BY JOHN A. DARNELL JR.
      associate editor
      Meeting on Monday night, Boardman Township Trustees indicated more than $1.5 million will be spent this year addressing surface water issues in the township. Upwards of 80 per cent of those monies will be provided through grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Army Corps of Engineers.
      Much of the work is designed to address drainage issues in the Boardman Lake and Wildwood Dr. areas, as well as Cranberry Run, that flows into Mill Creek.
      Trustees approved the Davey Resource Group to provide engineering and construction management services, including site grading, stream restoration and landscaping in the Boardman Lake/Wildwood Dr. area where it is expected four homes will be razed by the end of June and those sites will be restored to what Boardman Road Superintendent Marilyn Kenner said will be “a park like setting.”
      The contract with Davey approved by Trustees was for $45,250. Of that, the ABC Stormwater District will provide a local match for $5,656.
      Kenner said the cost of the overall project will be $998,000, of which $125,000 will be paid from ABC funds, with the balance coming from FEMA grants.
      Additionally, the Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to a $100,000 grant for a ‘stream modeling project’ along Cranberry Run; and according to Kenner, the state of Ohio has agreed to provide a capital grant of $500,000 to address surface water issues impacting Cranberry Run at Market St. Elementary School.
      Township Administrator Jason Loree told Trustees the ABC Stormwater District is expected award a surface water project for Glenridge Dr., and as well, the district will soon conduct an aerial survey that will provide storm water modeling data designed to address drainage issues.
      “We continue to seek outside funding to help improve the infrastructure of our community. We are dedicated to working on addressing as many of the problem areas of the township with regard to drainage and this outside funding (grants) will allow the township to make a major difference,” Brad Calhoun, chairman of the township’s Board of Trustees, said.
      Kenner told Trustees more than 10 miles of township road will be resurfaced this year at a cost of about $1 million. That work will be funded with assistance of about $350,000 provided from Ohio Public Works grants, Kenner said.
      Police Chief Todd Werth told Trustees that three officers will remain with his department under provisions of a retire-rehire program. They are Lt. Richard Balog, Sgt. Chuck Hillman Jr. and Sgt. Mike Hughes, head of the Narcotics Enforcement Unit (NEU). Under terms of the program, the township will save about $87,000 through reductions in salary and benefits, Chief Werth said.
      In other matters, Trustees adopted nuisance resolutions for properties at 8551 Crossroads Dr. and 101 Shields Rd., ordering those sites to be cleaned-up.
      $35,288 was approved for the purchase of ammunition and replacement service pistols for the police department.