AUSTINTOWN — Township officials have selected a new zoning inspector to replace Darren Crivelli.

At Monday night’s trustees meeting, Crivelli — who is scheduled to retire June 30, 2025 — recommended the board hire Austintown native Dominic Moltchan to succeed him. Moltchan will begin training with Crivelli on Dec. 16.

While Moltchan’s resume does not boast of zoning experience, township administrator Mark D’Apolito said he is confident Moltchan has the skill set to learn the job and do it well.

“We didn’t have an overwhelming pool of ready-made zoning inspector applicants, but we did have a lot of qualified individuals,” D’Apolito said.

D’Apolito said the township received 21 applicants since posting the job in late June after Crivelli announced his intention to retire within the next year or two. D’Apolito said only two of those applicants had any experience with zoning — only one local — and their experience was with city and village zoning. Municipalities have home-rule powers, and so they operate zoning offices much differently than townships do.

“When you don’t get exactly what you’re looking for right off the bat, you have to get creative and think about what skill sets you need, which brings us to Dominic,” D’Apolito said.

He said Moltchan’s lengthy experience managing security at Hollywood Casino stood out above the rest of the applicants.

“He has been employed at the casino for a considerable time and he has the ability to work well in a highly regulated environment,” D’Apolito said. “We looked at how he applies gaming code and the fire code at the casino, and how he works with our fire inspector. He has considerable experience applying detailed codes to situations. Zoning is very code driven, and I think the only thing more regulated than that is a casino.”

D’Apolito said Moltchan’s educational background also bodes well for his qualifications. Moltchan graduated in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in law enforcement with a focus in loss prevention, and a minor in organizational leadership.

‘And that’s something else that stuck out,” said D’Apolito, who also obtained a degree in criminal justice. “I know one of the things they cover is government operations, including budgeting and grant applications.”

He said Moltchan also has a great deal of experience working with the township’s fire and police departments, and testifying in court.

“And that’s a place Darren spends a lot of time,” he said. “The zoning inspector spends a lot of time working with the prosecutor and assembling cases.”

D’Apolito said Moltchan’s familiarity with — and dedication to — Austintown helps as well.

“My job is a little bit like the general manager of a sports team,” he said. “I need to have everybody working together and assemble a skill set within the township government that allows us to be diverse and I think he brings a lot to the table.”

Moltchan said he has wanted to serve Austintown in township government for many years, and even applied for the job about four years ago when trustees first thought Crivelli would retire.

He said he is excited about where the township is going.

“With the current trustees, I think they’ve been doing a great job over the past couple years,

They’re going in the right direction,” he said.

Moltchan said he intends to follow closely in Crivelli’s footsteps and serve the township for many years to come.

“If you look at the past couple zoning inspectors, they’ve been there combined for about 60 years, and I hope to continue that. I’m not going anywhere any time soon,” he said.

He said Crivelli, 63, has spent 29 years as a zoning inspector, beginning in Austintown and then leaving for 10 years in 1999 to do the job in Boardman before returning in 2008.

Over the past year alone, he has dealt with the new Meijer store set to open in the spring, the vacancy at the former JC Penney location in Austintown Plaza, and the zoning of a dedicated area for a marijuana dispensary expected to open within the year.

Crivelli has been no stranger to the stresses of the job and the ire of the community, such as when the township’s zoning board of appeals approved a methadone treatment clinic to fill part of the JC Penney space earlier this year. That company eventually withdrew and the space has since been filled by a Five Below clothing store, and Grocery Outlet Bargain Market is set to open soon.

He has taken it all with good nature and good humor.

In June, when discussing the questions and complaints he anticipated about the marijuana dispensary, Crivelli told trustees to direct all calls to him.

At Monday’s meeting, Trustee Robert Santos jokingly told Crivelli he hopes he’ll keep his work phone on after retirement.

“The phone’s going into Meander (Reservoir),” Crivelli replied.