POLAND — Village council has voted to prohibit adult-use cannabis businesses in the village.

Other Mahoning Valley communities have passed similar legislation.

The prohibition legislation passed first reading March 19 and second reading April 16. A required public hearing at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday drew several residents, with one speaking in favor of the legislation. Afterward at the meeting, council unanimously approved the legislation.

“My position is that (type of business) is not a welcoming one for our community,” resident Elinor Zedaker said. “I am opposed to it.”

Village Solicitor Jay Macejko said the issue is a done deal, but won’t officially become a village ordinance for 30 days.

Also, Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley President Casey Krell addressed council on a partnership with the Poland Preservation Society Inc. She said the society was established in 1996 to preserve several buildings in the village. The society did preserve the buildings and planned to sell them. They also had funds left over and decided to use the money to continue to support all of village’s historic buildings.

“The society created a fund under the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley,” Krell said. “The group’s intention was to support the preservation of historic buildings, specifically through grants to owners of historic homes to improve and preserve the exterior of those homes.”

She said since grants can’t be made from the fund to individuals, the foundation will partner with the village to accomplish these investments in historic homes.

The fund has a balance of $211,779, Krell said.

Krell said a tentative operating plan was developed with village leadership and is recommended to ensure the fund will be able to operate as it should. She said the Architectural Review Board will release applications to residents who own and live in a historic home at least 125 years old.

The resident can apply for a one-time $5,000 grant to go toward an exterior project. She said the grant could cover, but wasn’t limited to, exterior painting, carpentry repairs, exterior lighting, permanent landscaping, walkways, patios, fencing, shutters, finials and railings.

Once an application is received, a grant recipient will be selected. That person will then have to sign a grant agreement and document what will be done, set a time period for the project, and handle any follow up required.

The village then will request the distribution of the grant funds from foundation to the resident. Any grant funds not used, or not used in compliance with the grant guidelines, will be required to be returned to the fund.

In other business, council heard from a host of residents concerned about the replacement of brick with a concrete patio and walkway at the Poland Library.

Councilman Michael Zembower said the Design Review Board recently rejected the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County’s proposal to stain the concrete. Since that denial, the library has not come back with another plan.

He said there is an offer of enough brick to be donated for the project. No price has been received yet on what it would cost to put the brick back as it used to be.

“It is the library board who is responsible,” Moffie said. “They need to spend the money and put the bricks back.”

Council decided to send the library a letter requesting another plan by the next council meeting, or code enforcement would take place. Macejko said he would give the library notice and set a time limit.

Council also unanimously approved placing the 3.2-mill renewal levy for expenses on the November ballot.

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