CANFIELD TOWNSHIP — Trustees took a close look at the three bids submitted for the addition of three bays to the maintenance facility on Messerly Road, and all three came in much higher than expected.

They included Hively Construction of Canfield, with a bid of $744,000; J. Herbert Construction of Salem with a bid of $710,600; and United Contractors Inc. of Brookfield with a bid of $805,000.

“We need the garage space but not at $700,000,” Canfield Township Public Works foreman Bob Burkett said at Wednesday’s meeting,

He told trustees he spoke with a contractor who said the addition of three bays should run approximately $350,000.

One of the possible issues, according to Canfield Trustee Brian Governor, is that contractors were dealing with federal grant funds, which required meeting specific details. Trustees still felt the price was too high.

“We can reject all the bids,” Governor said.

Trustees agreed to look at options such as two, instead of three bays, and the possibility of putting up a separate building. Burkett said the township stores its three large trucks and vac truck in the present bays, but the trucks are squeezed in with very little room to move around. The township was approved for a $263,000 USDA grant for the addition of bays for the public works department.

Trustees agreed to look at other options with a lower price tag.

ARMSTRONG CABLE

Trustees also discussed Armstrong’s fiber optics lines and permit process. Armstrong Cable is working on Villa Rosa, and there was concern about the utility and a possible disregard for permitting.

Township administrator Keith Rogers said the utility has a poor reputation of not obtaining permits and thus not having a record of where its lines are located. He said the workers have drilled through drainage ditches and have run their conduit through culverts. Without the permitting process, there is no evidence of where the lines are when the township has to dig for other utilities.

“If you don’t know where the line is, you could cut into it,” Rogers said. “It is $1,000 per hour to repair.”

Trustee Marie Cartwright said another utility company drilled into a gas line in Girard and caused a house to explode. She said no one wants to see that happen in Canfield.

Rogers said he would contact the prosecutor’s office to see what could be done to make the utility abide by the rules.

In a different matter, trustees discussed a problem for the Millennial Moments JEDD, a joint effort between the township and the city of Canfield. The JEDD uses city water and sewer, but the Mahoning County Health Department has been holding up downspout permits while waiting on septic tank permits. Rogers said with city water and sewer, there are no septic tanks, and thus no reason to hold up the downspout permits.

“I want to send the county a letter to that effect so we can speed up the permit process,” Rogers said.

On waterline issues, Trustee Joe Paloski cited a recent water pressure issue for Westbury Park residents. Apparently a reduction valve failed and sent water to that area at an extreme pressure. The increased pressure damaged pipes and appliances.

“If you experienced any damage from the increased water pressure on May 5 and would like to file a claim with the Youngstown Water Department, follow the following steps,” he said.

He urged residents to visit the city of Youngstown’s website, click on city departments, then click on law, click on File a Claim for Damages, and a fillable PDF form will be listed.

“You can also call township hall at 330-533-4239 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to discuss the issue,” he said.

Under public presentation, trustees heard from Stephanie Oswald regarding garbage trucks and excessive noise early in the morning, and from Don Lepore on Abbey Road flooding.

Oswald told trustees she would like to see a standard pickup time for garbage trucks to load dumpsters.

On the Abbey Road issue, Lepore said he noticed the Army Corps of Engineers was on site in the past week and wondered if any resolution was coming. Rogers said there are a few things being considered. It included increasing the pipe size under Summit and dropping the elevation a foot. Rogers said he also would like to see a retention pond in back of the U.S. 224 businesses.

In other business, trustees:

● Approved $1,200 to the War Vet Museum to provide a wall plaque on the Wall of Honor.

● Approved the purchase of four Traffic Data Collector 2 units with 4G connections, solar attachments and six free months of Street Dynamics Portal from Stalker Radar Applied Concepts not to exceed $10,000. The new speed cameras’ data would be made available to the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office.

● Approved 4055 Fairway Drive and 4032 Alvacardo St. as public nuisance properties and ordered the abatement of those properties. Abatement will be provided by the township for expenses incurred at a $500 minimum.