HUBBARD TOWNSHIP — A formal conclusion was reached regarding a property that divided trustees at several regular meetings this year, thanks to another public entity.

Trustee Monica Baker, the township’s zoning liaison, who attended a recent land bank meeting, explained to trustees and residents Tuesday that the McDowell Street property continues to be an “urgent and open” case. The road department put up no trespassing signs to secure the property, she added.

Baker said the property made it onto the Trumbull County Land Bank’s demolition list and trustees are hopeful that it will be demolished by the end of summer.

Trustee Bill Colletta said, as part of his report, that he spoke with a trustee on the land bank’s board, who guaranteed it would be done by the end of the year, at the very latest.

“Hopefully, by the end of summer — the way the land bank works is when they get houses for demolition, they do in groups of 10,” Colletta said. “When they get finances for 10 structures, they will put that out for bid, not one at a time. So we’re kind of on that list.”

“They try and do it so that they’re geographically somewhat adjacent, so that it’s more efficient for the contractor,” Baker said.

Trustees backed off on the McDowell Street property after several months of deliberations.

They originally voted 2-1 to hire Crump Construction for the demolition of the McDowell Street structure, costing $9,700, at April’s meeting. The resolution ended up being held because one of the trustees said they could have the demolition done through the Trumbull County Council of Governments.

However, they received a letter from the Trumbull County Engineer’s Office stating otherwise.

Colletta said at a June meeting that after an external review that he deemed “very, very explicit,” there were some matters with which he didn’t want to get involved — including the removal cost being reestimated at $15,000.

Colletta said the township would not be able to recoup that cost for a property as small as it was.

TRUMBULL COUNTY WATER ADVISORY PANEL

Colletta, the township’s representative on the county’s water advisory panel, a group formed after commissioners approved increasing water rates, reported that he attended its inaugural meeting.

He noted that “a lot of stuff happened, a lot of issues.”

Colletta said one recommendation was increasing costs for commercial customers wanting to install fire hydrants or temporary standpipes, as well as tap-in fees.

“The district was losing money on all three of those areas, so now it’s up to where they’re breaking even; we definitely don’t want to lose money,” Colletta said.

Colletta said one of the things proposed he was not particularly crazy about was increasing water rates across the board to supplement any increases to bulk water rates. He explained there are seven water districts in Trumbull County, but the bulk water for them is supplied by four different entities.

“Before this year’s water rates went up, if District 7’s rates went up, they would charge District 7 — and then everybody else would stay the same,” Colletta said. “Now what they’re saying is, if a bulk water rate goes up, everybody’s rate goes up to absorb it; I’m not quite crazy about that idea.”