POLAND — Township Trustee Frank DeMain addressed Poland Village Council at its Tuesday meeting regarding the traffic lights in the village, especially the lights at Riverside Drive, state Routes 616 and 170, and near the Poland Post Office.

“The (traffic) lights are out of sequence,” he said. “Sometimes the traffic backs up all the way to Holy Family.”

He pointed out how the lights at state Routes 616 and 170 should work together, but often don’t. Those two lights cause the long backups on U.S. 224.

He also mentioned the lights at the Post Office and at Riverside Drive. Those lights are supposed to work on sensors when a vehicle approaches the intersection.

“When a vehicle is turning right, it still kicks off the light,” DeMain said. “The vehicle turns right and the light backs up traffic. I suggest the light at the Post Office be put on flashing when it is closed.”

DeMain said he reached out to the Ohio Department Of Transportation and was told to reach out to village officials.

“Whatever I can do to help fix the situation, I’ll do,” he said.

He suggested a meeting with ODOT to observe the lights and the traffic backup they cause. Mayor Tim Sicafuse said he would contact ODOT and set it up.

In other business, homeowners Kenneth Gaston and Deanna Dillon asked village officials for help in getting their road paved. The couple live on the dead end section of Sheridan Road. The hiking trail was built along that section of road, but the road was never paved and is still gravel.

“Our road is the only gravel road left in the village,” Dillon said. “I am afraid we won’t be able to get an ambulance or a fire truck to our house if we don’t get it paved.”

She said recently a plow truck had attempted to plow the snow on the dead end section, but it got stuck and had to have a tow truck pull it out. She said she has lived there for 50 years and the home, which is the only one on that block of Sheridan, was owned by her parents. The home is a former railroad station that was turned into a residence.

“My one petty thing is I don’t like the mud that gets on my vehicle,” Dillon said.

Gaston said the intersection of Sheridan and Massachusetts Avenue has a three-way stop sign. The dead end section does not and he said many motorists consider it a private drive and don’t yield to anyone on the dead end section.

Gaston said the least that could be done is to have a street sign put up. He said a lot of people think the road is part of his driveway. No action on the request was taken at the meeting.

In other business, council:

•Approved a transfer of $1,303.35 in interest to the Law Enforcement Trust Fund after waiving the three readings and declaring it an emergency.

•Approved the purchase of a zero turn bagger for leaf pickup at a cost not to exceed $4,974.45 with the cost split 50-50 between the village and the Hine Fund.

•Approved the purchase of a new bullet proof vest for the newest full-time police officer at a cost not to exceed $1,500.