AUSTINTOWN — The township will not enact a fee on residents as part of the ABC Water and Stormwater District for the foreseeable future, Trustee Robert Santos said at a town hall meeting on Tuesday.

He did acknowledge that the township has numerous places where its stormwater infrastructure is failing, but said he does not see the need to enact a fee unless something unforeseen happens, such as inflation steeply increasing. Santos said he would rather look at the township’s budget and see where funds can be diverted to address stormwater issues, depending on what township needs are most urgent.

Santos showed the 50 people who came to Tuesday’s meeting numerous photos and examples of places where current stormwater infrastructure is failing because of neglect.

“Do I think the district is a phenomenal program? I won’t lie — I think it is. I think it is a phenomenal program for those who need it,” Santos said. “Do I think we are there right now? No.”

He said this is just an option that is on the table and he said he thinks residents have the right to know what is being considered, so they know how each option would affect them. Santos said initiating a fee for the district is not preferred, but it is not off the table.

The ABC Water District is one of 138 regional independent political subdivisions in the state, which are governed by Ohio Revised Code. It is comprised of Austintown, Boardman and Canfield townships.

CURRENT CONDITIONS

Now, Boardman and Canfield Township residents are charged a monthly fee that goes toward the district. The money collected in each township is used only for projects in that township, unless the project would benefit both townships, then they share costs.

Austintown residents are not charged a fee.

For a fee to be charged, the township trustees would have to approve and pay for a nonpervious surface study, the cost of which would be reimbursed by the district if a fee were to be collected. This study would build the billing file.

Mark Delisio of CT Consultants, who regularly works with the district, said on Tuesday that the study helps ensure that everyone is paying their share of the runoff that they produce. He said nonpervious surfaces contribute to runoff because they cannot absorb water. This includes roofs, driveways and parking lots.

In Boardman and Canfield townships, the average single family home pays a monthly fee toward the district that adds up to $37 per year. Non-residential properties pay more because they typically have more impervious surfaces, such as parking lots.

Delisio said much of the county’s residential development occurred decades ago before stormwater regulations were really in place. Because of this, townships are competing with a lack of infrastructure, and what is there is quickly aging.

He acknowledged that it can be hard for townships to give money to stormwater, when other departments like police and fire also need more funds. He said the district helps ensure that some funds are set aside for stormwater.

“It’s about striking the right balance. That’s what the district is for,” Delisio said. “It’s for protecting our property values. It’s for helping those residents who are having problems and we saw today that that’s happening more and more.”

Once the study is complete, the district board would decide to enact a fee, not the township trustees.

Santos said if it comes to that, he will push for residents to be able to vote on the issue in an election before the fee is enacted. Trustee Monica Deavers said that is the only way that she would support a fee for the district.

The trustees announced at their regular meeting on Monday that the Mahoning County commissioners had agreed to give $348,000 in American Rescue Plan funds toward three culvert replacements in the township.

The township got 10 bids for the project. The lowest came in at $328,150 from Z-Tech Builders and Excavators of Canfield and the highest came in at $426,775 from David Ritchie of Mineral Ridge.

These culverts are how the discussion of initiating a fee began. If the commissioners had not allocated the funds, the township would have had to pay for it out of its road department budget. Santos said the road department budget is about $2 million per year and half of that is for salaries and benefits. Therefore, this purchase would have made a very sizable dent in the budget, not even halfway through the year.

GOING FORWARD

Deavers said that she hopes that because the township no longer has to fund the culvert replacements, the township can use some of those funds for stormwater maintenance projects.

Santos said the township has several options to fund stormwater projects, including grants, funds from the county and state, diverting funds from other projects, levies, the ABC Water District, or the township could do nothing. Santos said he refuses to do nothing.

Several residents said they want the township to have a plan going forward to ensure bog problems, like the culvert replacements, don’t happen again in the future.

Santos said he wants the township to have a a comprehensive performance audit done to ensure the township is spending money like it should be. He noted that the state audits the township, but this is just a financial audit to ensure money is being spent from the correct accounts. A performance audit would ensure the township is spending its money and resources efficiently.

At Monday’s regular trustees meeting, Santos made a motion to spend $100,000 for a performance audit on every township department. It did not receive a second by either Deavers or trustee Steve Kent.

Deavers said she does not think the township has the funds to spend that much money on an audit right now. She noted that the township already is spending $35,000 on the financial audit. She said she’s not against the idea of an audit, just the amount of money it would cost.

The township also recently hired a new township administrator, so Deavers said she did not know how much a new employee could be audited.

Santos said he thought that if the township could prove to its residents that it is spending their money correctly, they may be more willing to contribute more.