BY JOHN A. DARNELL JR.
      associate editor
      Meeting on Monday night, Boardman Township’s Board of Trustees voted in favor of the recommendation by Fire Chief Mark Pitzer to hire a private company for the purpose EMS billing services.
      At their Sept. 25 meeting, based on a recommendation from Chief Pitzer, Trustees approved the purchase of a used ambulance at a cost of $56,759 that is now housed at Boardman Township’s main fire station at Market St. and Stadium Dr.
      According to the Boardman Fire Department’s Emergency Medical Service Patient Transport Billing Policy, “If the BFD transports a patient to an emergency care facility, the Department shall bill the patient in accordance with federal Medicaid and Medicare guidelines
      “The patient shall be billed as follows:
       •Basic Life Support: $700
       •Advance Life Support (1): $900
       •Advanced Life Support (2): $1,100.”
      The policy says that charges for ambulance services provided to non-township residents shall be an amount not less than the authorized Medicare reimbursement rate,” and says all fees collected will be placed into a fund for “Fire and Rescue Services, Ambulance Services and emergency medical services in Boardman Township.”
      In another matter, a resident of 1061 Zander Dr., presented a first-ever issue to the Board of Trustees when Deborah Prosser expressed concerns about a tree house that a neighbor constructed near her rear-yard property line.
      Prosser said she has a 6-foot fence along the property line, but her neighbor’s trees house extends 12-1/2 feet into the air, and 35-feet away from windows at her home.
      “It totally impacts my quality of life and my privacy,” Prosser said, labeling the hut as a “man cave.”
      Township Zoning/Planning Director T.J. Kieran said the tree house is constructed in conformity with zoning regulations, saying the hut did not exceed 200 sq-ft, but was closer to 32 sq-ft.
      Township Administrator Jason Loree said he had spoken with the Mahoning County Building Department and county regulations “do not address this.”
      Prosser said that her neighbor is “morally incorrect.”
      Tom Costello, chairman of township trustees, said that local officials would try and speak with Prosser’s neighbor “to see if he will do the right thing.”
      The chairman remarked, “I’d like to see it dismantled, this isn’t right.”