The heavy storm that came through the township Friday, August 10 caused extensive flooding in some areas of Boardman. If you experienced flooding at your home, the Township needs your help in gathering important information.

The Mahoning County Emergency Management Agency, in conjunction with the Mahoning County Commissioners and Boardman Township Trustees, are requesting that any residents who sustained flood damage from last Friday’s storms contact Help Network of Northeast Ohio’s 211 service.

Residents will be asked to provide the following information:

• Name
• Address
• Phone number
• Type of structure (single family house, apartment, etc.)
• Own or rent?
• Estimated depth of water
• Insurance coverage, if any

This information will assist the damage assessment teams in knowing which areas and neighborhoods sustained flooding. It is the Township’s hope to get enough information to qualify for State and Federal Assistance.

Residents should contact Help Network of Northeast Ohio by dialing 211 between the hours of 9:00 am and 9:00 pm now through Thursday, August 16. Information can also be emailed to ReportFlooding@boardmantwp.com

 

Here are some resources that may help you if you’ve sustained flood damage:

• Visit the Drainage and Flooding Issues page on this website
• View and download an extensive Red Cross publication entitled “Repairing Your Flooded Home”
• View and download the Ohio Department of Insurance fact sheet “After the Flood”
• View the Ohio Department of Insurance’s online Severe Weather and Disaster Preparation and Recovery Toolkit

The Boardman Police Department has received several complaint calls about an “IRS collection scam” that seems to be targeting our specific area.

Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and it must be paid promptly through a gift card or wire transfer. Victims may be threatened with arrest or suspension of a business or driver’s license. The callers often claim that local police will be at their door within the next day if they do not comply.

In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting. Victims may also be told they have a refund due to try to trick them into sharing private information. If the phone isn’t answered, the scammers often leave an “urgent” callback request. The calls seem to come from numbers within the US, but usually originate from fraudulent call centers from outside the country.

In addition to taking the steps below, check on any elderly or at risk relatives and friends that may be susceptible to a scam like this. Usually, hanging up on the caller will prompt them to move on to the next number. Any interaction with them usually brings additional calls and continued solicitations.

Awareness and prevention are the keys to protecting yourself. Because of the overseas locations of these groups, it is very difficult for law enforcement to recover any funds once they are sent.

The IRS will never:

• Call to demand immediate payment over the phone, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you several bills.
• Call or email you to verify your identity by asking for personal and financial information.
• Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
• Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
• Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone or e-mail.
• Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS and asking for money or to verify your identity, here’s what you should do…

If you don’t owe taxes, or have no reason to think that you do:

• Do not give out any information. Hang up immediately.
• Contact the IRS Fraud Center to report the call. Use their “IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting” web page at https://www.treasury.gov/tigta/contact_report_scam.shtml. You can also call 800-366-4484.

If you know you owe, or think you may owe tax:

• Call the IRS at 800-829-1040. IRS workers can help you.

Stay alert to scams that use the IRS as a lure. Tax scams can happen any time of year, not just at tax time. For more, visit “Tax Scams and Consumer Alerts” at https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-scamsconsumer-alerts on IRS.gov.

An open competitive examination will be conducted by the Boardman Township Civil Service Commission for a Firefighter position in the Boardman Township Fire Department.

Applications will be available October 1, 2018 through October 12, 2018, and may be accessed electronically by clicking the link at the bottom of the Civil Service page, or by emailing a request to boardmancivilservice@gmail.com.

For more information about this position, you may view and/or download this document. All questions should be directed to (330) 726-4177 ext. 61701 during normal business hours or (330) 540-8204 after 4 pm, except Holidays.

Boardman Township will have an initial meeting in regards to the Township Zoning Code update on August 6. A full comprehensive update to the Zoning Code has not taken place since 1948, when it was first enacted. We invite Boardman residents to learn about some of the recommended changes and share their input.

At the meeting, the consultants will share recommendations for major changes to the Zoning Resolution. They will gather public input and feedback prior to drafting the new Zoning Resolution.

All the preliminary information can be found at https://www.buildingabetterboardman.com. The code evaluation report will be posted at least a week in advance of the meeting.

Please join us:

Monday, August 6^th
7:00 p.m
Boardman Township Government Center
8299 Market Street

Boardman Township firefighters have already begun to train at the new training tower at the Main Fire Station on Market Street at Stadium Drive.

In these photos, we see them practicing placement of ground ladders and aerial ladder operations for victim rescue. These skills need to be maintained in order to effectively rescue victims in a timely manner. Firefighters’ efficiency at their tasks can make a huge difference when lives are on the line and every second counts!

The Boardman Township Trustees are seeking applicants for the position of Full Time Laborer in the Road Department.

See the township’s Employment page for more information, a job description and an application form.

The deadline for applications is Monday, July 2, 2018 at 3:30 pm.

As you’ve seen in news reports, Meijer has proposed to build a new facility in an area bounded by Lockwood Blvd. and Rte. 224 in Boardman.

The total size of the site in question is roughly 39 acres. Meijer has requested the rezoning of 4 acres in this area to Commercial status, bringing the total area to be developed to 17 acres. At the same time, under this proposal an additional 6 acres would be added to the existing area that is designated as a conservation easement, bringing the total area of the easement to 22 acres. These 22 acres could never be used for commercial or residential development, but would remain a wetlands for wildlife that is present in this area.

The developer states that the Meijer store would provide between 250 and 275 full-time and part-time jobs, and that the company would invest between $20,000,000 and $25,000,000 in site development and store construction capital.

The improved property tax value of the land would be $150,000–$200,000.

At a public meeting held June 11^th, Boardman Township Trustees granted the request of Carnegie Development representing Meijer a 30-day continuance. Within 30 days of the granting of this request, a public meeting will be held for the re-zoning of 4 acres from residential to commercial. At this meeting, the trustees will take action either for or against this zone change.

The following FAQ section is designed to clarify the project and its progress to-date.

Q. What is being proposed?
A. The rezoning of approximately 4 acres of land as shown on this map.

Q. What is a conservation easement?
A. A conservation easement preserves land so that it is unable to be developed and is set aside for nature and wildlife. Under Meijer’s proposal, the existing conservation easement would be expanded from 17.2 acres (see current map) to 22 acres (see proposed map).

Q. Can this land be developed if the proposed Meijer project does not move forward?
A. Yes. The property that can be developed without a zoning change is indicated by the yellow (residential) and red (commercial) areas on this map — a total of approximately 22 acres. No laws exist that can stop land from being developed that follows the regulations established for its current use.

Q. If the Meijer’s project moves forward, how much land would be available for development on this property?
A. Only the area shown in red on this map — a total of 17 acres. The 22-acre area shown in green would be a conservation easement and would never be available for development.

Q. What impact would new development have on traffic in the area?
A. Any development to this site requires the review and approval of the Ohio Department of Transpiration (ODOT). ODOT does not allow changes to a traffic pattern without their approval. They ensure that the developer makes the necessary upgrades to the roads and signals in the area.

Q. Would the developer put in stormwater control measures?
A. Yes. The developer would be required to follow the Mahoning County Drainage criteria.

Q. Was this project approved by the Mahoning County Planning Commission?
A. Yes, they approved the zoning change.

Q. Was the zoning change approved by the Boardman Township Zoning Commission?
A. No, it was turned down 4-1.

Q. Can the Boardman Township Trustees approve the zoning change?
A. Yes, with a majority vote.

Q. Is the Township giving Meijer a Tax Abatement?
A. No. The Township does not offer tax abatements.

Q. Would the Township have to pay for any road improvements if this gets developed?
A. No. The Township will not be responsible for paying for road improvements.

From the empty lot of May 2017 to the finished Station #71 ready for its official dedication on May 29, 2018, you can watch the new station come to life over the course of one year in less than five minutes in this fascinating time-lapse video.

Boardman Township would like to thank the planners, architects, construction crews and all those who worked so hard to make our new Main Fire Station a reality.

And special thanks to Scott Galvin at GalvinPhoto.com for putting this photo project together.

 

Past and present firefighters, township and county officials, and Boardman residents of all ages turned out for the Open House celebrating Boardman’s new Main Fire Station on May 29.

Among those addressing the crowd were Township Trustee Brad Calhoun, Fire Chief Mark Pitzer and retired Fire Chief Jim Dorman, who gave a history of the Main Fire Station on Rte. 224 that the new station will be replacing.

Following a ceremonial ribbon cutting, attendees were treated to food provided by Boardman restaurants and had the opportunity to tour the new facility.