Local News

On the record

Weathersfield

WHAT: Township Trustees meeting

WHEN: May 14

PRESENT: Steve Gerberry, Richard Harkins and Edward Whittaker

Trustees:

• Transferred $25,000 from the general fund to the road and bridge fund, effective May 2.

• Adopted a resolution opposing the proposed 30% rate hike by Enbridge Gas Ohio, formerly Dominion Ohio.

•Appointed Township Administrator David Rouan as the certifying officer and responsible entity for the Appalachian Regional Commission POWER Initiative Grant Program through the Ohio Department of Development Office of Community Development.

• Accepted the resignation of police officer Simon Irwin, effective May 12.

• Approved the settlement of the lawsuit Tom Sudik et al. v. Weathersfield Township in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court, by agreeing to hold an additional hearing before the Board of Zoning Appeals on June 13 at 5 p.m. regarding the application for variance of Grandview Development LLC.

• Announced that the annual community garage sale will take place June 13-15 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

-- Mason Cole

Local News

On the record

McDonald

WHAT: Village council meeting Wednesday

PRESENT: Sean Schmidt, Kerry Reckard, Chad Jones, John Metzinger Don Smith and Mayor Ray Lewis

Council:

•Accepted retirement resignation of police Chief Bill Woodley effective May 1, after 27 years of service. Lewis said no replacement has been named.

•Approved final reading for adjusting vacations for employees adding Christmas Eve and Columbus Day as holidays for full-time employees and for vacation adjustment with employees going to three weeks vacation after five years of employment, four weeks after 12 years and five weeks after 15 years. Lewis said the previous years for receiving vacations were 10 for three weeks, 15 for four weeks and 20 for five weeks. He said the village wanted to be competitive with what other communities offer for employee vacation.

•Announced a Memorial Day service at 1 p.m. May 26 at the war memorial at Woodland Park.

•Approved nine recent McDonald High School graduates as summer park attendants with seven to work in the parks and two in the street department over the summer.

•Received a $250 NOPEC grant for park improvements.

•Set the annual Oktoberfest for Oct. 12 in the park.

•Plan to meet once a month in the summer with those dates to be determined at the May 22 meeting.

-- Bob Coupland

Local News

On the record

Liberty

WHAT: Township trustees meeting Friday

PRESENT: Devon Stanley, Arnie Clebone and Greg Cizmar

Trustees:

•Passed a resolution putting properties on the nuisance list for unmowed grass or debris: 801 Mansell Drive, 3465 Hadley Ave., 57 Redfern Drive and 50 Redfern Drive.

•Passed a motion to purchase a 2023 police vehicle from Vienna Township for $40,000.

•Passed a resolution opposing Dominion Energy Ohio's proposed 30% rate increase and requesting that the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio deny Dominion Energy Ohio's request for the same. The township and its residents currently receive natural gas distribution service from Dominion Energy Ohio, now known as Enbridge. The company has proposed a distribution rate increase for consumers that would increase consumers' monthly fixed Basic Service Charge for natural gas distribution services from $43.27 to $56.31. Enbridge proposed to increase other fixed monthly distribution charges to consumers by more than $8.78 per month starting in 2025, and increasing by as much as $29.69 per month by 2032. Large-rate increases in natural gas distribution services may negatively impact Liberty Township's efforts to attract new business and jobs, depress the housing market, and place an undue finaall go into immediate effect.

-- Daniel Newman