communities as well, correct?"
Costello's reponse was unintelligible.
Later in the exchange, Costello mentioned flooding issues that have plagued the township.
"Yes, the water flooding. We need the help of Mill Creek Park to solve some of the water problems, which I understand may or may not affect people in this room. But it affects an awful lot of people in Boardman Township," Costello said, according to the recording.
"We need their cooperation in order to continue to get that going. We didn't have that for a lot of years. Right now we have it. I'm not going to jeopardize that cooperation and have those people continue having flooding problems," Costello said.
Shutrump again tried to draw out a more definite statement from Costello saying, "You basically told me you fear what kind of retribution that you may get from stating how you feel."
Costello replied: "I'm worried about what might happen to the township."
BOARDMAN FLOODING
When Shutrump addressed the county commissioners, she quoted from another exchange caught on the Sept. 25 recording, this one between Costello and another person regarding Boardman's flooding.
"Part of Boardman drains into Mill Creek Park," Costello said. "There are pipes going into Mill Creek Park. Those pipes are inside of Mill Creek Park. He is not fixing them." Costello did not identify at the meeting who he meant by "he," but Costello told The Vindicator last week he was referring to Young because Young is "the face of the park."
Costello said Sept. 25, "We have been able to work through ABC Water District to get those fixed so that the water will flow and not flood parts of Boardman. We have to work with him to get their permission to go into Mill Creek Park."
When The Vindicator asked Costello whether his remarks at the Sept. 25 trustees meeting indicated that he thought Aaron Young could be vindictive, he said he was "speaking as Tom Costello, a Boardman resident myself, not necessarily as a trustee."
But he added, "There's no secret Boardman has had water issues for years, and we've been working very hard and diligently to find solutions to those problems. Over 50% of Boardman Township by design drains into Mill Creek (the waterway that runs through Mill Creek Park).
"We have roads, streets that literally drain I'll say directly into Mill Creek. We've had those pipes inspected. We know what the problem is ... and are working on solutions that have evaded us in the past."
WORD CHOICE
Costello said of the Sept. 25 trustees meeting, "I was trying to choose my words carefully. Yes, we do have cooperation now. We want the cooperation to continue so we can continue to help the people with flooding issues."
Costello said Shutrump may have interpreted his remarks as him calling Young vindictive, but "I did not say that and that is not my position." He called Shutrump a "very, very passionate person on this issue. I understand she is trying to accomplish what she sees as an issue."
Costello said his position is that he wants Boardman and the MetroParks to "work together to solve problems that are present now on flooding issues in Boardman."
Costello clarified that when he said Sept. 25 that "he is not fixing them," he meant the Boardman Township legally cannot fix pipes that take water away from Boardman and into Mill Creek Park "because they are on Mill Creek Park property, so they are not being fixed by Mill Creek Park."
He said "Legally I cannot spend (Boardman Township) dollars for work outside of Boardman Township."
Costello said the problem with some pipes in Mill Creek Park is they are "compromised." For instance, where two pipes join, "there are a few inches between them, and that affects how the water flows and affects debris and other things to get into the lines."
He said Boardman has some of its own pipe issues, like one in Applewood Acres "that has become so compromised that it is only allowing about 50% of the pipe to be used to evacuate water."
He said construction on a 1 million-gallon stormwater park on the former Market Street School site is expected to start in the spring to help alleviate flooding caused by a "heavy rain event," he said.
YOUNG'S RESPONSE
Asked last week about Costello's remarks and Shutrump's comments to the county commissioners, Young said the MetroParks has "a great working relationship with Boardman Township and have already met with Jason Loree on behalf of the ABC Water District to discuss (how) some of the potential stormwater drainage work could impact Mill Creek MetroParks. We are supportive and will continue to be supportive of their efforts to address these stormwater challenges that have been brought on by past zoning regulation inadequacies."
Young said he has not received any communications from Costello regarding this issue. He said of Shutrump's remarks: "This claim from a passionate deer supporter appears to be much to do about nothing."